Rawdha Al Ketbi's '(Cu.6H202)' is made of copper and is repeatedly subjected to steam to speed up the development of rust. Courtesy of Warehouse421
Rawdha Al Ketbi's '(Cu.6H202)' is made of copper and is repeatedly subjected to steam to speed up the development of rust. Courtesy of Warehouse421
Rawdha Al Ketbi's '(Cu.6H202)' is made of copper and is repeatedly subjected to steam to speed up the development of rust. Courtesy of Warehouse421
Rawdha Al Ketbi's '(Cu.6H202)' is made of copper and is repeatedly subjected to steam to speed up the development of rust. Courtesy of Warehouse421

The art show in Warehouse421 that represents a new wave of UAE artists


Alexandra Chaves
  • English
  • Arabic

If you want to know what's next in the UAE art scene, the annual Seaf exhibition is a good place to start. Short for the Salama bint Hamdan Emerging Artists Fellowship, the initiative, set up by Sheikha Salama bint Hamdan, has been helping young artists in the UAE develop their practices through a 10-month educational programme created in partnership with the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD). The artists attend lectures, seminars and reading groups, as well as go on studio visits and trips to see shows abroad.

Every year, the programme culminates in a group show called Community and Critique, in which participating artists exhibit their works to the public.

How artists are chosen

Now in its sixth year, the latest exhibition is on view at Warehouse421 until Friday, November 22. It is not a curated show, but rather a presentation of what the artists in the programme have been working on over the past year. The result is a glimpse into the themes young local artists are dealing with today and the mediums through which they choose to express them.  

Every Seaf cycle fosters the next potential wave of mid-­career or established artists from the UAE and there have been a few names who have completed the programme and found success abroad, including Farah Al Qasimi and Vikram Divecha, artists who now live in New York.

"The fellows are chosen through a rigorous selection process by a committee who believe that they are committed to having a life-long art career," says Khulood Al Atiyat, manager of arts, culture and heritage at the Salama bint Hamdan Al Nahyan Foundation, the organisation that set up the fellowship in 2013. This year, the applicants were narrowed down from 200 to 15, which Seaf refers to as a "cohort".

The artwork being presented 

There's a strong representation of installation art in Cohort 6, including WHERE IT BEGAN by Sultan Al Remeithi, who has rendered his experiences in London's music scene to an immersive environment of sensory overload: paintings crowd the walls, lyrics are graffitied on the floor, posters and papier-­mache heads dot the room and soundscape pulses from the speakers. At one end of the room is an iridescent sheet that splits the space in two and obscures a video projection playing on the other side.

Visitors walk through Sultan Al Remeithi's 'WHERE IT BEGAN'. Warehouse421
Visitors walk through Sultan Al Remeithi's 'WHERE IT BEGAN'. Warehouse421

In the vibrant chaos, it can be easy to overlook his painting skills, but they are worth paying attention to. His energetic mixed media pieces depict musical figures against vibrant backdrops, showing a characteristic style that borrows from street art and illustration.

In another room, Christopher Benton's homage to Al Satwa in Dubai – where he lived for two years when he first moved to the UAE from the US – is anchored by a video work that chronicles the lives of the neighbourhood's residents. The film is a collaborative effort, with Benton lending a camera to a local tailor who used it to capture his daily life.

Hung on a wall is a telling tapestry of embroidered fabric scraps, which were found by the artist in an abandoned tailor shop. Held together by safety pins, the patches are logos from different stores, restaurants and salons that many UAE residents would recognise. The piece represents the country's service industry and, more importantly, the labour force that keeps it running.

Detail of Christopher Benton's tapestry of found objects, which he collected from an abandoned tailor shop. Alexandra Chaves / The National
Detail of Christopher Benton's tapestry of found objects, which he collected from an abandoned tailor shop. Alexandra Chaves / The National

Stepping into Ayesha bin Khadia's monochromatic imaginary bedroom, a sense of unease descends. The black bed looks more like a tomb, while the soft white carpet creates a textural contrast. The work mimics the clinical feel of Abdulnasser Gharem's installation The Safe, presented at this year's Art Basel. Bin Khadia's focus, however, is not about the political but the personal – her insomnia.

Her installation piece is a departure from her previous works, which were focused only on pottery, playing with the malleability and fragility of the material. Bin Khadia says the programme pushed her to explore new mediums. "Throughout these 10 months, Seaf helped us get out of our comfort zones," she says. "I've always had this interest in installation and set design, so I wanted to display my insomnia."

Material-based practices feature predominantly

What ties these works together, and perhaps what makes them most compelling, is that they are rooted in the artists' personal experiences, rather than attempting to encompass the universal, which runs the risk of work becoming too generic.

Latifa Saeed's sculptures made of glass and rebar. Warehouse421
Latifa Saeed's sculptures made of glass and rebar. Warehouse421

As was the case in last year's cohort, material-based practices feature predominantly in the show, though these are perhaps less interesting in their ideas. Latifa Saeed's glass and rebar structures comment on the impact of construction on nature. Her materials – steel, sand, glass and water – become metaphors for these elements, and the artist has moulded the hard material to undulate like flowing water. Shortly before the exhibition opened, however, parts of glass shattered and shards were simply left on the floor. During a panel discussion, Saeed offered little explanation for the cause except to say that "glass breaks", as if the material were some ever-mysterious phenomenon that could not be understood or mastered.

Rawdha Al Ketbi's '(Cu.6H202)' is made of copper and is repeatedly subjected to steam to speed up the development of rust. Warehouse421
Rawdha Al Ketbi's '(Cu.6H202)' is made of copper and is repeatedly subjected to steam to speed up the development of rust. Warehouse421

Rawdha Al Ketbi's work (Cu.6H202) features a copper dome repeatedly subjected to mist in order to hasten the process of oxidisation, producing a green-blue rust. The artist relates this controlled decay to her own memories and emotion, though any sense of narrative and feeling becomes lost in the scientific process.

