On Arrival
By Ifra Shariq
This blog-post is part 2 of 2 written by the curatorial initiative close-enough. The texts have recently been published in close-enough’s recent publication How to Navigate Art Instititions that can be aquired as a PDF on their website.
Ifra Shariq has composed a reflective poem titled On Arrival, in which she shares her experience of navigating the art world. The poem expresses her emotions upon entering these unfamiliar spaces and reflects on the momentary feeling of discomfort that arises on arrival. It draws inspiration from Sara Ahmed’s article “A Phenomenology of Whiteness,” which delves into the idea that the presence of non-white bodies can induce disorientation and challenge the established order.
Ifra Shariq
Ifra Shariq (b. 1996, India) is a Stockholm-based curator whose practice includes audience engagement strategies and experimenting with different education-based mediation strategies. She holds two Masters’ degrees in Curating Art from Stockholm University in Sweden, and Museology from MS University in India. Currently, she is co-curating an exhibition with Svenska Konstnärernas Förening/SKF in Stockholm, along with curators Yul Cho and Ashik Zaman. Her recent work includes close-enough's inaugural project and its publication How to Navigate Art Institutions, and co-curating a pedagogical workshop series Chasing an Idea along with Johanna Rüskamp in collaboration with Kungsholmen Gymnasium and Accelerator.
close-enough
close-enough is a curatorial initiative co-founded by Ifra Shariq and Yul Cho during their MA studies in Curating Art at Stockholm University. Born out of shared frustrations with the Swedish art world, their aim is to bridge the gap between art institutions and underrepresented communities. The name close-enough signifies the often observed distance between art institutions and their audiences, alluding to the notion of an invisible line that people hesitate to cross for fear of being too close or touching the art. With a focus on genuine inclusivity, they strive to make art more accessible and engaging for a broader audience.
