UAE at Venice

NATIONAL PAVILION UNITED ARAB EMIRATES LA BIENNALE DI VENEZIA
ANNOUNCES FEATURED ARTISTS FOR THE
 56TH INTERNATIONAL ART EXHIBITION – LA BIENNALE DI VENEZIA

Curator Sheikha Hoor bint Sultan Al Qasimi selects work by 14 Emirati artists:
 Ahmed Al Ansari, Moosa Al Halyan, Mohammed Al Qassab, Abdul Qader Al Rais, Abdullah Al Saadi, Mohammed Abdullah Bulhiah, Salem Jawhar, Mohammed Kazem, Dr. Najat Meky, Abdulraheem Salim, Hassan Sharif, Obaid Suroor, Dr. Mohamed Yousif, and Abdulrahman Zainal.

1980 – Today: Exhibitions in the United Arab Emirates will explore the emergence of contemporary art practices in the UAE over the past four decades.

Drawing upon extensive historical research, Sheikha Hoor bint Sultan Al Qasimi, curator for the National Pavilion United Arab Emirates (UAE) la Biennale di Venezia and President and Director of the Sharjah Art Foundation, will present a diverse assemblage of work by key figures in the country’s art history at the 56th International Art Exhibition – la Biennale di Venezia. Titled 1980 – Today: Exhibitions in the United Arab Emirates, the exhibition features 14 featured artists, including Ahmed Al Ansari, Moosa Al Halyan, Mohammed Al Qassab, Abdul Qader Al Rais, Abdullah Al Saadi, Mohammed Abdullah Bulhiah, Salem Jawhar, Mohammed Kazem, Dr. Najat Meky, Abdulraheem Salim, Hassan Sharif, Obaid Suroor, Dr. Mohamed Yousif, and Abdulrahman Zainal. The National Pavilion UAE la Biennale di Venezia is commissioned by the Salama bint Hamdan Al Nahyan Foundation, and supported by the UAE Ministry of Culture, Youth and Community Development.

This exhibition will present a selection of works from different decades highlighting the emergence of art practices in the UAE. The Emirates Fine Arts Society, a non-profit association that was formed in 1980 in Sharjah, has served as a main point of focus and inspiration for research.

1980 – Today: Exhibitions in the United Arab Emirates is built upon extensive research involving archives of newspaper articles, artists’ writings, and catalogues, as well as interviews with artists and cultural practitioners. Reflecting personal and geopolitical trajectories, the research focused on the underexposed historical record and evolving practices of some of the UAE’s most important modernist and contemporary artists.

A publication including previous writings and articles on the art scene in the UAE since the 1980s, as well as some personal memoirs from a number of artists will be presented alongside the exhibition. The 56th Venice Biennale runs from 9 May–22 November 2015, with a preview from 5 May–8 May.  Further details about the pavilion and the artists involved will be announced in early 2015.

To join the conversation follow National Pavilion UAE on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter and use the hashtag #UAEinVenice

*Image: Emirates Fine Arts Society Exhibition - 1981. Image courtesy of the Emirates Fine Arts Society.