Celebrating the third year of collaboration between 421 Arts Campus and NYU Abu Dhabi, the On a Timeline exhibition displays projects by five students completing the two-year Master of Fine Arts in Art and Media at NYU Abu Dhabi. The show, which is taking place at 421 Arts Campus, will run through the 25th of August, 2024.
Featured artists include Sara Alahbabi, Ciel Arbour-Boehme, Zara Mahmood, Fatima Al Romaithi, and Farah Soltani. Their works on view, which encompass drawings, paintings, sculptures, installations, and mixed media pieces, highlight their research and experimentation as well as provide valuable insights into our contemporary global condition by visualising questions and ideas in innovative ways.
In her project Time Line Electricals, Sara Alahbabi, an artist and art educator based in Abu Dhabi, explores the city’s neighbourhoods through the intuitive practice of walking. The project, particularly focused on downtown Abu Dhabi, reflects on her relationship with the city and its communities. It challenges common perceptions of the urban landscape and considers her position as an Emirati woman navigating these environments.
Canadian artist Ciel Arbour-Boehme’s installation Intervention Status III, which draws from nudge theory and Performance Corridor by Bruce Nauman, encourages visitors to reconsider their automatic responses to their surroundings. Featuring corridors, surveillance screens, and nudges, the installation invites intuitive reactions from its audience.
Dubai-based artist and musician Zara Mahmood’s project, Listening to Al Bada’a Skies, addresses environmental issues in Dubai’s atmosphere by contrasting its hazy conditions with the reality of pollution. Mahmood presents her observational drawings and photo-transfers on handmade leaf paper, in which she examines the materiality of the sky and the invisible particulate matter within it.
Emirati artist Fatima Al Romaithi‘s evocative project The Sweet Past revolves around the sensory nostalgia of the 1990s. Playfully examining childhood treats and candies, the artist delves into the cultural history of the UAE and prompts viewers to think about the rapidly evolving dynamics of youth in the digital era.
Meanwhile, Tehran-born artist Farah Soltani presents The Light on Things, her series of abstract sculptures inspired by everyday objects, focusing on the act of seeing and the endless possibilities of reinterpretation. Through various articulations, each structure embodies a unique identity, engaging in a dialogue with the surrounding space based on its position and location.
To get more information about On a Timeline, please visit the official web page of the exhibition.
You might also be interested in visiting Reflections & Inspirations from Emirati Heritage, a group exhibition at the Sharjah Heritage Museum.
To stay tuned and be sure that you will not miss our latest art news, you can join our Telegram channel.
