Featuring Top Emirati Artists

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, 4 February 2022:  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 set to host 12 panels and live and online workshops, featuring top Emirati artists, in February. The events will be on the sidelines of the ADF’s exhibition Portrait of a Nation II: Beyond the Narratives, which runs until April 16, 2022, at Manarat Al Saadiyat in Abu Dhabi.

H.E. Huda Ibrahim Alkhamis, Founder of the Abu Dhabi Music & Arts Foundation, Founder and Artistic Director of Abu Dhabi Festival, 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. Abu Dhabi Festival is held under the theme Crafting the Emirates State of Mind: Creation, Innovation & Joy, and we are proud to bring the nation’s leaders in culture and the arts together to discuss the development of the UAE’s rich art ecosystem. 

The talks series in conjunction with this unique exhibition reflects our commitment to supporting the growth of visual art in the UAE and the talented artists who drive its continued progress. It is with great pleasure that we present audiences with the opportunity to experience the exhibition through workshops and stories told by the artists behind the work.”

Kicking off the month’s events on February 1st, at 04:00 pm, the “Poetic Luxury:  Interactive masterclasses with artist Walid Al Wawi” will explore the ironic luxury of being able to reminisce about belonging through poetry and art, but never having had the luxury to be home.
“Replicate the Masters”, held in partnership with We Love Art on 8 February at 12:00 pm, will educate youth participants about UAE artists and inspire them to creatively reproduce two works from the founding masters of UAE art. “Cultures” by Ammar Al Attar   Children & teens: 8-19 years.
Antonia Carver, Director of Art Jameel, will moderate a panel discussion titled: “Collaboration and Togetherness: the UAE as artistic hub” on February 4, at 05:00 pm at Manarat Al Saadiyat, with the participation of HE Abdulrahman Al Owais, Minister of Health and Prevention as well as artist Mohamed Ahmed Ibrahim and writer Nujoom Al Ghanem, both are featured in the exhibition. The panel will address 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 and vibrant atelier atmospheres.

On February 7, 14, and 21, at 04:00 pm, 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. Participants will create works that visualise their personal definition of language beyond words.

Through “Online Classroom engagement: A Lesson on Art and Creation”, held on February, 10 and 22, at 12:00 pm, school children will have the unique 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 jewelry artist Azza Al Qubaisi, visual storyteller Maitha Abdallah, dynamic artist Shaikha Al Mazrou and conceptual artist Afra Al Dhaheri. The online classes will also give students an inside look into the Portrait of a Nation II: Beyond Narratives 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 February 15 and 28, respectively, at 04:00 pm.

The “Shifting Sociality: the changing organisation of social life” panel discussion, held on Zoom on February 18 at 05:00 pm, will host 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 panel discussion will explore the ways in which artists reflected 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 February 21 at 06:30 pm, the Festival will hold the “Talk for International Mother Language Day”, featuring Emirati visual artist and calligrapher Mohammed Mendi, with other Arabic calligraphers.

Portrait of a Nation II: Beyond Narratives highlights innovation, creativity, and collaboration - values that have marked the inception and development of the Emirati visual art scene. A series of talks, workshops and performances centered around the exhibition will take place throughout its three-month run.
The 19th edition of Abu Dhabi Festival 2022 is held under the theme “Crafting an Emirates State of Mind: Creation, Innovation & Joy,” under the patronage of Her Highness Sheikha Shamsa Bint Hamdan Al Nahyan, Wife of HH 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 its lead partner Mubadala Investment Company (Mubadala) and energy partner GS Energy.

The 2022 Abu Dhabi Festival programme is part of the contribution that the Abu Dhabi Music & Arts Foundation makes to the UAE capital’s designation as a UNESCO City of Music, further bolstering its role as a world leading musical center and incubator of an innovation-based resilient and sustainable music ecosystem. Abu Dhabi Festival 2022 encompasses over 1,000 participating artists from around the world to present more than 300 live and digital events. The 19th edition will also include two world tours and 17 world premieres.