ID :
95255
Wed, 12/16/2009 - 16:57
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/95255
The shortlink copeid
UAE emerges Cultural Hub of region in 2009 Venice Biennale
Venice - Dec 16, 2009 (WAM) - The conclusion of the UAE's participation in the 2009 Venice Biennale has officially marked the nation's emergence as a hub of cultural dialogue locally and internationally, formally cementing the UAE's vital role in communicating the region's dynamic contemporary art agenda to the rest of the world.
Initiated at the federal level by His Excellency Abdul Rahman Mohammed Al Owais, Minister of Culture, Youth and Community Development, the UAE Pavilion has been established to showcase the nation's burgeoning pool of local talent and demonstrate that the UAE is also a place of artistic ferment.
The UAE's debut has also brought the Emirates to the limelight as the first Gulf country ever to participate in the highly prestigious art event and has gained the recognition of the global art community for its talented artists and renowned curator Tirdad Zolghadr whose experimental exhibition entitled "It's Not You, It's Me" confronted international audience expectations of a debuting National Pavilion and the challenges of exhibition making in Venice.
One of the UAE's most promising creative minds is Lamya Gargash, chosen as the featured artist to headline the art showcase at the UAE Pavilion. Gargash created a seminal series of 31 photographs titled "Familial", documenting one-star hotels in the UAE. The Pavilion also showcased Tarek Al Ghoussein, Hassan Sharif, Huda Said Saef and Ebtisam Abdullah Aziz with work that in some way touched on issues of infrastructure in the UAE.
Another important feature is a specially commissioned video installation, "Nation Builders", by the Berlin-based artist, dramaturge and curator Hannah Hurtzig. Housed in a kiosk, the installation featured conversations with key figures in the cultural panorama of the UAE - Dr. Aref Al-Sheik, Dr. Anna Klingmann, Armen Vartanian, Lana Nusseibeh, Dr Zaki Nusseibeh, Lee Tabler, Mishaal Al Gergawi, Antonia Carver, Sheikh Sultan Sooud Al Qassemi, and Rashed Omar Al Kharji.
The pavilion was designed by a collaboration between Traffic and D'Haeseleer '&' Kimpe '&' Poelaert. The unique scenography of the space allowed for an experimental presentation of material which ranged from artists' works, architectural models of various cultural structures existing and planned for the UAE, to a performance space which housed the Jackson Pollock Bar rendition of the initial press announcement for the UAE Pavilion for the 53rd Venice Biennale in December 2008 at Art Basel Miami Beach.
In addition to showcasing the UAE as a platform for vibrant cultural exchange, a significant part of the mission of the office of the UAE Pavilion was to help people based in the Emirates to have a better understanding of the arts, and to provide infrastructure to support the nation's diverse and thriving art scene. This was demonstrated through the establishment of the UAE Pavilion Volunteer Programme, which sent over 40 UAE-based volunteers to Venice through the support of the Emirates Foundation's Takatof Programme and Emirates Airline. The volunteers assumed the role of cultural ambassadors for the UAE and gained free admission to a number of historic museums in Venice.
Another initiative led by the UAE Pavilion is the UAE Art Archive, an online portal which aims to offer a platform for people interested in the art scene across the UAE to have a better understanding of art and the cultural infrastructure of the country. The platform allows artists to showcase their work and contains information on artists, arts organisations, and related events. It also offers a network through which the contemporary arts community can communicate.
Aimed at giving talented local artists in the UAE national recognition, the UAE Pavilion design contest complemented the launch of the UAE Art Archive and invited submissions from UAE citizens and residents 18 years and over to create an artwork representative of the nation's art scene for the banner image of the UAE Art Archive. Photographer Ozant Kamaci won the competition and received plane tickets for two to Venice plus hotel accommodation and the chance to experience the 2009 Venice Biennale.
