An art exhibition on collective anxiety and how online technology and communications feed it seems more relevant than ever today amid the global fears due to the coronavirus outbreak and the extensive information available.

"Art in the Age of Anxiety" is based on the premise that today’s connectedness is unprecedented in terms of mobility and access to technology. The exhibition, curated by Sharjah Art Foundation's senior curator Omar Kholeif, brings together more than 60 works spanning sculpture, prints, video, virtual reality, robotics and algorithmic programs by more than 30 international artists. They all deal with the dominant sentiment of the coronavirus-prone world of today: collective anxiety.

But just like many art events that have been canceled or postponed due to precautionary measures against the outbreak of the virus that causes COVID-19, the new exhibition, which was to be opened at the Sharjah Art Foundation (SAF) in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), was also postponed.

“We seem to be living in an age of anxiety now more than ever,” Kholeif, who is also the SAF director of collections, told Al-Monitor. “At this moment, the thought of catching influenza streams across an RSS feed and within days [it has created] global chaos, which now halts events, gatherings and global unions."