Youness Atbane: Untitled 14km

The UAE premiere of a multidisciplinary work by the Moroccan artist Youness Atbane that combines dance theatre, performance, and installation in a satirical examination of how contemporary art engages with questions of identity – particularly what is framed as “Arab identity”.

Atbane constructs an imagined exhibition at the fictional Museum of North Africa, Middle East Contemporary Art. Within this setting, an Arab-Andalusian poet, a museum director, a curator, and a contemporary artist attempt to conceive an exhibition that re-examines modernism through two parallel lenses: the poetic legacy of the Arab-Andalusian era and the work of established contemporary Arab artists.

Their exchanges reveal the negotiations, frictions, and power dynamics involved in translating historical narratives into contemporary artistic frameworks. Through this constructed situation, Untitled 14km questions legitimacy, authority, and representation within the global art system, considering how identity is shaped through discourse, competition, and institutional validation, contributing to a sharply witty examination of Orientalism in the arts.

There’s a second performance tomorrow (2 October).