Found down in Abu Dhabi’s Mina Zayed (near the Mina fish market), creative hub Warehouse 421 has to be one of the most interesting places in the city.
Housed in a converted factory, it’s on a hipster-approved level of cool, and there are always loads of events, workshops and exhibitions going on.
The arty centre is now into its fall season of events, and there’s loads to look forward to.
Firstly, the Salama bint Hamdan Emerging Artists Fellowship (SEAF) for the Community & Critique: SEAF 2018/19 Cohort 6 show will be running until November 24.
We know, the title is a bit of a mouthful, but featuring works from 15 UAE-based artists, it’s an amazing collection that you can’t miss.
Film installation Hollowed is also on until October 13. Created by Emirati visual artist Maitha Abdall, the moving piece explores the human condition and in particular the themes of emptiness, memory, waiting and rebirth.
Then from early November, Talin Hazbar will be displaying her exhibition The Structure of Impermanence. Examining the relationship between nature, architecture and cultural heritage, her pieces focus on how water is used within the traditional Syrian household, and how the presence of water acts as a center of social discourse.
Finally, the last exhibition of the year will focus on the art of independent publishing. Shape-shifting Texts and Other Publishing Tactics will be on display from December onwards, and it questions how this act of sharing artistic work makes a wider comment on public life in general.
Meanwhile, Cinema Akil will return to Warehouse 421 to put on a series of free film screenings, and Gulf Photography Plus will continue with its photography workshops. Film fans will also be interested to know that the centre has teamed up with the Goethe Institute (cultural institute of Germany) to create a new film series about the lives of artists, and you can check them out in free screenings put on throughout the season.
Faisal Al Hassan, general manager of Warehouse421, says: “The fall season presents a range of programming that will explore a variety of regional narratives and a plethora of crafts.
“We are enthusiastic to hear from local artists who will present at this year’s SEAF exhibition, and it will be our pleasure to explore the evolution of these emerging talents. Our fall program will be bringing a range of new disciplines in workshops to the centre for the first time, and through our exhibitions, we will see further work with international partners to bring artworks to the community. We hope the public enjoy it as much as we have enjoyed putting it together.”
We’ve got a feeling that we’re going to be spending a lot of time at Warehouse 421 over the next few months.
Various times and dates. Until Dec.Mina Zayed, www.warehouse421.ae.
