SARA ALZAABI (ABU DHABI)
Bringing real stories of people living with multiple sclerosis (MS) to the fore, the National Multiple Sclerosis Society (NMSS) will showcase its immersive installation "Evident Presence: A Community of Care" at the 17th edition of the Abu Dhabi Art Fair, which will open on November 19 at Manarat Al Saadiyat.
Curated by Dirwaza Curatorial Lab and produced by Triplets on Set, the project follows five individuals with MS and uses video, movement, sound, and poetry to show how they navigate often-invisible symptoms and everyday life.
This marks NMSS' second collaboration with Abu Dhabi Art Fair as it continues its broader efforts to use art to strengthen representation, community care, and public engagement.
Speaking to Aletihad, Maral Alexandrian, Acting Executive Director of the National MS Society, said the organisation was created "to address a disease that has a medium to high prevalence in the UAE", describing multiple sclerosis as a neurodegenerative and autoimmune disease affecting the nervous system.
She noted that the initiative is part of broader efforts to raise awareness of MS through art.
"Art is a perfect way to do storytelling without overwhelming the population," she said, adding that their previous installation travelled across the UAE, featured at COP28 in Dubai, at Jebel Hafeet for National Day, and was later shown in Seoul, Korea.
Film director Mariam Al Serkal, founder of Triplets On Set, said she worked with NMSS and Dirwaza Curatorial Lab to create a series of videos that reflect the experiences of people with MS, aiming to convey their emotions, their stories and the messages they wish to share with others.
Each of the five participants has a personal visual theme, such as the sea, the desert, greenery, painting, or chess to reflect how they cope with MS.
She said the team sought to create "poetic visual stories rather than a medical documentary", showing each journey from diagnosis to resilience.