Abu Dhabi Art Returns As A Virtual Fair
A thoughtful retrospection of the unpredictable year we’ve had and an evocative exploration of the notions of time, memory and recollection, the 12th edition of Abu Dhabi Art is set to return online and thrive as normal, even if our times are anything but
After one of the most challenging years in history for the global art scene, artists and curators in the Middle East have responded with an invigorated show of creativity and innovation, proving no hardship can put a cap on the region’s rapidly evolving cultural landscape.
Fuelled by their inherently resilient nature, the participating artists in this year’s Abu Dhabi Art fair are a nod to the region’s perpetual devotion to artistic growth and adaptability. Set to take place from 19 to 26 November 2020, and organised by the Department of Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi, the 12th edition of Abu Dhabi Art will return this year as an interactive virtual fair. For the first time, six leading guest curators will partner with global galleries and artists to showcase artworks online rather than the conventional exhibition set-up, with each piece set within a geographical theme.
For each gallery sector at the fair, a renowned curator will highlight the contemporary art scene from a different region. Curated by writer and independent art critic Simon Njami, the sector entitled ‘The Day After’ is dedicated entirely to art from Africa, exploring notions of time while ‘Contemporary Korean Art’, curated by writer Sung woo Kim sheds light on contemporary art from South Korea.
Ram Han. Case_01_02 (toxin, intestine). 2020. Light Panel. 100x100cm.
Spotlighting the Indian subcontinent will be the ‘India Today’ section, curated by gallerist Ashwin Thadani, while ‘A Picture Held Us Captive’ by Nada Raza of Ishara Art Foundation will look at contemporary artists represented by UAE galleries. Nada, working closely with UAE-based galleries, will be highlighting a single new work each day of the fair, in an attempt to slow down the way we experience the virtual world and to encourage a more contemplative consumption of our surroundings.
“I think the Emirati art scene is innovative, dynamic and interconnected – we all support each other,” comments Dyala Nusseibeh, Director of Abu Dhabi Art. “There is a real sense of community and collaboration which drives the success of any cultural initiative. That makes it easy to promote the amazing creativity you find in the Emirates.”
Rose Lejeune of the Delfina Foundation’s ‘Collecting as Practice’ programme in London will curate the fair’s Performing Arts programme this year, adapting to the new virtual format and delving into what performance art can really flourish into amidst these burdensome times.
Ram Han. _01_03 (city). 2020. Light Panel. 56x200cm
“Globally and across industries we have all faced a unique set of challenges created by the pandemic,” adds Dyala. “For the art sector, one of the most important changes created by the pandemic, was the need to ‘do’ online better, to present culture virtually and for the art market to create the conditions from which art could be sold more easily online.”
Noting that online sales were already peaking before the onset of COVID-19, Dyala has observed there was still a lack of virtual gallery exhibition viewing spaces and the acceleration of the same has occurred due to the pandemic, with the response of the art world shown through a spike in virtual innovations.
“That said, after a certain point, people have become increasingly aware of how much they miss being in front of artworks in real life and seeing their community in real life,” she notes. “That is why no matter how much we improve our online offering, it will never replace physical exhibitions and events. As an art fair we have adapted to the pandemic by going predominantly virtual this year and with a fantastic online offering – but I can’t wait to hold an event back at Manarat Al Saadiyat again in future.”
Lee Woosung. Juggling. 2019. Water based paint. Acrylic gouache on fabric. 216x262cm
The fair is also set to feature ‘Beyond: Emerging Artists’, a section curated by Beirut-born Maya El Khalil, who is also the Founding Director of Jeddah’s Athr Gallery. This space will showcase a body of new works by three budding artists from across the UAE, namely Hind Mezaina, Afra Al Dhaheri and Afra Al Suwaidi. The featured works consider the distortion of time forced upon us during a year of hiatus, prompting extended periods of isolation and pensive recollection of the past. Inspired by the new-found perspectives we have of memory and time, the artists draw on the experiences of remembrance and how they are all interconnected.
There will also be a strong focus on South Korea this year, with a number of galleries from the region participating at the fair. Following a promising response from art collectors to previous gallery programmes highlighting South Korea, curator Sung sought to offer viewers a stimulating insight into the contemporary landscape in South Korea today. Entitled ‘Material-real’, the exhibition explores the rapid societal, economic and cultural changes in the region and the subtle similarities to the conditions of the UAE. “Interestingly, some parallels can be drawn with the experience of living in the UAE which has undergone rapid transformation in a relatively short period of time,” says Dyala. “Perhaps that is why there is an affinity for contemporary Korean art here, because it speaks to a shared experience of urban transformation and its legacies.”
Ammar Farhat. Untitled. 1950. Oil on board. 67x140cm
Also hosted during the fair will be an online Talks Programme, spanning an array of cultural talks with leading art figures who will explore the history of the UAE and the contemporary art scene around the globe. As Dyala suggests, “The fairs that do survive this year will be the strongest and will have adapted and evolved to do so.”
Comprising a series of live-stream video interviews with artists, gallerists and curators,
Abu Dhabi Art’s 12th edition will be live from Thursday 19 November to Thursday 26 November 2020