The new art exhibition hosted by Sofitel has a sunny side – in more ways than one.
The egg is used in many cultures as a symbol of transformation, new beginnings and eternal youth.
That’s why Sofitel Abu Dhabi Corniche is hosting Break an Egg from April 17 to 30, and raising funds for Make-A-Wish Foundation, a charity that has been granting wishes to terminally ill children as young as three for over a decade.
The campaign is in collaboration with Abu Dhabi Art Hub, a local organisation that hosts international artists throughout the year as well as exhibitions and programmes for the public. It will feature a live exhibition open to the public, plus a private auction.
A dozen local, regional and international artists have been commissioned by Abu Dhabi Art Hub. Each artist will depict their interpretation of eternal youth and new beginnings on to one of 12 blank ceramic eggs.
Each egg is substantial in size at 100cm tall and 35cm in diameter, and the concept is symbolic of the cause at the heart of Make-A-Wish Foundation.
Ahmed Al Yafie, founder of Abu Dhabi Art Hub, says, ‘Abu Dhabi Art Hub is proud to support this initiative by Sofitel Abu Dhabi Corniche. We found the concept of the egg compelling as a canvas for our artists and we understood the importance of supporting Make-A-Wish Foundation. We’re always looking for projects that allow us to engage with the community and we are excited to bring this one to life.’
The Abu Dhabi Art Hub artists include Emirati mosaic artist Nassim Al Majed, and Mohammed Al Astad, the inventor of ‘Art Grave’ – a method that involves burying canvas and iron in sand and allowing the rust from the iron to create an image on the canvas. Visiting artists include graphic artist Peter Ducsai from Hungary, photorealist painter Simon Kaci from Italy, shadow artist Bassam Al Selawi from Jordan, and Peter Sköld from Sweden, whose dynamic drip paintings were recently on display at Fairmont Bab Al Bahr.
One of the artists, Simon Kaci, explains how he got involved in the Break an Egg campaign: ‘I’ve worked closely with Abu Dhabi Art Hub for some time now. For these kinds of projects it’s a bit like an actor receiving a script for the first time. I read the brief for this project and it just jumped out at me. It’s a chance to do something good for Make-A-Wish Foundation. I liked the concept of the egg and that’s what I’m looking forward to working on.’
The Break an Egg campaign takes its inspiration from a similar campaign that took place in London in 2012. The UK project, which was called the Fabergé Big Egg Hunt, commissioned 209 artists to create their own take on the Fabergé egg. The creations were then hidden around London to create a city-wide egg hunt. Hani Al Zubaidi, the CEO of Make-A-Wish Foundation, says, ‘In a world where many children are challenged by illness every day, the symbol of the egg stood out to us as a profound symbol of hope.
The concept of a new beginning or eternal youth is a wish we would grant the children we support across the UAE if we could. This exhibition is a representation of that wish brought to life.’
The Break an Egg art display opens to the public on Thursday, April 17 with a ceremony in Sofitel’s foyer, and donations will be accepted until April 29. All proceeds go directly to the children and families of Make-A-Wish Foundation.
Sofitel Abu Dhabi Corniche, Corniche Road East, www.sofitel.com (02 813 7777).
