< PreviousCREDIT HERE 80 HarpersBazaarArabia.com/Culture Winter 2020 Art NEWS 80 HarpersBazaarArabia.com/Culture Winter 2020 “It’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see.” - Henry David Thoreau Afra Al Dhaheri. Tasreeha. 2020. Cotton rope. 600x600. Installation view at Beyond: Emerging Artists. Courtesy of the artist and Abu Dhabi Art Guest-edited by DYALA NUSSEIBEH AR T HBI_048_080_Art intro_11428233.indd 8029/11/2020 04:12:46 PM81 HarpersBazaarArabia.com/Culture Winter 2020 Art NEWS When Hotel Indigo commissioned the data sculpture, Anadol was very excited to work on such an inspiring collaboration. “It’s a moment of checking into something new,” he says. “It’s a unique idea to augment the visitor’s perception of the physical quality, and the imagination as well.” The immersive installation explores the relationship between artifi cial intelligence and human senses, aiming to facilitate a temporary release from our habitual perceptions of nature to enable us to perceive the ubiquity of nature from a fresh perspective. The Wind project utilises a year’s worth of collected data. An algorithm is developed to capture the data and embed it onto the canvas. Each Wind project takes over a year to be completed. The artist’s next project is a new AI data painting series, Renaissance Dreams. He is also working with various cultural archives in Europe and Asia. refi kanadol.com FAMED ISTANBUL-BORN MEDIA ARTIST Refi k Anadol’s new multimedia work, entitled Wind of Dubai (2020) turns the invisible patterns of nature found around Dubai into a series of poetic, three-dimensional data sculptures. “Wind is one of the most inspiring things for me; it’s basically the sculpture of nature,” says Anadol. “The whole idea is to try and capture the poetry in the motion.” Wide and curved LED screens display the artwork at Dubai’s Hotel Indigo, juxtaposed against four individual and uniquely designed reception desks which are layered with fi nishes refl ecting the rich Emirati heritage. The piece was inspired by nature and cutting-edge learning technologies. “The aim for this artwork is to create a calm and relaxing experience leading to an emotional attachment,” states the artist. In 2011, the eponymous Refi k Anadol Studio and RAS Lab began experiments with transforming ‘nature data’ into mesmerising multimedia art pieces to understand nature through the lens of technology. Anadol’s data art is also heavily inspired by Perlin noise. Academy award winner Ken Perlin coined Perlin noise, an algorithm that realistically constructs natural phenomena like oceans, clouds and fi re in the virtual space. “I think having a scientifi c base for the artwork is very important,” says Anadol. His portfolio includes the Wind series which explores different speeds, colours and forms. The artist begins by harnessing a vast data set from sensors that collect wind speed, direction, gust patterns and the temperature of Dubai and processes them through a unique algorithm specifi cally designed for the work. As the machine creates its own patterns and connections between these data points, it also translates temperature data into a dynamic colour palette which closely resembles the surrounding landscape. The resulting artwork is a unique visual interpretation of the fl uidity of interactions between the environment and the city. LA-based media artist Refik Anadol has made his debut in the GCC with an artwork unveiled at the newly launched Hotel Indigo Dubai Downtown DATA ART Above and Below: Refi k Anadol. Wind of Dubai. 2020. Images courtesy of the artist and Hotel Indigo Dubai Downtown W ORD S B Y MAL OBI OLELE IMA GES C OUR TES Y OF HO TEL INDIGO DUBAI DO WNT O WN AND THE AR TIS T HBI_048_081_News_Refik_11420309.indd 8126/11/2020 07:00:32 PM82 HarpersBazaarArabia.com/Culture Winter 2020 Art NEWS THE SELECTION COMMITTEE OF THE National Pavilion UAE has appointed painter, sculptor and land artist Mohamed Ahmed Ibrahim to represent the UAE at the 2022 edition of the Venice Biennale. The artist chose Maya Allison, one of the leading experts in the contemporary regional art scene as Executive Director and Chief Curator of the NYUAD Art Gallery, as his curator. Maya and Mohamed have collaborated on past exhibitions such as The NYUAD Gallery’s But We Cannot See Them: Tracing a UAE Art Community 1988-2008. With this exhibition, the National Pavilion UAE is moving towards a more artist-led approach to