The 11th edition of Abu Dhabi Art will take place at Manarat Al Saadiyat in the UAE capital from 21st to 23rd November this year, with multidisciplinary artist and writer Ebtisam Abdulaziz selected for the fair’s visual campaign.
Organised by the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi, the fair will present a programme of exhibitions, art installations, talks, workshops and performances delivered by leading international artists, curators and creative professionals, in addition to a rich roster of public programming over its three-day run. On view through 25th January, 2020, the fair will offer a series of extended exhibitions and events.
Abdulaziz will expand on her ongoing initiative ‘Life in a Bag’ in which she documents the various bags of fair-goers.
Commenting on her participation this year, Abdulaziz stated, “Working with Abu Dhabi Art is a unique opportunity, and the event itself has inspired my new series; it documents visitors’ bags from Abu Dhabi Art 2018, reflecting the diverse cultures and personalities it brings together. I think of them as portraits; through these items, culture, personality, social life, and different tastes are captured. I am very grateful to Abu Dhabi Art for their support and consider it an honour that my artwork will serve as the advertising and artistic visual campaign for the upcoming fair.”
In turn, Dyala Nusseibeh, Abu Dhabi Art Director, said, “Ebtisam is a key voice in the regional artist community and we are honoured that she has agreed to provide works for the new visual campaign. I love her Life in a Bag series, and it is really special that she chose to extend this project by creating new portraits of fair-goers at Abu Dhabi Art. She is a wonderful artist to collaborate with.”
Abu Dhabi Art 2019 will soon be announcing details for other key components in its programming, including the Beyond series with its Artists Commissions and Emerging Artists categories.
Beyond: Artist Commissions sees established contemporary artists commissioned by Abu Dhabi Art to make site-specific works in Al Ain. Beyond: Emerging Artists is the annual initiative that gives three emerging artists in the UAE a platform to develop their practice and realise ambitious art projects.
Abu Dhabi Art will also offer talks, workshops, community-driven projects and performances that cater to a wide audience ranging from arts professionals through families and the general public seeking cultural entertainment.
Collaborative community projects with key universities will once again form a significant component of the event. Khalifa University has recently concluded the Abu Dhabi Art artist-in-residence programme for the collaborative initiative Art + Technology, while a nationwide architecture competition for students, the Pavilion Prize, is underway and will culminate in displaying the winning project at the fair.
Abu Dhabi Art Community Partners and non-profit cultural organisations will also be offered spaces within the fair to highlight their initiatives, presenting displays that respond to the theme of ‘Year of Tolerance’.
Alongside the fair, and as part of the annual Abu Dhabi Art year-round programme, the organisers have launched ‘Galleries at MAS’. Formerly known as Galleries Week, the popular initiative has moved to Manarat Al Saadiyat in its third edition, from 8th April to 8th June, 2019.
