Emirati Expressions IV:
Conventions of Arts
November 12, 2015–March 31, 2016
Manarat Al Saadiyat, Gallery 1
Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi
United Arab Emirates
Hours: 9am–8pm
www.saadiyatculturaldistrict.ae
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The Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority is pleased to present Emirati Expressions IV: Conventions of Arts, a major exhibition of contemporary art from the United Arab Emirates.
The questions Emirati Expressions IV: Conventions of Arts exhibition seeks to ask are related to the functionality and usability of art. Can art be useful? What does art look like when it is used? There is a vibrant and diverse practice of arts that beckons for the merging of use-value and art in the United Arab Emirates. Elements of design are incorporated, immersive experiences are developed, and engaged societal art has become the norm.
The exhibition will feature the work of Emirati artists whose projects oscillate naturally between design and fine art, combining languages of form and use to produce a communal art practice that is embedded in the social fabric of the United Arab Emirates. Artworks will include wearable textiles, photography, furniture design, interactive installations, paintings, illustrations, large-scale sculptures, and a live studio where artists will be working throughout the exhibition.
The exhibition will also present specially commissioned artworks inspired by Abu Dhabi’s diverse and historic social clubs. These interactive spaces, dedicated to community engagement, are the nuclei to modern cultural institutions within the UAE. The archives of these communal clubs will also be on display within the exhibition. Additionally, artists have been invited to produce site-specific works that will be on view within a number of these institutions, including the Emirates Writers Union, Armed Forces Officers’ Club, India Social and Cultural Center, and Abu Dhabi Theatre.
Participating artists
Ammar Al Attar, Afra Al Dhaheri, Zeinab Al Hashemi, Farah Al Qasimi, Salem Al Qassimi, Maryam Al Suwaidi, Sumayyah Al Suwaidi, Hind Bin Demaithan, Rami Farook, Lamya Gargash, Alia Lootah, Ghaya Bin Mesmar, Khalid Mezaina, Nasir Nasrallah, and Khalid Shafar
Curators
Maisa Al Qassimi, Programmes Manager, Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority
Reem Fadda, Associate Curator, Middle Eastern Art for the Abu Dhabi Project of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation
Muneera Al Sayegh, Programmes Officer, Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority
EEIV programs & events
Launching at Abu Dhabi Art in November 2015, Emirati Expressions IV will present a series of public events, artists’ talks and workshops that engage with the UAE’s arts community and wider population. A publication exploring the exhibition’s theme, including research and essays contextualising the work of featured artists, will be released in early 2016.
Emirati Expressions
Emirati Expressions was first held in 2009, when 64 Emirati artists presented more than 165 diverse artworks. The second edition (2011–12) reflected on Emirati cultural heritage through the thematic lens “Movement of Thoughts,” and included photographs by Emirati artists as well as visiting photographers with a global viewpoint. In 2013, Emirati Expressions: Realised showcased newly commissioned artworks by six distinguished Emirati artists.
