From your experience and work at UAE Unlimited, how would you describe the Emirati art scene? And, how has this changed from a decade ago?
The UAE has long had exemplary contemporary artists, such as Hassan Sharif, Mohammed Ibrahim, and Abdullah Al Saadi and it has been encouraging to see the number of promising artists continue to grow over the years.
UAE Unlimited was established four years ago by H.H Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan bin Khalifa Al Nahyan, with the premise of supporting Emirati and UAE-based artists. At the heart of what we do is the mandate to provide equal opportunities to artists and cultural producers in the country.
Over the last decade, I believe we have seen more experimental work emerge from the Emirati art scene, and this is something UAE Unlimited is committed to supporting and furthering.
What differentiates Emirati artists from others in the region? How will contemporary, local artists stand out amongst their peers on the global art stage?
Emirati and locally-based artists have shown their ability to stand out amongst their peers through their use of experimental and contemporary practices.
Unlike much of the MENASA region post Arab-Spring whose work is centred on politics & borders & human suffering, the young UAE artists are more interested in their own national identities and being the future generation that will contribute to the well-being of their country whilst embracing their Arab heritage. They are inspired by our visionary leaders to embrace progress in all areas, and are full of optimism for the future.
We have seen work from UAE-based artists shown across a number of art fairs, galleries and exhibitions at the Centre Pompidou in Paris, New Museum in New York, Mori Museum in Tokyo and strongly featured in the most recent Venice Biennale 2017. There is a great deal of international institutional interest to acquire these works from The Guggenheim, The Tate Modern, MoMA, LACMA and others.
The UAE has always embraced and celebrated contemporary artists, and has worked to develop an arts ecosystem that allows them to thrive. UAE Unlimited places a strong emphasis on the Arabic language, incorporating it into our exhibitions where possible, and we see in many Emirati artists that this fusion of language and culture can create extraordinary pieces of work.
