In 2020, many of us have had to change everyday things. Remote working has become commonplace, social distancing is widespread and when it comes to engaging with art, culture and music we’re more comfortable than ever to do so from home on a screen.
Bringing the community together and sharing stunning photography with the community, a new virtual gallery has launched in Abu Dhabi.
Celestial: A Journey Through Space and Time has launched with Manarat Al Saadiyat to showcase the work of UAE-based photographer Samy Olabi.
Running until December 31, the exhibition features a series of photos of the dessert and the nights sky captured by the astrophotographer.
Adding an extra dimension, photos can be viewed using VR headsets, allowing you to immerse yourself in the image completely.
“Astronomy, arts and adventure were always a passion of mine since I was a child. I used to go camping with my friends when we were teens and we used to lay down, stargaze and dream of travelling through space among galaxies and stars. When I grew up and took Construction Management as a source of living, my passion for art and adventure eventually led me to pursue photography,” said the artist, Samy Olabi.
He added: “Through photography, you can freeze a great moment of time, or share a breath-taking scene with the world. You can deliver deep meaning by expressing your ideas and concepts, which pictures convey silently to dramatic effect. Photography is a visual language that is widely understood and it represents a time-out from the hustle and rapid rhythms of life.”
Fatima Yousef Al Youssef, public engagement and programming head at Manarat Al Saadiyat, said: “As part of our response to the challenges and difficulties brought about by COVID-19, we have been working hard to explore new ways in which we can bring artists and audiences together.
“Through innovation and creative solutions, we are excited to be able to continue to enrich the community with world-class art and cultural events.
“The exhibition Celestial: A Journey Through Space and Time brings the immersive excitement of virtual reality to Manarat Al Saadiyat. The power of this technology allows us to highlight the artistic vision of astrophotographer Samy Olabi and provide our audiences with a unique and inspiring cultural experience from the safety of their own homes.”
Narendra Menon, managing director of Nikon Middle East, added: “Nikon Middle East is extremely proud of entering into collaboration with Manarat Al Saadiyat and renowned astrophotographer Samy Olabi to create Celestial. While we are bound by social distancing restrictions, Celestial represents an overcoming of social barriers, a bridge to the community. The vision of Manarat Al Saadiyat and the artist for this project has resulted in an interactive platform that demonstrates the impressive nature of state-of-the-art astrophotography, showing how much we can discover of the deep sky. We are especially proud that Nikon photographic equipment has proved more than capable of capturing the most challenging images and videos. We look forward for further innovative collaborations with Manarat Al Saadiyat.”
Free. Until Dec 31. https://vr.manaratalsaadiyat.ae.
