SHARJAH: Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan Bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, the Cultural Affairs Department at the Sharjah Department of Culture and Information has organised the 19th Edition of the Sharjah Islamic Arts Festival. The festival will commence on Dec.14 and run until Jan.24. The new edition’s theme, “Bunyan,” will serve as a concept to unite artists. Bunyan is the Arabic word for “standing structure,” “forming construction,” or “man-built creation,” which sets it apart from the word “architecture.” The concept of architecture is about meeting certain social functions and human necessity, whereas the art of architecture is an introduction of creativity, composition, and motifs to create an unambiguous identity, whether religious or social. In this edition, we deconstruct the concept of Bunyan to rebuild a discourse through visuals in the realm of contemporary Islamic arts. The festival will contain 364 activities in the form of exhibitions, lectures, and workshops. More than 20 organisations assisted in the coordination of the festival projects. There will be 42 exhibitions, of which 34 will be at the Sharjah Art Museum, presenting works of artists from 21 countries, including the United Arab Emirates, neighbouring Arab countries, and other countries from around the world. Of the eight parallel exhibitions, three will be exhibited at the Al Majaz Amphitheatre, Al Noor Island, and the College of Fine Arts and Design at the University of Sharjah. The Al Majaz Waterfront will host two exhibitions, and Calligraphy Square will host three exhibitions. The number of participating artists has reached 64, and the number of artworks presented will be 232. The festival will also arrange for a dialogue between the artists and the audience, during which the artists will discuss the experiences that encouraged them to create contemporary visual art.