Due to its resounding success, the UAE Pavilion has garnered extensive media presence for the duration of the six-month exhibition, with coverage from over 200 media outlets across the globe. The UAE Pavilion was initiated and supported by His Excellency Abdul Rahman Mohammed Al Owais, UAE Minister of Culture, Youth and Community Development, the Emirates Foundation, and the Dubai Culture and Arts Authority.
Initiated at the federal level by His Excellency Abdul Rahman Mohammed Al Owais, Minister of Culture, Youth and Community Development, the UAE Pavilion has been established to showcase the nation's burgeoning pool of local talent and demonstrate that the UAE is also a place of artistic ferment.
The UAE's debut has also brought the Emirates to the limelight as the first Gulf country ever to participate in the highly prestigious art event and has gained the recognition of the global art community for its talented artists and renowned curator Tirdad Zolghadr whose experimental exhibition entitled "It's Not You, It's Me" confronted international audience expectations of a debuting National Pavilion and the challenges of exhibition making in Venice.
One of the UAE's most promising creative minds is Lamya Gargash, chosen as the featured artist to headline the art showcase at the UAE Pavilion. Gargash created a seminal series of 31 photographs titled "Familial", documenting one-star hotels in the UAE. The Pavilion also showcased Tarek Al Ghoussein, Hassan Sharif, Huda Said Saef and Ebtisam Abdullah Aziz with work that in some way touched on issues of infrastructure in the UAE.
Another important feature is a specially commissioned video installation, "Nation Builders", by the Berlin-based artist, dramaturge and curator Hannah Hurtzig. Housed in a kiosk, the installation featured conversations with key figures in the cultural panorama of the UAE - Dr. Aref Al-Sheik, Dr. Anna Klingmann, Armen Vartanian, Lana Nusseibeh, Dr Zaki Nusseibeh, Lee Tabler, Mishaal Al Gergawi, Antonia Carver, Sheikh Sultan Sooud Al Qassemi, and Rashed Omar Al Kharji.
The pavilion was designed by a collaboration between Traffic and D'Haeseleer '&' Kimpe '&' Poelaert. The unique scenography of the space allowed for an experimental presentation of material which ranged from artists' works, architectural models of various cultural structures existing and planned for the UAE, to a performance space which housed the Jackson Pollock Bar rendition of the initial press announcement for the UAE Pavilion for the 53rd Venice Biennale in December 2008 at Art Basel Miami Beach.
In addition to showcasing the UAE as a platform for vibrant cultural exchange, a significant part of the mission of the office of the UAE Pavilion was to help people based in the Emirates to have a better understanding of the arts, and to provide infrastructure to support the nation's diverse and thriving art scene. This was demonstrated through the establishment of the UAE Pavilion Volunteer Programme, which sent over 40 UAE-based volunteers to Venice through the support of the Emirates Foundation's Takatof Programme and Emirates Airline. The volunteers assumed the role of cultural ambassadors for the UAE and gained free admission to a number of historic museums in Venice.
Another initiative led by the UAE Pavilion is the UAE Art Archive, an online portal which aims to offer a platform for people interested in the art scene across the UAE to have a better understanding of art and the cultural infrastructure of the country. The platform allows artists to showcase their work and contains information on artists, arts organisations, and related events. It also offers a network through which the contemporary arts community can communicate.
Aimed at giving talented local artists in the UAE national recognition, the UAE Pavilion design contest complemented the launch of the UAE Art Archive and invited submissions from UAE citizens and residents 18 years and over to create an artwork representative of the nation's art scene for the banner image of the UAE Art Archive. Photographer Ozant Kamaci won the competition and received plane tickets for two to Venice plus hotel accommodation and the chance to experience the 2009 Venice Biennale.
Due to its resounding success, the UAE Pavilion has garnered extensive media presence for the duration of the six-month exhibition, with coverage from over 200 media outlets across the globe. The UAE Pavilion was initiated and supported by His Excellency Abdul Rahman Mohammed Al Owais, UAE Minister of Culture, Youth and Community Development, the Emirates Foundation, and the Dubai Culture and Arts Authority.
