Located in the ballroom and on the terrace of Emirates Palace, the Abu Dhabi Art Fair will feature special art exhibitions, panel discussions, educational lectures, workshops and book signings etc, open to the public from Thursday 19 November until Sunday 22 November. As the Zayed National Museum, the Saadiyat Island Cultural District, the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi Museum and the Louvre Abu Dhabi rise from the sands of Arabia, this event will mark the emergence of Abu Dhabi as a major hub of art and cultural activities. It will also provide a global stage to Emirati artists for promoting their work to a diverse, multicultural audience.
Without further ado, let’s round up the list of art-goodies and events lined up for November:
Art and Fun
Abu Dhabi Art, Talks and Sensations: The Wings Party will be one of the spotlight events of November as artworks, discussions , performances, music, drinks, dining and dancing from around the world congregate on the beach at Emirates Palace on Thursday 19 November from 7pm to 11pm. Party animals book your places now!
Building up the Momentum
Design Moment will showcase artwork by gifted Middle Eastern artists who will produce innovative new designs based on local traditions, techniques and materials in an open design studio located on the beach of the Emirates Palace, taking place daily between 4pm to10pm. Design Studio will display the work of graphic designer Reem Al Ghaith (UAE), product designer Ahmed Angawi (Saudi Arabia), product designer Nedda El Asmar (Palestine), product designer Younes Duret (Morocco) and furniture designers Huda Baroudi and Maria Hibri of Bokja Design (Lebanon).
Workshops
British designer Sevil Peach will conduct a practical workshop analyzing the concept of Volume & Repetition to perform a mind boggling transformation on a traditional string bag.
The beach will be his workshop as British designer Max Lamb leads an interactive workshop session displaying the traditional process of sand casting to create small objects. Spectators will get to enjoy this event for the whole day!
Joining the fun will be Dutch designer Maarten Baas. She will lead a full-day workshop on how to get resourceful with simple everyday materials like cardboard and tape.
Educational Lectures
New York University Abu Dhabi and Paris-Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi will present numerous engrossing lectures and talks which will act as a guide to audience members on how to appreciate the art on display in the capital. Tempo is looking forward to the discussions entitled “Collecting The and Now” and “Movement, Abstraction and Reality”.
Regional Art meets its International Contemporaries
Signature exhibition will be another highlight of the Abu Dhabi Art Fair 2009. It will include works by five to six Emirati artists who were featured in the landmark 2009 exhibition Emirati Expressions. Other booths will be by New York-based artist Jason Bereswill (Tony Shafrazi Gallery), London-based artist Douglas White (Paradise Row), Shanghai-based artist Wu Shanzhuan (Hanart TZ Gallery) and Dubai-based artist Musab Al Rais (Hunar Gallery).
Talking about Art
The panel discussion, ‘Art in the Middle East’ will allow a host of experts commenting on Middle Eastern Art and its impact in the region. Following it will be ‘Design – Big and Little’ a discussion which will focus on modern and innovative design techniques.
Book Launch & Signing
Bookworms will surely be looking forward to this event as leading artists and academics launch the following books:
1- In Absentia: Photographs by Palestinian artist Tarek Al Ghoussein
2- Pars Pro Toto II by Susan Hefuna & Hans Ulrich Obrist
Moreover, winners and nominees of the International Prize for Arabic Fiction will be present for a book signing session. Show up for an exclusive, one to one interaction with your favourite authors!
Saadiyat Extravaganza
As the first exhibition to be featured in the Arts Abu Dhabi Gallery within Manarat Al Saadiyat, Disorientation II is an exhibition of artwork created by artists from Middle Eastern countries. The exhibition will display art symbolising the unity of the Arab World.
NOTE: Transport from Emirates Palace to Manarat Al Saadiyat is available on Saturday evening and all day Sunday 22 November for guests of Abu Dhabi Art.
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