curation in recognition of the strength of the UAE’s artistic community. Mohamed is one of the UAE’s earliest experimental artists and an infl uential member of the region’s avant-garde art community, which formed in the early 1980s. Based on the natural landscapes of the UAE, major international institutions like the British Museum, Centre George Pompidou and Kochi-Muziris have acquired his handcrafted works. “I am inspired by the coasts and mountain lights of my home in Khor Fakkan, where my family has lived for generations,” says the artist. “Here in the UAE we are surrounded by diverse and ancient landscapes as well as advanced urbanisation. This tension is one of the concepts I explore in my work through organic materials, by allowing my subconscious Above: Artist Mohamed Ahmed Ibrahim surrounded by his artworks Veteran experimental artist Mohamed Ahmed Ibrahim is set to represent the United Arab Emirates at la Biennale di Venezia 2022 LA BIENNALE DI VENEZIA 2022 to fi nd the forms. I am delighted to be able to share my locally-rooted practice with a global audience at the Venice Biennale.” Maya comments, “Ibrahim continues to innovate. He is one of the most important artists working in the UAE today, and has infl uenced generations of artists here. I am looking forward to an even greater international audience discovering this work with his solo exhibition at the Venice Biennale.” labiennale.org The 59th International Art Exhibition of la Biennale di Venezia will be held between 23 April 2022 and 27 November 2022, under the artistic direction of Cecilia Alemani W ORD S B Y MAL OBI OLELE, IMA GES C OUR TES Y OF THE AR TIS T AND LA WRIE SHABIBI Installation views of works by Mohammed Ahmed Ibrahim HBI_048_82_News_Mohammed Venice_11420345.indd 8226/11/2020 07:01:10 PMWORDS BY IMAN V AKIL, IMAGES COUR TESY OF AR T DUBAI AND RESPECTIVE GALLERIES 83 HarpersBazaarArabia.com/Culture Winter 2020 Art NEWS KNOWN for building many seminal collections of contemporary and modern art from the Middle East, Hala Khayat is a long-time fi gure in the UAE’s art scene. In fact, she has been to every iteration of Art Dubai since the fair’s inception. While her new role as Regional Director is centred around developing audiences through community engagement, both in local and regional contexts, Hala assures, “I’m going to keep giving my eye and advice to our top collectors in terms of advising in how to best broaden their collections.” Hala’s new appointment comes after Art Dubai announced that its 2021 iteration will physically take place in March, being one of the only major international fairs to do so after a series of global fair cancellations left the delicate ecosystem of the art industry reeling. While Art Dubai 2021’s revised format will have to depend on and adapt to future social distancing measures, Hala shares that, “Currently, we’re talking about personalised experiences versus a mass approach. This personalised experience is going to be orchestrated by a new app, so you can have the fair in your hands. We’re also aiming to engage with more outdoor experiences, which the March weather offers. In 2021, the UAE is going to celebrate its 50th anniversary of the country, and so we are planning for an exciting week-long program of events throughout the whole of UAE.” A series of talks and smaller events will take place throughout the year leading up to the fair, alongside Art Dubai’s newly launched digital initiative, the Portraits exhibition, which features works available for immediate sale by a well-curated array of former participating artists. Starting with Timo Nasseri’s latest body of work in A Universal Alphabet, a series of in-depth short fi lms shot in Timo’s Berlin studio Clockwise from top: Naqsh Collective. Unit and Diaspora. 2018; Tonia Nneji. Night Series (2). 2019. Rele Gallery; Hala Khayat; Timo Nasseri. 2018; Bedri Rahmi Eyuboglu. Pomfred Kemenche Player. 