Abu Dhabi Art: Beyond: Emerging Artists

Abu Dhabi Art, organised by the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi), is set to be the first art fair in the world to collaborate with London’s new exhibition space and membership organisation Cromwell Place, with an exhibition event in the UK capital as part of the fair’s official programme.

In its first ever exhibition abroad, Abu Dhabi Art is presenting commissioned works created in 2020 as part of the annual programme Beyond: Emerging Artists at Cromwell Place London from 2 to 13 June. The three emerging artists included in the exhibition, who are all from the UAE, were supported in the development of their commissions in 2020 by curator Maya El-Khalil. Their works are being shown alongside presentations of UAE-based galleries Tabari Artspace, Lawrie Shabibi, The Third Line and Isabelle Van Den Eynde across five galleries in 2,3 and 4 Cromwell Place.

Beyond: Emerging Artists was curated by El-Khalil in 2020 and first shown at Manarat Al Saadiyat, Abu Dhabi in November 2020. The commissions explore in diverse ways the theme of memory, with works by Hind Mezaina, Afra Al Dhaheri and Afra Al Suwaidi. Alongside these new commissions and by invitation from Abu Dhabi Art, Tabari Artspace is showing recent works by emerging performance artist Maitha Abdalla, whose work crosses mediums to explore adolescence and transitional moments. Lawrie Shabibi is showing works by the UAE’s most established contemporary artist, Mohammed Ahmed Ibrahim, who will represent the UAE at the Venice Biennale in 2022. Dubai-based galleries The Third Line and Isabelle Van Den Eynde are presenting a selection of MENA-based artists including Anuar Khalifi, Sara Naim, Sophia Al Maria and Manal AlDowayan.