In 2021, ADMAF’s STEAM programme partnered with MIT to bring university students from a variety of disciplines together in teams for a specialized course in 3-D printing technology, mentored by a UAE-based 3-D printing expert. The course culminated in students using the technology to collaboratively produce functional and sustainable designs for a variety of uses.
ADMAF’s booth at Abu Dhabi Art will host a talk with the team from the American University of Sharjah on their work as part of ADMAF’s STEAM programme, on display at ADMAF’s booth. This vessel for coral resettlement and simulation along the coastlines of the UAE is meant to support dying coral reefs. As coral reefs in the UAE continue to perish, these artificial pieces of reef would support existing coral by offering an attractive site for coral larvae to settle.
ADMAF’s booth at Abu Dhabi Art will host a talk with Noura Al Serkal, the winner of the ADMAF Design Fund, in partnership with L’Ecole Van Cleef & Arpels. Noura’s work The Magic of Scent explores the sense of smell is an integral part of being human, its connection to our memories, emotions and intimacy, and the adjustment of this important sense with Covid-19.
In celebration of International Mother Language Day, and as part of the cultural programme held alongside the Portrait of a Nation II: Beyond Narratives exhibition, an esteemed panel of prominent cultural leaders, academics and calligraphy artists will explore the role of language in defining cultural identity, conveying emotions, and communicating ideas both through words and symbolic gestures. This thought-provoking panel discussion sheds light on the essential link between language, calligraphy and art in the context of culture and identity.
The Alphabetics of the Baker & Confectioner, a sound performance led by WYWY, explores the sounds and "keys" formulated by the sound artists to interpret the hand gestures of Moza Almatrooshi’ durational performance displayed in her video installation on view at the Portrait of a Nation ll: Beyond Narratives exhibition. WYWY will perform a sonic set of sound compositions to communicate through music the “sounds” of these gestures outside of their physical gestural space.
ADMAF presentation in collaboration with Dubai Drums
Learn how to play high energy rhythmical beats in this fun and interactive drumming workshop for children and adults of all ages
Co-presented in partnership with the Italian Cultural Institute
Paolo Fresu on trumpet, flugelhorn and effects is joined by Dino Rubino on piano and Marco Bardoscia on contrabass for a refined three-part dialogue between musical masters. The Paolo Fresu Trio will perform under the stars on the outdoor stage in Umm Al Emarat Park, in a performance with great emotional impact and intimate cerebral connection.
Young participants learn how to turn trash into music by using discarded plastics to make a traditional ocarina flute in this eco-conscious workshop hosted by Egyptian artist and musician Shady Rabab, winner of the United Nations Environment Young Champions of the Earth Award, and his band member Rafik Rezine
Discover the talents behind these two exhibitions featuring ADMAF’s STEAM collaboration between MIT University and UAE based emerging artists’ work and Zayed Higher Organization for People of Determination Exhibition.
Theatre director Adnan Salloum teaches the art of puppet making in this unique workshop, after which participants will have the chance to showcase their talents in a puppetry performance.
Listen as Shady Rabab and Rafik Rezine use their creative talents to create unique sounds out of recycled materials in this experimental electronic performance by Electro Zebala
ADMAF presentation in collaboration with WeLoveArt
This hands-on workshop fosters creativity among children by giving budding artists the chance to create their own masterpieces under the guidance of some of the UAE's greatest artists like Talal Al Moulla, Mohammed Al Qassab, Reza Derakshani and Ammar Al Attar
Co-presented in partnership with the Spanish Embassy
Critically acclaimed Spanish pianist Daniel Ligorio is accompanied by the castanets of Belén Cabanes and the dance of Loli Molina in this eclectic performance of 19th and 20th century classical Spanish music and select Baroque compositions.
This panel will discuss the importance of Qoutayba Neami’s new musical innovation and the opportunity it creates for composers and music researchers around the world to transcend borders and cultural differences through music.
