The 421 Arts Campus is set to celebrate its 10th anniversary on Nov. 15, marking a decade of supporting over 1,500 creative practitioners, commissioning hundreds of new works, and delivering around 2,000 programs, residencies, grants, and exhibitions in the capital.
To commemorate the milestone, the campus is presenting a major exhibition titled “Rays, Ripples, Residue”, which will run from Nov. 1 to April 16. Curated by Emirati Munira Al-Sayegh, Lebanese editor Nadine Khalil, and Sharjah-born Indian writer Murtaza Vali, the exhibition explores how artistic practices and exhibition-making in the UAE have evolved over the last ten years.
Exploring a Decade of Artistic Growth
According to Faisal Al-Hassan, director of the arts hub and commissioning institution, the exhibition will feature new commissions alongside previously presented works and reimagined iterations. It unfolds across three thematic chapters, each shaped by one of the curators.
Al-Sayegh’s chapter, titled “Leading to the Middle,” examines how subtle, easily overlooked moments — described as “ripples” — create opportunities for emerging artists to thrive. Her section features the practices of Emirati artist Mohammed Ahmed Ibrahim and the late Kuwaiti artist Tarek Al-Ghoussein.
Reflections and Solar Symbolism
The second chapter, “Ghosts of Arrival,” curated by Nadine Khalil, offers what Al-Hassan describes as “an intimate look at what it feels like to arrive after the moment has passed.” It highlights the works of Hashel Al-Lamki, Mona Ayyash, and Nadine Ghandour, while reflecting on Khalil’s own artistic journey since her arrival in the UAE in 2017.
Finally, “SUN,” curated by Murtaza Vali, surveys artworks from 2015 to the present, revealing how UAE-based artists have explored the sun as both a symbolic and physical presence. Al-Hassan explained that the selected works examine themes of environmental degradation, hyper-commodification, and urban development, using the sun as a metaphorical lens through which to view these transformations.
As 421 Arts Campus celebrates this landmark anniversary, “Rays, Ripples, Residue” stands as both a retrospective of the UAE’s evolving art scene and a testament to its creative resilience and growth.