The Rizq Art Initiative Opens During Abu Dhabi Art
Bazaar speaks to the female founder of the UAE’s major new art space
As the 15th edition of Abu Dhabi Art fair gets into full swing, one very exciting new venture has launched in the capital: the Rizq Art Initiative or RAi for short, a space that will celebrate artists from the Global South. RAi comes as a huge addition, physically and culturally, to the art offering in Abu Dhabi and the wider region as a whole. The colossal 700-square metre space in Leaf Tower on Al Reem Island will host exhibitions, presentations, talks, workshops and teaching-learning modules. RAi is the brainchild of founder and executive director Shafeena Yusuff Ali, an art historian, director of hospitality investment firm Twenty14 Holdings and a prominent figure in the arts and business scene in the UAE.
“While working at Twenty14 Holdings, we were opening and designing hotels and acquiring a lot of art, this developed my interest in how to appreciate art more and learn more about it – resulting in me embarking on my Masters in Arts History and Visual Culture,” explains Ali who studied at the Lindenwood University in Missouri, USA. “During this period of study, I realised how much of that doesn’t reach people from differing backgrounds and those outside of the creative space, which lead me to want to do something to support artists and creatives.”
Ali enrolled in a second Masters degree in Social Innovation from the University of Cambridge in England and after meeting globally renowned art curator and speaker Meena Vari, the pair decided to work together, with Vari as curator and creative director of RAi. “We set about bringing our common dream to life, and Abu Dhabi was a natural choice due to its burgeoning position as the UAE’s cultural centre,” says Ali. “Our position on Al Reem Island was our ideal location due to it being 10-minutes from Abu Dhabi city centre and 15-minutes from the cultural district of Saadiyat Island.”
This weekend will see the opening of RAi’s inaugural show: In the Dusky Path of a Dream: Notes from Abstracting the Real which showcases 27 artists from India, presenting over 60 artworks that examine the role that memory and identity plays in connecting the past and the future and also shines a light on the concept of solastalgia – the distress felt as a result of environmental change.
“The curation is around the aching nostalgia brought on by the deterioration of the familiar and sorrow over the ruin of the natural environment. The wanton destruction of the environment throughout the age of anthropocene compels us to reflect upon our state of mind,” explains Ali. “The past and the future are connected by the slipperiness of memory and identity. We constantly encounter situations that challenge our sense of reality, stability and familiarity however the confusion also opens up paths for repair and growth. The artists explore these shifting realities in understanding and imagining the symbiocene future, a period of re-integration between humans and the rest of nature.”
And why was it important for RAi to champion artists from the Global South? “When I was doing my thesis, I realised the lack of academia and research into art from the region,” remembers Ali. “This is now one of my aims and goals, I want to create a space that moves towards getting these researchers to think, reflect and write about art from the Global South.”
The works will be on show from November 23, 2023 through to February 23, 2024, and encompass techniques and mediums including textile, ceramic and bronze sculpture, paint and ink to name a few. Artists participating in the exhibition include Gigi Scaria whose work delves into migration and globalisation in India’s rapidly changing landscape, Surekha who explores themes of gender, ecology and socio-political aesthetics and renowned artist across digital and sculptural media, Vivek Vilasini. Does Ali have a favourite? “There are so many significant pieces in the exhibition such as “The Weeping Man” by Vivek Vilasini that are so relevant today and important to understand and engage.”
As well as being a platform for existing art, RAi will act as a creative and community hub, inviting artists to embark on residencies and fellowships. “These Residency Programs provide opportunities for artists, curators, and writers to develop their practice, network and connect and expand their creative practice through research and collaborations with communities and institutions,” says Ali. “We provide residency artists with a platform to incubate their ideas, research opportunities, visits, workshops, and presentation opportunities in colleges and other creative venues. These residencies will allow arts professionals and cultural practitioners to explore and address other cultures and develop their creative practice.”
The space launched on November 23 by hosting the first of its #RAIOpinions series, a regular panel discussion of diverse perspectives tackling issues affecting the art world, the inaugural gathering, which was part of the official Abu Dhabi Art Fair programme, saw art historians and curators from India and the UAE take on themes around the topic: Artist as Author: Art as Document.
RAi will also operate an experimental concept it calls Labs, which immerses artists in unfamiliar environments that will prompt them to create in response to their time in the given space, and the future sees the additions of studios for artists to create, learn and experiment in peaceful surroundings. “In September 2024, Rizq Art Initiative will launch a second phase of the build adding studios to the space. Here we hope to provide a place where artists can experiment, explore, and develop their ideas and techniques.”
In addition to this, a strong focus will be placed in engaging private and corporate sponsors to support artists and also help expose new audiences to contemporary art. Lastly, RAi will utilise its partnerships with worldwide arts and culture organisations, museums, and educational institutions to encourage trans-disciplinary collaborations, learning, and long-term networking.
RAi is open from 11am to 7pm, Monday to Saturday.
For more information visit rizqart.com
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