Sites of Memory, Sites of Amnesia is a solo exhibition by acclaimed Emirati artist Abdullah Al Saadi, organised by 421 Arts Campus and curated by Tarek Abou El Fetouh. Featuring ten of Al Saadi’s art pieces, the show builds on his presentation for the UAE National Pavilion at the 2024 Biennale di Venezia and will remain open until 4 May 2025.
The exhibition offers insight into Al Saadi’s creative practice, much of which takes place during his solo travels through the wilderness. His artistic process begins only once he feels fully attuned to his surroundings, which echoes the tradition of classical Arab poets, who considered such immersion essential to their craft.
Rather than visually document nature, Al Saadi constructs imagined worlds drawn from his experience. His landscapes are not literal but selective and symbolic: some sites are remembered, others deliberately forgotten. In this tension between remembrance and erasure, the exhibition investigates how personal and collective memory is formed, running parallel to formal historical narratives.
For more than four decades, Al Saadi has developed a personal archive. His maps, stones, scrolls, and drawings kept in tin boxes are meticulously catalogued and housed in large metal chests, like coded time capsules of memory for the future. The artist highlights how his environment influences his art during his travels, often accompanied by books, music, or animals.
Visitors are invited not only to view the artworks on display but also to uncover hidden pieces tucked away inside the metal chests. Performers activate these concealed elements, sharing stories and clues from Al Saadi’s travels and guiding the audience through an intimate landscape of memory, experience, and imagination.
About the artist
Abdullah Al Saadi (b. 1967, Khorfakkan, UAE) is one of the most influential figures among the first generation of contemporary Emirati artists. Based in his hometown, he earned a BA in English Literature from United Arab Emirates University (Al Ain) in 1993, then pursued studies in Japanese painting at Kyoto Seika University (Japan) (1994–1996). He further developed his practice through workshops at the College of Arts in Edinburgh (UK) (1998) and the Arctic Foundation’s Wadi Project in Eindhoven (the Netherlands) (2002).
Al Saadi’s multifaceted work spans painting, drawing, sculpture, performance, photography, and the creation of alternative languages. Deeply rooted in the Emirati landscape, his art draws from heritage, family narratives, and his relationship with the natural and social world. His practice explores memory, forgetfulness, preservation, ephemerality, and the evolving dialogue between tradition and modernity.
Al Saadi’s work has been featured in numerous exhibitions and art events, such as Sharjah Biennial (2017, 2015, 2011, and 2003); 1980–Today: Exhibitions in the United Arab Emirates (Venice Biennale, Italy, 2015); Here and Elsewhere (New Museum, New York, USA, 2014); ADACH Platform (Venice Biennale, 2009); and the Art of the Five from the United Arab Emirates (Ludwig Forum for International Art, Aachen, Germany, 2002), to name a few.
To get more information about Sites of Memory, Sites of Amnesia, please visit the official web page of the exhibition.
In addition, you might be interested in attending Unraveling by Huda Lutfi.
