Aisha Alabbar Gallery is currently home to Verify You’re Human, a collective exhibition by the College of Fine Arts and Design (CFAD), University of Sharjah. Curated by German artist and photographer Tor Seidel and Emirati artist Eman Alhashemi, the show will be open to the public until 26 January 2025.
In an era shaped by advancing technologies, we are constantly distracted: overwhelmed with notifications and a compulsive need to stay online. As smartphones become extensions of our identities, the line between human and machine blurs. Tasks once requiring human input are now automated, prompting us to ask: what do we do with the time that automation saves?
The exhibition examines our shifting relationships with technology through themes of interaction, resistance, connection, and humanism. The presented art pieces by CFAD Faculty, which span from sculptures to photo works, explore what it means to remain human in a world heavily influenced by technology.
Highlights of the exhibition include works by Dr Mohamed Yousif, a prominent Emirati artist and CFAD Assistant Professor. A founding member of the Emirates Fine Art Society and the Sharjah National Theatre, Yousif draws inspiration from nature, crafting intricate figurative and abstract sculptures using palm fronds from the Emirati desert.
Also featured are artworks by acclaimed Iraqi sculptor Muatasim Alkubaisy, a Senior Teacher in CFAD’s sculpture department. His practice confronts the dramatic socio-political changes in post-2003 Iraq, breaking away from traditional forms to create bold, identity-driven sculptures. Alkubaisy is well known for his satirical series The Generals which critiques the military apparatus, employing caricature to expose the absurdity of tyranny.
Photographic works by Tor Seidel, a Lecturer in Fine Arts at CFAD, are also on view. Taking cues from philosophy and German Romanticism, Seidel’s dreamlike, faceless portraits delve into the complexities of the human psyche. Notably, his book The Dubai captures the transformation of the city before, during, and after the 2009 financial crisis. These evocative photographs document the impact on Dubai’s urban landscape, showcasing contrasts between mega-developments, incomplete projects, and desert expanses.
To get more information about Verify You’re Human, please go to the official web page of the exhibition.
You might also be interested in exploring Neither Here ~ Nor Elsewhere, a group show at The Third Line.
To stay updated with the latest art news, you can join our Telegram channel.
