If the only thing you can do when it is too hot outside is just stay under the air conditioner as long as possible, no judgement, it is understandable! But we think it is a great opportunity for you to enjoy some art from the comfort of your home. Here are five exhibitions which took place at the Cultural Foundation a while ago and are available for viewing online now.
Pascale Marthine Tayou: LOBI LOBI
LOBI LOBI is a solo exhibit by Cameroonian artist and writer Pascale Marthine Tayou that features his vibrant artworks. In his sculptures, mixed media works, installations, poetry, and photos, the artist addresses the scarcity and excess of resources in today’s post-colonial environment. He also spotlights the paradoxes of consumer and material culture.
Fahrelnissa and the Institutes: Towards a Sky
This exhibition presents the abstract work of the internationally renowned female artists who played a crucial role in forming the modern and contemporary art scene in Jordan. These are Fahrelnissa Zeid, Wijdan Ali, Hind Nasser, and Ufemia Rizk. The show highlights the link of mentorship, education and community between artists and women.
Fahrelnissa Zeid founded the Royal National Jordanian Institute Fahrelnissa Zeid of Fine Arts in Amman, where women were encouraged to explore their artistic limits. Another influential figure was Wijdan Ali, who established educational frameworks in Amman that taught artists. Nasser and Rizk studied under Fahrelnissa Zeid and have created their bodies of work while contributing to community building in the art world.
Life Is A Circus
Life Is A Circus, which is the Cultural Foundation’s first NFT art exhibition, features 22 digital artists from the Emirates. By staging this collective show the Foundation revisited its first display of digital art held in 1996, when mixed media artist Jalal Luqman’s works were exhibited. In Life is a Circus, his creations are showcased once again.
The artists taking part in the exhibition were commissioned to create work specially for the exhibition, exploring the irony of contemporary life. The list of participants includes Hamdan Al Shamsi, Rashid Al Mulla, Aisha Al Hashmi, and Saggaf Al Hashmi, among others.
Farah Al Qasimi: General Behaviour
The General Behaviour exhibition displays Emirati artist Farah Al Qasimi’s colourful art pieces — photographic and video works — produced from 2012 to 2021. The show explores the layers of multiculturalism and consumer culture in the Emirates. It also challenges our understanding of reality, navigating the intimacy of public and personal spaces. Al Qasimi’s photographs reflect the often-unspoken social norms, invisible barriers, and value structures in different cultures, particularly in the Persian Gulf.
Mohamed Al Astad: Another Perspective
The Another Perspective exhibit offers the opportunity to admire Emirati artist Mohamed Al Astad’s stunning works he creates using an unconventional technique: the Art of Beach Pearls. Al Astad, whose art epitomises Emirati maritime heritage, works with sea sand, iron filings, rust, and time. The resulting art pieces strengthen the relationship between nature and humans.
To see the listed exhibitions, please visit the Cultural Foundation’s official website.
Additionally, you may be interested in watching Mindful Art Moments, a series of videos of three artworks from the Louvre Abu Dhabi collection, and a webinar dedicated to the role of art engagement in improving one’s health and well-being.
