As part of its autumn season, the Cultural Foundation in Abu Dhabi has unveiled three new exhibits, two of which are geared toward children’s guests and one of which features female artists from the area.
The exhibits, which are on view until February 2, 2023, will present viewers with a broad range of creative expressions, according to the Department of Culture and Tourism (DCT Abu Dhabi).
Flagship display
“Fahrelnissa and the Institutes: Towards a Sky,” the season’s centerpiece show, honors the abstract creations of the female artists that established Jordan’s Modern and Contemporary art scene, including globally renowned artists Hind Nasser, Fahrelnissa Zeid, Wijdan, and Ufemia Rizk. This show illuminates a hitherto unrecognized period of art history by examining the dynamic function of these avant-garde women within the setting of contemporary Jordan.
These artists made significant contributions that contributed to the development of a progressive and daring heritage of creative practices as well as the intellectual and educational frameworks that helped mold the Jordanian art scene into what it is now. An archive area reveals the extensive institutional history of these female artists, and each artist in the exhibition has her own section to herself. Director of the Cultural Foundation Reem Fadda is the curator of Fahrelnissa and the Institutes, with assistant curators Noor Almehairbi and Zuhoor Alsayegh.
Group display
The Cultural Foundation revisits its first digital art show, which it held in 1996, and included the creations of Emirati artist Jalal Luqman in the group exhibition “Life is a Circus.”In Life is a Circus, Luqman performs at the Cultural Foundation with the assistance of 22 digital artists from the United Arab Emirates, who have all been contracted to create just for the occasion.
Through a topic that explores the ironies of modern life, the show examines how digital art has changed through time. It is also the Foundation’s first exhibition of NFT (non-fungible token) artwork, and viewers may buy the pieces online. Life is a Circus includes work by artists such as Rashid Al Mulla, Rafeea Alkhyeli, Zainab Mohamed, Hamdan Al Shamsi, Rafiaa Hussain, Sarwa Abdul, Aisha Al Hashmi, Saggaf Al Hashmi, Liza Ramos, Reem Al Mazroei, and others. Sumayyah Al Suwaidi and Aysha Al Aseeri, the assistant curator, are in charge of curating it.
Exhibition for kids
The children’s exhibition “Lullabies: A Journey Through Song,” organized by Reem Al Hashmi, is the third and last presentation of the season. Parents and caregivers are taken on a nostalgic trip through their own childhood lullabies by Lullabies: A Journey Through Song, a compilation of sleep tunes from the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. The exhibition uses a variety of media, including video animations, interactive games, and exploration zones, to emphasize the background, use, and context of each song.
Fadda asserts that “the Cultural Foundation’s diverse new season of art exhibitions will provide visitors with cutting-edge perspectives. Fahrelnissa and the Institutes: Towards a Sky, the exhibition’s centerpiece, bring Abu Dhabi the outstanding work of avant-garde modern female artists who lived and worked in Jordan, notably artist Fahrelnissa Zeid, who served as a significant mentor. Life is a Circus, on the other hand, highlights both up-and-coming UAE artists as well as digital art as a whole. The Cultural Foundation’s mission is to help local artists as they carve out successful careers in the art world and to present audiences with highly acclaimed work from the area and beyond.
The Cultural Foundation will also conduct a public schedule of discussions, movie screenings, and activities associated with the three exhibits.