Artists’ Waves
For the first time the fair will host the work of young, exciting artists from seven international galleries from as far apart as Jakarta, New York, Milan and Istanbul on the Mezzanine of the UAE Pavilion. The display is designed to shift public perceptions of art. Look out for Beijing-based Liu Wei who has exhibited at London’s Saatchi Gallery, Pakistani-Brit Saad Qureshi who explores the themes of belonging and fragmented memories in his work, American artist Skyler Brickley and Tehran-based Gohar Dashti.
Talks and panels
Each day speakers of all ages and nationalities will gather in the auditorium in Manarat Al Saadiyat to discuss the emerging art scene in the UAE and the history of local art in informal 15-minute Q&A sessions. Highlights will include talks led by French architect Jean Nouvel, American artist Jenny Holzer – best known for her large-scale public displays that include billboard advertisements, projections on to buildings and illuminated electronic displays – and Alain Seban, the director of Paris’s Pompidou Centre, the largest museum for modern art in Europe. Each guest speaker will be exploring the connection between art and architecture on Wednesday at 3pm.
Pre-register through www.abudhabiartfair.ae, at the Abu Dhabi Art desk at Manarat Al Saadiyat or email manaratalsaadiyat@tcaabudhabi.ae (02 657 5800).
Workshops
Design workshops will be held Thursday, Friday and Saturday 11am-1pm in the Art Zone area in Manarat Al Saadiyat. Contemporary artists and artisans will be on hand to provide inspiration, so you can try your hand at embroidery under the guidance of local designer Sara Alaidarous, or learn how food is designed to generate desire by French designer Francois Clerc. Francois will be baking croissants in the name of art – and will then invite the audience to become part of the artwork. In other words, you’ll get to eat ’em. To secure your booking, pre-register as above. All workshops incur a (non-refundable) Dhs50 for materials.
Durub Al Tawaya
The Emirati term tawaya refers to areas in the desert where travellers could find underground water springs, while in classical Arabic it means ideas and values that gradually unfold. Inspired by this, curator Tarek Abou El Fetouhw commissioned contemporary artists to transform four public buses into moving art, making the audience’s journey as significant as their destination. The buses will connect four key points in the city: Manarat Al Saadiyat, Mina Zayed, Corniche Beach and Marina Mall. The buses will shuttle back and forth every 20 minutes for the duration of the fair. The sides of the buses will feature Emirati poetry while at each point there will be dance performances, video installations, poetry readings and concerts. The performances will be on a loop, so you’ll be able to catch them all.
Chinese artist Cao Feo – known for her 3D multimedia installations and videos that reflect on the rapid social change in China – will set to work on one bus; Egyptian multimedia artist Wael Shawky will create a video installation based on the Bedouin tradition of reciting poetry to camels on a second; and Zeinab Al Hashimy, who incorporates local Emirati traditions into her work, will get experimental with new materials on the third. The final bus will be transformed by a poetry-inspired performance by husband and wife team, Ilya and Emila Kabakov. Pre-book tickets as above and find out schedule times from the Abu Dhabi Art desk at Manarat Al Saadiyat.
Boat trips
It’s not just buses that are being turned into mobile galleries – boats are, too. Traditional dhows functioning as exhibition arenas will set sail from Mina Port on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday at 5.30pm for a one-hour ride before returning to their departure point. Earlier in the day artists on the dhows will take photographs, write science fiction and plaster the boats with Instagram art and members of the public will be invited to discuss the works during the cruises. Pre-register at the Abu Dhabi Art desk at Manarat Al Saadiyat and meet at the port at 5pm. Meanwhile, over at the Marine Sports Club on the Breakwater, boats will set off at 11am, 3pm and 5pm daily for a 40-minute cruise around Lulu Island.
The Abu Dhabi Art Design Souq
Japanese architect Shigeru Ban, known for his work with paper, has been commissioned to design a mobile structure inspired by the UAE’s culture and heritage. The building will house a souk made from cardboard – so fans of architecture will be in for a treat. The souk has been designed as a space for the public to interact with international and Emirati designers and artisans. Look out for a vending machine designed by Dubai-based Emirati artist Nasir Nassralah, who likes to create playful, childlike works. His latest creation is just as fun – pop some cash into the machine and you can buy your own piece of graphic design art. Also look out for furniture designer Pablo Reinoso’s ‘Spaghetti Bale’ bench – which is part bench, part wooden pasta. Take time to experience the souk’s presentations, workshops and displays of jewellery, textiles and handicrafts, too.