Progenitors of the UAE’s contemporary art scene, including members of The Five, founders of the Emirates Fine Art Society and other prominent artists, will come together in a panel discussion on the camaraderie, collaboration and togetherness that have structured the art scene, from early formations to boom, bust and consolidation, to the artistic achievement that is celebrated in Portrait of a Nation II: Beyond Narratives.
Marine biologists and environmentalists explore the shifting social/physical landscapes as well as creating and preserving modes of togetherness. Talin Hazbar’s work formally investigates the intrinsic properties of natural material – such as sand and porcelain in other artworks – and here tunes her ear to the society of Gulf fishermen. Hazbar excavates used nets from the sea, as a monument not only to the fishing practices but also to the disruption they’ve caused to the natural world.
The evolution of the Art scene in the UAE in the past 50 years.
A conversation among different generations of artists on their experiences in time, and the challenges they were facing.
In celebration of World Poetry Day, a distinguished panel of speakers will explore what “poetry is the diwan of the Arabs” means for contemporary Arabic poetry. This fascinating panel examines the relationship between poets and their social and cultural environments and the influence of deep-rooted cultural heritage on Arabic poetry’s aspirations for the future.
Abu Dhabi Festival’s STEAM will cooperate with MIT, to bring university students from a variety of disciplines, including visual art, design, architecture and computer science together in teams for a specialized course in 3-D printing technology.
The talks will consist of:
• An introduction of ADMAF’s STEAM programme
• A brief on 3D design and production
• The concept behind the design and the creative process
• The production/printing process of the work
• Q & A
A Conversation to address new modes of working and thinking, the creative outcomes of challenging contexts or fresh explorations, with a focus on practitioners of the 80s and 90s developing new modes of artmaking, born of experimental, vibrant atelier atmospheres.
Artist Vikram Divecha in conversation with Louvre Abu Dhabi Curator for Modern and Contemporary Art Robert Kilroy discusses the artist’s video installation exploring concepts of time, space, modernity and globalisation and how these themes relate to the fast pace of development of the UAE at a time when the UAE is hosting the World Expo. Train to Rouen synthesised a number of strands in order to effect one simple change: a five minute delay on the train travelling from Paris to Rouen on October 4th, 2017.
In celebration of World Art Day, Abu Dhabi Festival has commissioned Abdulla Lutfi, the dynamic Emirati artist with an exceptional attention to detail to create one of his signature illustrations to reflect the art scene in Abu Dhabi for its flagship Portrait of a Nation II: Beyond Narratives exhibition. The 1.5m x 3m canvas will feature key institutions, cultural sites and museums that have led to the country’s cultural and artistic evolution, such as the Louvre Abu Dhabi, Warehouse 421, Cultural Foundation, Qasr Al Hosn and the Founders’ memorial. Lutfi, who is on the autism spectrum, has had two sold-out solo exhibitions and is known for his ability to capture daily life in accurate detail. Visitors are invited to contribute creatively to the artwork by adding color to his iconic black and white illustrations starting from April 6.
Artist Vikram Divecha in conversation with Louvre Abu Dhabi Curator for Modern and Contemporary Art Robert Kilroy discusses the artist’s video installation exploring concepts of time, space, modernity and globalisation and how these themes relate to the fast pace of development of the UAE at a time when the UAE is hosting the World Expo. Train to Rouen synthesised a number of strands in order to effect one simple change: a five minute delay on the train travelling from Paris to Rouen on October 4th, 2017.
In this fascinating panel on the relationship between art and the environment, two of the nation’s most influential art figures explore the extent to which shifting landscapes contribute to the country’s artistic transformation. Reflecting on the artworks displayed at the Portrait of a Nation II: Beyond Narratives exhibition, pioneering contemporary artist Mohammed Kazem and leading columnist and researcher Sultan Al Qassemi discuss the role of art as a social commentary, challenging our understanding of sustainability and reflecting the human experience of transition