1970. Anna Laudel Gallery Unveiling new initiatives ahead of Art Dubai’s return in 2021, Syrian art specialist Hala Khayat will develop new audiences for the fair provide a fascinating insight into the nuances of the artist’s practise. “It’s an intense crash course of art history,” Hala explains. “Despite being very familiar with Timo Nasseri’s work, I still learnt something new!” A new online exhibition will launch every two weeks, including a display of Mohamed Ahmed Ibrahim’s monochromatic paintings; the Emirati artist who is gearing up to represent the UAE at the 2022 Venice Biennale. Strong bodies of work by Dia Azzawi, Naqsh Collective, Aya Haidar, Mohammed Kazem and Abdul Rahman Katami are to follow. artdubai.ae ART DUBAI’S NEW REGIONAL DIRECTOR HBI_048_083_News_Hala Khayat_11420481.indd 8329/11/2020 10:05:56 AM84 HarpersBazaarArabia.com/Culture Winter 2020 Art NEWS Marking over a decade of work created by contemporary sound artist Tarek Atoui, a major solo exhibition at Sharjah Art Foundation is exploring the art of listening, composition and performance CURATED BY DIRECTOR OF SHARJAH Art Foundation, Hoor Al Qasimi and part of the foundation’s autumn 2020 season, a six-month exhibition called Tarek Atoui: Cycles in 11 is exploring instrument-making, compositional structure and musical collaboration. On view until 10 April 2021, the featured works represent the culmination of artist Tarek Atoui’s ongoing exploration of different methods of listening, composition and performance. The instruments created by Tarek are the product of extensive research into music history and tradition, as well as collaborations with experts. The show builds on the artist’s earlier project entitled WITHIN, which investigates how deafness can infl uence the way sound performance, space and instrumentation are understood. During the exhibition, Bait Al Serkal, located in Sharjah, will operate as both a sound lab and a performance and listening space informed by the local tradition of hospitality. Another sound lab will be arranged in Kalba, close to Sharjah’s MUSICAL FORMS From top: The Ground. 2020; Artist Tarek Atoui; The Wave. 2019 HBI_048_84-85_News_SAF_11449317.indd 8426/11/2020 07:02:16 PM85 HarpersBazaarArabia.com/Culture Winter 2020 Art NEWS Clockwise: The Ground (detail). 2020; Tarek Atoui performing; I /E, 2020 W ORD S B Y MAL OBI OLELE IMA GES C OUR TES Y OF SHARJ AH AR T F OUND A TION AND THE AR TIS T natural reserves and archaeological sites. Cycles in 11 will also be the starting point for a regional and international residency programme that will extend into 2022. Musicians, composers and artists will be invited to develop new work for the residency, either individually or with different audiences in Sharjah. In 2007, Tarek studied contemporary and electronic music at the French National Conservatory of Reims. His work often challenges established ways of listening through innovative approaches to sound and instruments. He has participated in numerous exhibitions and festivals worldwide including the 8th Berlin Biennale (2014), Tate Modern, London (2016), Garage Moscow (2018) and Okayama Art Summit, Japan (2019). The artist was recently awarded the 2022 Suzanne Deal Booth / Flag Art Foundation Prize. Tarek Atoui: Cycles in 11 will run until 10 April 2021 at Bait Al Serkal, Arts Square, Sharjah. sharjahart.org HBI_048_84-85_News_SAF_11449317.indd 8526/11/2020 07:07:27 PMFuture Talks Coordinating Director of the National Pavilion UAE at the Venice Biennale Laila Binbrek discusses Mohamed Ahmed Ibrahim representing the UAE at theVenice Biennale 2022 and the pandemic’s influence on the way we perceive architecture 86 HarpersBazaarArabia.com/Culture Winter 2020 HBI_048_86-89_In conversation_Laila_11426218.indd 8629/11/2020 06:03:05 PM In CONVERSATION Images c ourt es y of Art Dubai and r espectiv e artis ts S Since 2009, the National Pavilion UAE has presented a diverse series of exhibitions spanning the breadth of the nation’s cultural conversations, from historical to contemporary. These exhibitions and publications have explored everything from early Emirati housing to the concept of playfulness in contemporary art. Laila Binbrek, the Coordinating Director of the Pavilion, explains how it has changed and evolved in the last nine years. “We feel the context has been set and are now more conscious in engaging with signifi cant global conversations through our exhibitions, presenting distinctively local responses to issues like climate change and belonging that are relevant around the world.” The National Pavilion UAE offers a platform for curators, artists, architects and researchers alike to explore important subjects and further their work and present them on the global stage of the Venice Biennale. Laila’s role involves helping bring this work to life, overseeing exhibition development, communication strategies, the Venice Internship program and facilitating