After closing its doors to the public for two years owing to the pandemic, NYUAD Art Gallery's Project Space is reopening with a series of new exhibitions.
“We open this year with a great line-up of exhibitions featuring emerging artists from both our UAE and NYUAD communities,” said Tala Nassar, associate manager of curatorial projects at NYUAD Art Gallery.
“We are very excited to welcome everyone back in person after two years, further broadening and deepening our engagement with the UAE audiences and beyond.”
Located in The Arts Centre, Project Space’s new line-up of exhibitions is placing the spotlight on a number of diverse emerging artists from the region.
Here are four shows to look out for.
Shadia by Almaha Jaralla: September 29
Shadia is the latest body of work by Emirati artist Almaha Jaralla and curated by another Emirati artist, Hashel Al Lamki.
Comprising paintings created through a range of techniques from oil on canvas to traditional textiles and material, the exhibition recounts Jaralla’s recent family history of migration across the Arabian Peninsula, such as that of her maternal grandmother, who travelled alone across the land for a more secure and safe future.
The Flow of Stillness by Mahmood Al Daoud: October 20
Syrian multidisciplinary artist Mahmood Al Daoud will be exhibiting mixed-media pieces, including works that utilise materials directly from nature, such as sand.
From a light-reflecting resin installation, sketches of boats, mixed media works on canvas, a dark room installation and a short film immersing audiences in his exploration of sandy environments, Al Daoud’s exhibition takes a look into a facet of this domineering element of the region.
Allow Me Not to Explain by Noura Ali-Ramahi: November 10
Emirati artist Noura Ali-Ramahi, who was born in Lebanon, was inspired by her daily, meditative walks at different phases of the day, for her exhibition Allow Me Not to Explain.
Recycling material for her display, she uses wax paper from a cheese order; a piece of cardboard wrapped in an Amazon package and paper bags to portray her environment.
Coin-Op a group show: December 6
Coin-Op: Exploring the Spirit of ‘80s and ‘90s Arcade Games is an interactive installation by artists Jonathan Bonner, Steven Doughty and Eric Martin. The piece explores the retro arcade experience and its community.
From multiple-player cabinets to single-player experiences, the Coin-Op arcade is an ’80s nostalgic trip where visitors will have the opportunity to play many classic 1980s games with a modern twist.
More information is available at www.nyuad-artgallery.org
When the Ground Was by Sarah Al Mehairi at Carbon12 in Dubai — in pictures
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When the Ground Was is a tangible diary of all the inconsistencies that Sarah Al Mehairi takes note of during her walks and the patterns that she draws from them. All Photos: Carbon 12 -
Al Mehairi’s aesthetic unearths the narrative of a city by bringing its overlooked characteristics to the foreground. Playing with geometry, lines and grids, she invites the viewer to take a non-linear walk in the spaces she has visited. -
Al Mehairi, 24, is one of the youngest Emirati artists to be represented by a gallery in Dubai. -
'Shapes Are Like Thoughts' starts with a some post-walk reflections, which develop into a series of shapes embossed on paper. -
'Adjustments of the Daily' includes collages, acrylic gouache and embossing of lines and shapes — all a constant reminder of strolling through urban areas. -
'Momentary Palettes', the final series of works on paper in the exhibition, documents the colours found in everything from flowers to discarded items and the emotions they evoke. -
Al Mehairi says: 'I invite people to be "unlearners" because I want them to challenge common knowledge, like what time it is or what an object is.' -
'It was just the idea of wanting to go for walks, and they generated all these ideas. After a while, this became my practice and now I say that walking is my practice. I can’t have a practice without walking,' says Al Mehairi. -
When the Ground Was is on show at Carbon 12 in Alserkal Avenue until November 1
