ISIDORA CIRIC (ABU DHABI)
The 421 Arts Campus kicked off its Spring Exhibitions series on Thursday with a duo of thought-provoking shows that delve into contemporary issues and the intricate concept of time through innovative artistry. The exhibitions, which include a range of mediums such as drawing, painting, sculpture, installation, and mixed media, challenge viewers to rethink time, productivity, purpose, and the urban environment from various perspectives.
The first exhibition, titled “The Clock Doesn’t Care”, marks Mona Ayyash’s inaugural solo exhibition and emerges from the 421 Arts Campus’s Artistic Development Programme.
In this compelling display, Ayyash explores the elusive concept of time, crafting a narrative around the tension that exists between time passing and time wasted. Her work features a collaborative video installation with actors, dancers, and performance artists, who perform a series of repetitive, purposeless movements.
By layering and editing these fragments of movements, either side-by-side or overlaid, Ayyash’s installation emphasises the mundane and the everyday, trapping the performers in an endless loop that symbolically stretches the boundaries of time.
The second exhibition marks the third year of an expanded partnership between 421 Arts Campus and NYU Abu Dhabi (NYUAD), featuring the creative works of the 2024 MFA cohort, who employ a variety of mediums including drawing, painting, sculpture, installation, and mixed media to delve into global contemporary issues.
Among the featured artists, Sara Alahbabi takes viewers on a mindful exploration of Abu Dhabi’s Al Khalidiya neighbourhood where she grew up, reflecting on her experiences and relationship with the city and its communities.
“I wanted to do something intuitive, letting the mistakes lead the way, letting the stories that I had on the way lead the way,” Alahbabi told Aletihad.
Her exhibition features unique artwork that combines the routes she took during her walks, which she then visualised through bright, neon lights reminiscent of those observed in Abu Dhabi at night.
“I’m very proud to be exhibiting my work at this show. The 421 space really gives great opportunities to emerging artists and students. I think that’s very incredible and it needs to be recognised,” she added.
Ciel Arbour-Boehme’s installation urges visitors to abandon habitual responses by engaging with a space filled with disjunctions and unexpected elements, while Zara Mahmood captures the contrast between the visible sky and the obscured reality of pollution through a series of observational drawings and photo-transfers on leaf paper.
In her biggest exhibition yet, Emirati artist Fatima Al Romaithi revisits the nostalgic elements of UAE’s cultural history with an engaging study of 1990s candies and treats, illustrating children’s love for sweets and all the mischievous ways they’d try to get their hands on them.
Farah Soltani’s sculptural work is also featured, showcasing an out-of-the-box way of transforming ordinary forms into unique identities that interact with their space.
The exhibitions are set to continue until August 26.