conversations, engagements and dialogues with partners and the wider network. While each exhibition is a milestone achievement, Laila is especially proud of the legacy of, as she highlights, “The beautifully designed publications that we produce alongside our exhibitions. They expand on the research we do and provide an invaluable resource for the academic and cultural communities.” The 17th International Architecture Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia was postponed to 2021 and will run from 22 May to 21 November. Its theme, How will we live together? is more relevant today than ever before. “The 2021 biennale curator, Hashim Sarkis encourages curators to consider how architecture can address global challenges to engage people and communities across increasing social, economic, political and digital divides,” says Laila. “The National Pavilion UAE’s exhibition Wetland is a good example of curators responding to Hashim’s call to address the issues raised around community engagement and collaboration.” In response, the curators have partnered with specialist teams at New York University Abu Dhabi, the American University of Sharjah and the University of Tokyo (UTokyo), who will contribute to the exhibition’s innovative technical research. “Wael Al Awar and Kenichi Teramoto’s research is an example of the UAE’s national spirit of innovation and creativity,” says Laila. “They have drawn inspiration from the sabkhas, which are a distinctively local phenomenon, to demonstrate the signifi cant contribution that the UAE has to make to the global climate change crisis.” The Wetland research lab in Dubai’s Alserkal Avenue is set to reopen in November. “Visitors can come by to see how Wael and Teramoto’s experimentation is developing and learn more about the process of crystalizing salt and minerals into a building material on par with portland cement.” For 2022, the National Pavilion UAE is moving towards “ W E F E E L T H E CO N T E X T H A S B E E N S E T A N D A R E N O W M O R E CO N S C I O U S I N E N G A GI N G W I T H S I GN I F I C A N T GLO B A L CO N V E R SA T I O N S T H R O U G H O U R E X H I B I T I O N S” Facing page: Installation view of works by Mohamed Ahmed Ibrahim. Above: Curator Maya Allison. Images courtesy of National Pavilion UAE 87 HarpersBazaarArabia.com/Culture Winter 2020 HBI_048_86-89_In conversation_Laila_11426218.indd 8729/11/2020 06:03:18 PMCREDIT HERE 88 HarpersBazaarArabia.com/Culture Winter 2020 In CONVERSATION Clockwise: Wetland exhibition (detail). Photography by Dina Al Khatbib. Courtesy of waiwai design; Arsenale by Andrea Avezzu 88 HarpersBazaarArabia.com/Culture Winter 2020 HBI_048_86-89_In conversation_Laila_11426218.indd 8829/11/2020 06:03:30 PMCREDIT HERE 89 HarpersBazaarArabia.com/Culture Winter 2020 a more artist-led approach to curation in recognition of the strength of the UAE’s artistic community. The selection committee has appointed Emirati artist Mohamed Ahmed Ibrahim for the 2022 exhibition and following discussions, the artist chose Maya Allison, one of the leading experts in the contemporary regional art scene, as his curator. Laila explains why: “Our selection committee found Mohamed to be a very fi tting choice. His curiosity inspires him to translate everyday materials into fascinating organic and colourful works that are deeply connected to the unique natural landscape of his home in Khor Fakkan.” Maya’s work at the NYUAD Art Gallery and her various other projects have been instrumental in promoting understanding of the UAE’s artistic heritage since its inception. Sharing her views on how the pandemic has put forward new challenges for architects, Laila highlights that it has accelerated a pre-existing shift in how we think about architecture, since our daily lives have been transformed. “Architects, designers and urban planners now have to ask what buildings and cities will look like in the years to come, how we use those spaces, how we interact with each other, and how we maintain and build on our communities,” she says. “This shift in thinking will be very much on the agenda for the architecture exhibition in 2021.” nationalpavilionuae.org From top: Artist Mohamed Ahmed Ibrahim and curator Maya Allison; Installation view of works by Mohamed Ahmed Ibrahim W ORD S B Y VERONICA CARPIO 89 HarpersBazaarArabia.com/Culture Winter 2020 HBI_048_86-89_In conversation_Laila_11426218.indd 8929/11/2020 06:03:48 PMNext >