There's also Shamsa Al Dhaheri's cocoon-like chandelier made of patterned fabric, crystal and chains, which contemplates issues of excess, waste and luxury in the UAE. Focusing on her surroundings, Dhabiya Al Romaithi prefers the use of natural elements such as soil, as seen in her hanging sculpture that evokes tension and territory.

Drawing on the idea of landscape to investigate borders and geography, Saba Qizilbash produces very fine and minute charcoal drawings of disputed territories. Inspired by the division between India and her native Pakistan, the artist focuses on places of transit, no-man’s lands and boundaries, such as abandoned railways and border fences. Experimenting with green resin, Qizilbash has transformed these drawings into objects that resemble semi-precious stones.

Saba Qizilbash's charcoal drawings encased in green resin. Warehouse421
Saba Qizilbash's charcoal drawings encased in green resin. Warehouse421

More traditional approaches include Fatima Farah's unframed canvases crammed with sullen figures and Zeina Al Kattan's bizarre yet memorable collage-style paintings that recall the fragmented images cluttering our social media feeds and our minds every day. Other artists in the exhibition include Aruaa, Layan Attari, Shamma Al Bastaki, Wid Al Bayaty and Rashed Al Falasi.  

What's next?

Having completed the programme, these artists have the option to pursue further studies, which will also be supported by the foundation. The ultimate goal for Seaf, however, is to ensure that they keep the local art ecosystem going.

"Our goal was that if every year we take up to 16 artists, the rigorous programme would prepare them to apply for graduate studies," says Al Atiyat. "We're hoping that over the years, these people will come back and become established artists in the UAE. They will start opening up artist-led spaces, galleries, come back and teach, start to give back to that community."

She notes that two artists from the first cohort (2013-2014), Asma Belhamer and Afra Bin Dhaheri, now teach at Zayed University, the latter developing a textile art department at the school. There's also the artist-led space Bait 15, established by graduates of the programme Hashel Al Lamki and Maitha Abdalla, who currently has a solo exhibition at Warehouse421.

"Those are some of the earlier results, and I hope that continues to happen," says Al Atiyat. "Because that's where meaningful dialogues happen and where generations are going to grow."  

Community and Critique: Seaf 2018/2019 Cohort 6 is at Warehouse421 until Friday, November 22. More information is available at warehouse421.ae

if you go

The flights Fly Dubai, Air Arabia, Emirates, Etihad, and Royal Jordanian all offer direct, three-and-a-half-hour flights from the UAE to the Jordanian capital Amman. Alternatively, from June Fly Dubai will offer a new direct service from Dubai to Aqaba in the south of the country. See the airlines’ respective sites for varying prices or search on reliable price-comparison site Skyscanner.

The trip 

Jamie Lafferty was a guest of the Jordan Tourist Board. For more information on adventure tourism in Jordan see Visit Jordan. A number of new and established tour companies offer the chance to go caving, rock-climbing, canyoning, and mountaineering in Jordan. Prices vary depending on how many activities you want to do and how many days you plan to stay in the country. Among the leaders are Terhaal, who offer a two-day canyoning trip from Dh845 per person. If you really want to push your limits, contact the Stronger Team. For a more trek-focused trip, KE Adventure offers an eight-day trip from Dh5,300 per person.

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Price, base: Dh315,000

Engine: 3.0-litre V6

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MATCH INFO

Sheffield United 0 Wolves 2 (Jimenez 3', Saiss 6)

Man of the Match Romain Saiss (Wolves)

Match info

UAE v Bolivia, Friday, 6.25pm, Maktoum bin Rashid Stadium, Dubai

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
RESULTS

6.30pm UAE 1000 Guineas Trial Conditions (TB) US$100,000 (Dirt) 1,400m

Winner Final Song, Christophe Soumillon (jockey), Saeed bin Suroor (trainer).

7.05pm Handicap (TB) $135,000 (Turf) 1,000m

Winner Almanaara, Dane O’Neill, Doug Watson.

7.40pm Handicap (TB) $175,000 (D) 1,900m

Winner Grand Argentier, Brett Doyle, Doug Watson.

8.15pm Meydan Challenge Listed Handicap (TB) $175,000 (T) 1,400m

Winner Major Partnership, Patrick Cosgrave, Saeed bin Suroor.

8.50pm Dubai Stakes Group 3 (TB) $200,000 (D) 1,200m

Winner Gladiator King, Mickael Barzalona, Satish Seemar.

9.25pm Dubai Racing Club Classic Listed Handicap (TB) $175,000 (T) 2,410m

Winner Universal Order, Richard Mullen, David Simcock.

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Poland Statement
All people fleeing from Ukraine before the armed conflict are allowed to enter Poland. Our country shelters every person whose life is in danger - regardless of their nationality.

The dominant group of refugees in Poland are citizens of Ukraine, but among the people checked by the Border Guard are also citizens of the USA, Nigeria, India, Georgia and other countries.

All persons admitted to Poland are verified by the Border Guard. In relation to those who are in doubt, e.g. do not have documents, Border Guard officers apply appropriate checking procedures.

No person who has received refuge in Poland will be sent back to a country torn by war.

The specs: 2018 Maserati GranTurismo/GranCabrio

Price, base Dh485,000 (GranTurismo) and Dh575,000 (GranCabrio)

Engine 4.7L V8

Transmission Six-speed automatic

Power 460hp @ 7,000rpm

Torque 520Nm @ 4,750rpm

Fuel economy, combined 14.3L (GranTurismo) and 14.5L (GranCabrio) / 100km

Pharaoh's curse

British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.

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