Art, Talk And Sensations exhibition
The plaza outside Manarat Al Saadiyat will be dedicated to this exhibition, curated by Fabrice Bousteau. This year’s theme is Dunes and Waves, which is inspired by the UAE’s landscape. Keep an eye out for fleeting live performances by pianist and composer Christophe Chassol, who will be accompanied by a drummer. Christophe’s film, Indiamore, shot in Calcutta in July 2012, will also be on show. It features the lives of musicians, singers, dancers, taxi drivers, fishermen and children, combining voice, music, sounds and images.
The exhibition will also feature video screenings, poetic installations and hip hop dance performances by Sebastien Ramirez and Honji Wang (Wednesday 8.30pm-8.45pm and Friday 7pm-7.15pm). Look out for the culinary art sculpture Sand Dune made with tomatoes, salted caramel and spices by Julie Fruchon and Alexandrine Leclère, which the audience can help create. Meanwhile, Alessandro Sciarroni will choreograph a dance involving juggling on the theme of the passing of time on Friday at 8.30pm.
Small And Beautiful is an exhibition within Art, Talk And Sensations which features small-scale artworks from participating galleries in the Modern, Contemporary and Design category. All the artworks are for sale. Look out for them on the top floor of the UAE Pavilion.
Film programme
Following a previous successful collaboration, Manarat Al Saadiyat has invited Sharjah Art Foundation to curate the film programme around the theme of Where Are The Arabs? by Hoor Al Qassimi. Artists Monika Borgrmann, Joanna Hadjithomas and Khalil Joreige, Rania Stephan, Jalal Toufic and Graziella Toufic, Lamia Joreige, Jayce Salloum, Akram Zaatari, Monira Al Solh, Simone Fattal and Samah Hijawi will feature. Two programmes of short and full-length films will screen on alternate days throughout the fair on loop in a screening room in the Central Events Garden (Wednesday and Thursday 3pm-10pm and Friday and Saturday 2pm-11pm).
Poetry
Emirati poets Mohamed Al Mazroui and Aita Ben Masaaoud will be reading classical Arab and Nabati poems on the beach along the Corniche in the evenings. At the time of press, times were yet to be announced so keep an eye on www.abudhabiartfair.ae for details.
Manarat Al Saadiyat exhibitions
Reem Fadda, associate curator for Middle Eastern Art for the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi Project has curated Emirati Expressions: Realised, which is a temporary exhibition. It features Emirati artists Abdullah Al Saadi, Ebtisam Abdulaziz, Layla Juma, Mohamed Al Mazrouei, Mohammed Ahmed Ibrahim and Mohammed Kazem and is on until January 2014 inside Gallery One, 9am-10pm daily.
Inspired by the rich local tradition of storytelling, The Saadiyat Story is a permanent interactive exhibition made up of nine ‘chapters’ that explore Saadiyat Island’s past, present and future through film and art.
Art for kids
The Art Zone in Manarat Al Saadiyat has a children’s studio dedicated to them, which is double the size of last year’s. Under 12s can get messy in a hands-on art and craft workshop, creating artworks inspired by Abu Dhabi Art Fair on an easel. It’s free, but spaces are limited. Pick up a free activity guide, too, and register for a 45-minute children’s tour in Arabic and English by visiting the Abu Dhabi Art desk at Manarat Al Saadiyat during the fair or emailing manaratalsaadiyat@tcaabudhabi.ae (02 657 5800).
*Spoiler alert*
Don’t miss the music made by plants exhibit, created by Grégory Lasserre and Anaïs met den Ancxt. In the area between the galleries and Plaza, hanging baskets and potted plants will hide pipes playing music composed by Sam Cusumano, Joe Patitucci and Alex Tyson from experimental art and music record label Data Garden. The plants will feature in an empty space so it will gradually dawn on visitors that the plants are producing the sounds.
View Your guide to the Abu Dhabi Art Fair here.
View Abu Dhabi Art Fair events guide here.
