Portrait of a Nation II_ Beyond Narratives_ 21.01.22 - 16.04.22
ADMAF_Abu Dhabi Music & Arts Foundation
ADF_ Abu Dhabi Festival 2022
Manarat Al Saadiyat_ Abu Dhabi_ United Arab Emirates
Under the Patronage of
Her Highness Sheikha Shamsa bint Hamdan Al Nahyan
ADMAF Founder_Abu Dhabi Festival Founder & Artistic Director HE Huda I. Alkhamis-Kanoo
The show celebrates 50 years of art in the United Arab Emirates through gathering the work of more than sixty artists. In turn the set design stems from weaving these works and collaborations through a diagonal organizational grid that provides the visitors with a multitude of sensory and spatial experiences. It’s black nature morphs the existing elements of the space into the scenography to create a holistic void which achieves a vibrant cosmic sense and offers the foreground to the expansive variety of the artworks.
In between the play of mediums and scales of the artworks, the central axis presents five enclosed spaces. These pockets hold more intimate installations throughout the exhibition housing specific artworks that need independent presence. Along this axis sits a central activation space, considered the beating heart of the exhibition, and takes the shape of a generous plaza with an amphitheater seating arrangement to host talks, workshops and simple gatherings for the viewers.
Archival documents and publications are placed inside hovering light tables which puncture the black walls from one side to the other to reinforce connectivity and build dialogues with the different curatorial themes. These punctured windows allow the guests to also be framed through the scenography as living portraits within the cultural narrative of the nation.
Curator _Maya El Khalil
Co-Curator _Roxane Zand
Scenography _Ghaith&Jad / Ghaith Abou Ghanem, Jad Melki, Johnny Geokjian
Participating Artists:
Abdul Qader Al Rais | Abdul Rahim Salem | Abdul Rahman Al Owais | Abdullah Al Saadi | Abdullatif Al Smoudi | Afra Al Dhaheri | Ahmed Al Ansari | Ahmed Al Faresi | Alaa Edris | Ali Al Abdan | Ammar Al | Attar | Ayman Zedani | Azza Al Qubaisi | Basheer Sinwar | Cristiana de Marchi | Christo and Jeanne-Claude | Ebtisam Abdulaziz | Eman Al Hashemi | Farah Al Qasimi | Hashel Al Lamki | Hassan Sharif | Hazem Harb | Hind Mezaina | Hussein Sharif | Ismail Al Rifai | James Clar | Khalid Mezaina | Khalil Abdul Wahid | Lateefa bint Maktoum | Maitha Abdalla | Manal Al Dowayan | Maryam Wissam Al Dabbagh | Mays Al Baik | Mohamed Ahmed Ibrahim | Mohamed Al Qassab | Mohamed Mandi | Mohamed Yousif | Mohammed Al Mazrouei | Mohammed Kazem | Moza Almatrooshi | Nabla Yahya | Najat Makki | Nasser Alzayani | Nujoom Al Ghanem | Obaid Suroor | Ramin Haerizadeh, Rokni Haerizadeh and Hesam Rahmanian | Reza Derakshani | Saleh Al Ustad | Sara Al Haddad | Sara Naim | Sarah Al Mehairi | Sarah Alagroobi | Shaikha Al Mazrou | Tagalsir Hassan | Talal Moualla | Talin Hazbar | Tarek Al-Ghoussein | Vikram Divecha | Vivek Vilasini | Walid Al Wawi | Yasser Dweik | Zeinab Al Hashemi
Partners: Abu Dhabi Music & Arts Foundation, Abu Dhabi Festical
Strategic Partners: Ministry of Foreign Affairs & International Cooperation, Ministry of Culture & Knowledge Development Department of Culture and Tourism
Lead Partners : Mubadala, GS Energy
Award Partner: Chopard
Education Partners: Total Energies, Gulf Capital