Guests see their interest reflected at Abu Dhabi Art 2021.

Muhammad Yusuf, Features Writer

Abu Dhabi Art (ADA) has announced that entry will be free of charge for all visitors to its upcoming art fair, taking place November 16-20 at Manarat Al Saadiyat, Abu Dhabi. Visitors can also enjoy the full fair experience by pre-registering through Abu Dhabi Art’s website. The complimentary access aims to highlight ADA’s commitment to nurturing and supporting the local arts and culture scene, made possible now say the authorities, thanks to newly appointed co-lead fair sponsor for 2022, Charles Zuber.

“High-end Neo-Swiss jewellery and watch brand Charles Zuber is set to become a driving creative force in the luxury market and will be exclusively launched at ADA this year.” Visitors will see the unveiling of curated artworks by fine art and NFT photographer Lara Zankoul which, inspired by the ethos and creative philosophy of the brand, strive to embody dimension, motion and distortion.

Zankoul is an interdisciplinary artist based in Beirut, Lebanon. Her work captures everyday human behaviour and issues that occur within society through photographic media. A self-taught photographer, her work is heavily based on experimentation and world building within her photographs in order to create moments and craft them, rather than only document them.

 Manarat Al Saadiyat hosts Abu Dhabi Art every year.

Mohamed Hilal Group, ADA’s other co-lead sponsor, will concurrently be promoting luxury perfume brand Hind Al Oud, by inviting visitors to discover their ‘Ahojas’ moment: Think, Feel, Create. Ahojas is a popular perfume by Hind Al Oud. The immersive perfume experience invites visitors to explore their emotions in connection with their sense of smell. “Hind Al Oud is the sensory embodiment of the Mohamad Hilal Group – a group that aims to infuse emotion into each aspect, no matter the nature of the industry,” says the perfumer.

Dyala Nusseibeh, ADA Director, said that “introducing complimentary access to the fair fulfills a great ambition for us, in providing an opportunity for a wide audience to engage with the cultural programming that the art fair has to offer, whilst maintaining our commercial DNA as a space for the sale and acquisition of artworks. “With the strength of gallery presentations, exhibitions, artist commissions, art workshops and talks at the fair, there is something for a diverse range of visitors to experience.

“We are pleased to have found a partner in Charles Zuber and the Mohamad Hilal Group, with whom we share a passion for supporting creativity and innovation in the cultural sphere. Excitingly, Charles Zuber will essentially be born at Abu Dhabi Art this year, leaving us with a special legacy to support.” Vincent Perego, Associate Director of Operations at Charles Zuber, said that “we are pleased to bring the world of Charles Zuber to life at the Abu Dhabi Art Fair through the eyes of dimension, motion and distortion.

“The Charles Zuber world is a manifestation of Neo-Swiss luxury with a daring edge, escaping the predictable and entering a realm of exuberance with a close association to the art world.” Mohamed Hilal, Mohamed Hilal Group CEO, commented that “we are excited to bring the guests of the Abu Dhabi Art Fair on a sensory adventure of emotions through an array of unique and inspiring scents from Hind Al Oud.

“We seek to envelop guests in an artistic exploration of the scents created by Hind Al Oud to match each emotion with an inspiring perfumery experience.” In addition to the physical fair, ADA will continue to offer a virtual platform for collectors to explore works, accessible at explore.abudhabiart.ae. The annual November art fair is the culmination of ADA’s year-round visual arts programme.

It is the Fair’s ambition to expand beyond the notion of a traditional art event, by placing strong emphasis on a diverse public engagement programme, including art installations and exhibitions, talks and events that take place in different locations throughout the year. The occasion provides an important sales platform for participating galleries while also offering galleries an opportunity to showcase ambitious installations and site-specific works by their artists to a wide audience.

Charles Zuber is a Genevan-born atelier inspired by the life of mystery Swiss-jeweller, Charles Zuber. In the spirit of rekindling the legacy of its founder, the jeweller says: “We are fuelled by obsessive creativity, an affinity for crafting mesmerising moments and a daring vision, as we captivate the discerning elite who seek the provocative beauty of simplicity.

“We fuse the mastery of jewellery-making with the precise craftsmanship of horology to create a singular and distinguishable Neo-Swiss luxury experience that induces the spellbinding feeling of desire.

The Charles Zuber signature (is) an exuberant experience.” Hind Al Oud started the “emotional journey” of Mohamed Hilal Group over 20 years ago, with the ambition to create exclusive scents for emotions, using the exquisite perfumery ingredients. The luxury Emirati house led the group to expand with additional brands such as Anfasic Dokhoon and Khaltat.

It soon spread its wings from perfumery to scent and taste, through its well-known restaurants such as Ana, the Fusion Emirati cuisine, and the Third Avenue “where you are the star on the fine-dining culinary catwalk experience.”

“The vision to create an empire dedicated to embodying emotion is the core which fuels its founder,” says the Group. “Our true dream is to scent eight billion lives and allow our scent sensations to guide us to the dream and to the goal that we want to achieve.”