Bouquet of workshops and panels at Abu Dhabi Festival exhibition
A creative work at the exhibition.
Muhammad Yusuf, Features Writer
As part of its 19th edition held under the theme Crafting the Emirates State of Mind: Creation, Innovation and Joy, Abu Dhabi Festival (ADF) is hosting 12 panels and live and online workshops, featuring top Emirati artists.
The events are on the sidelines of the ADF’s exhibition Portrait of a Nation II: Beyond the Narratives, which runs until April 16, at Manarat Al Saadiyat, Abu Dhabi.
Huda Ibrahim Alkhamis, Founder of the Abu Dhabi Music & Arts Foundation (ADMAF), Founder and Artistic Director of ADF, said: “Portrait of a Nation II: Beyond Narratives embodies our belief that creativity and innovation are the UAE’s greatest strengths, as they both inspire and empower future generations.”
Poetic Luxury: Interactive masterclasses with artist Walid Al Wawi explored (Feb. 1) the ironic luxury of being able to reminisce about belonging through poetry and art, but never having had the luxury to be home.
Antonia Carver, Director of Art Jameel, moderated a panel discussion titled Collaboration and Togetherness: the UAE as artistic hub on Feb. 4 at Manarat Al Saadiyat, with the participation of Abdulrahman Al Owais, Minister of Health and Prevention, as well as artist Mohamed Ahmed Ibrahim and writer Nujoom Al Ghanem.
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The panel addressed new modes of working and thinking and the creative outcomes of challenging contexts or fresh explorations, with a focus on practitioners of the 80s and 90s, developing new approaches to artmaking born of experimental atelier atmospheres.
On Feb. 7, 14, and 21, the Festival will offer interactive workshops with Khalid Mezeina, addressing the power of adornment and communication beyond conventional words and language.
Mezeina will share his practice and resources for research to engage participants with the idea of reclaiming/redefining language through visual methods of communication.
Replicate the Masters, held in partnership with We Love Art (Feb. 8), will educate youth participants about UAE artists and inspire them to creatively reproduce two works from the founding masters of UAE art.
Through Online Classroom engagement: A Lesson on Art and Creation, to be held on Feb. 10 and 22, school children will have the opportunity to learn about the history of visual arts in the UAE from some of the country’s most esteemed visual artists, including the first Emirati jewellery artist Azza Al Qubaisi, visual storyteller Maitha Abdallah, artist Shaikha Al Mazrou and conceptual artist Afra Al Dhaheri.
The online classes will also give students an inside look into the exhibition and a chance to interact with the artists in an informal Q&A session.
Famed storyteller Ahmed Youssef will tell enchanting stories for all ages related to the UAE’s visual art history, social traditions, folk art and heritage in live-streamed online sessions.
Session 1 will tell The history of visual art in the UAE based on the Art of the Emirates II book, while session 2 is titled Historical traditions in the UAE: folk art and heritage song and dance. The sessions will be held on Feb. 15 and 28, respectively.
The Shifting Sociality: the changing organisation of social life panel discussion, being held on Zoom on Feb. 18, hosts Murtaza Vali, art historian, curator and critic; Salwa Mikdadi, associate professor of art history at NYUAD; Hind Mezaina, Emirati visual artist; and Mohamed Al Mazrouei, Emirati poet and visual artist.
Moderated by art curator Reem Fadda, the discussion will explore the ways in which artists reflect the UAE’s changing social landscape and urban transformation during a period of rapid development, as well as consumerism and globalisation, structures of technology, “financialisation”, travel and time, and their impact on experiences of identity.
On Feb. 21, the Festival will hold the Talk for International Mother Language Day, featuring Emirati visual artist and calligrapher Mohammed Mendi, with other Arabic calligraphers.
The Festival is held under the patronage of Sheikha Shamsa bint Hamdan Al Nahyan, wife of Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Ruler’s Representative in the Al Dhafra Region, Chairperson of the Emirates Red Crescent (ERC), Assistant to the Chairman of the ERC for Women’s Affairs, and Chairperson of the Higher Committee for Ataya Initiative, and supported by lead partner Mubadala Investment Company (Mubadala) and energy partner GS Energy.
The 2022 Abu Dhabi Festival programme is part of the contribution that the ADMAF makes to the UAE capital’s designation as a UNESCO City of Music, further bolstering its role as a world leading musical centre and incubator of an innovation-based and sustainable music ecosystem.
ADF encompasses over 1,000 participating artists from around the world, presenting more than 300 live and digital events. The 19th edition also includes two world tours and 17 world premieres.
Founded in 2004, the first ADF was held under the patronage of Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the then Minister of Information and Culture (currently UAE Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation).
ADMAF was established in 1996 as one of the earliest cultural foundations in the Gulf region and Arab World. It supports the sustainability and creativity of the cultural industry and contributes to enriching Abu Dhabi as a cultural beacon.
Mubadala Investment Company is a sovereign investor that manages a diverse business portfolio globally, to generate financial returns for its shareholder, the Government of Abu Dhabi. It is a Dhs894 billion ($243.4 billion) business, spanning six continents.
