The exhibition explores the themes of time.
Get ready for a dose of culture. Rays, Ripples, Residue showcases materials that have defined exhibition-making and artistic practice in the UAE. Running from 1 November to 26 April, the event also marks the 10th anniversary of 421 Arts Campus in Abu Dhabi.
If you’re looking for some arts and culture, then put this on your radar. The exhibition reflects on emerging artistic practices in the UAE, highlighting both their potential and challenges. The country’s art scene has evolved with artist-led initiatives. The initiatives include biennales, art fairs, and cultural exchanges. Curated through three different perspectives, the exhibition covers the theme of time.
Munira Al Sayegh examines the idea of the past, Nadine Khalil reflects on post-moment hauntings, and Murtaza Vali examines critiques of commodification and elemental presence. Faisal Al Hassan is the director of the arts centre, and has drawn inspiration from the exhibition.
The pieces look at time and arriving after a moment has passed, and one artist’s own experience of arriving in the UAE. Al Sayegh’s Leading to the Middle maps the ripple effect of artistic generosity and influence, tracing formative moments through figures such as Mohammed Ahmed Ibrahim, Lamya Gargash, and Bait15. Khalil’s Ghosts of Arrival contemplates the quieter structures shaping the present, suggesting that the memory of artistic risk continues to inform current practice.
Meanwhile, Vali’s SUN presents nuanced reflections on the sun as both a life-giving force and a commodified symbol, engaging with themes of consumption, modernity, and climate change. The piece looks at the sun as a wider symbol.
421 Campus is open from Tuesday to Sunday from 10am to 8pm.
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GO: Visit www.421.online for more information.