One of the key roles of an art gallery associated with a major educational institution is to document the regional artistic landscape. The Art Gallery at NYUAD has been doing this rather well since its inception ten years ago – not just by curating important shows that capture the immediate history of contemporary art in the Gulf (such as the seminal But We Cannot See Them in 2017; and Khaleej Modern, 2022) or by highlighting significant emerging artists (such as 2019’s Speculative Landscapes), but also by producing actual documents in the form of monographs, detailed exhibition catalogues, and a library of video reports.
The latest example of this work will provide the Art Gallery’s major Fall show. Opening 1 October, Between the Tides: A Gulf Quinquennial features 21 artists and collectives currently working across the region, including the UAE, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Saudi Arabia. This is the first in what will be a regular ‘quinquennial’ (every five years) which aims to “capture key moments in the GCC’s arts scene since 2019, showcasing works across the fields of visual arts, architecture, and design, featuring painting, video, installation, and sculpture that reflect the region’s unique cultural and environmental landscapes”.
The emphasis on ‘key moments’ is an important qualifier. The quinquennial doesn’t aim to delver a comprehensive survey; that would take more time and resources than the gallery surely has available (not to mention a lot more space than the gallery provides). Instead, this exhibition reflects on “significant moments within the field of visual production” from the last five years.
Running until December 8, the exhibition is co-curated by Maya Allison, Executive Director of the NYUAD Art Gallery, and Art Gallery Curator and Research Assistant Professor Duygu Demir. Allison noted that the last few years have seen a proliferation of artists producing “complex, nuanced, and provocative work, alongside their more seasoned peers”. And while the UAE and Saudi are probably the key players, albeit for different reasons, it’s clear that what she calls “a larger shared ecosystem” of contemporary art has developed around the Gulf: ”a distinct chapter has opened in the region, and on the global stage”.
Observing that ecosystem, and seeing the influences and links across borders, should be one of the benefits of the Between the Tides exhibition – the title of which, incidentally, references the Gulf’s deep connection to lunar rhythms “and a sense of time shaped by natural patterns” according to Demir.
The curators say they learned much from the research phase of this show – “our conversations with the curatorial interlocutors, as well as the exchanges with the artists were immensely educational.” Those interlocutors, incidentally, were Kuwait artist Abdullah Al-Mutairi (he’s currently an external engagement researcher for Al Mawrid Arab Center for the Study of Art at NYUAD); Ali Ismail Karimi from Bahrain, a trained architect whose work explores public space, ecology, and the extractive landscapes of the Middle East (for Between the Tides he’s exhibiting with Hamed Bukhamseen as part of the Civil Architecture group, and with Camille Zakharia as a collaborator); Aseel AlYaqoub from Kuwait City, an artist whose practice spans sculpture, installation, film, and text; and Saudi Ayman Zedani, whose work includes videos, installations, and immersive environments that consider the future of the Gulf (AlYaqoub and Zedani both have work in Between the Tides).
The results are impressive. There may be artists in this group that you don’t know so well; others will be very familiar. All have something pertinent to say about the range and variety of art currently being done in Gulf, and the drivers that are producing such high-quality work – Palestine, urbanisation, tradition versus modernity, the meaning of home, community and individuality …
Abdulrahim Alkendi b.1988 Oman: lives and works in Muscat earned his BSc in Computing Science (2018). In 2016, he won the Stal Gallery Prize for Young Emerging Artists, and since then, his work has been featured in shows across the region, including the Dubai Calligraphy Biennale and at Sharjah Art Foundation.
left: detail from 14 Words/Levels of Love
Afra Al Dhaheri b.1988 UAE: lives and works in Abu Dhabi SEAF alumna and one of the finalists for the Richard Mille Art Prize 2022, Al Dhaheri has been widely exhibited in solo and group exhibitions in the GCC and Europe. She also is the creator and artistic lead for Collective Exhaustion (2024), a project supported by the National Grant for Culture and Creativity of the UAE Ministry of Culture and Youth. She’s representment locally by Green Art Gallery, where she had a well-received show a year ago.
left: Collective Exhaustion (2023)
Alia Ahmad b.1988 Saudi Arabia: lives and works in Riyadh took a BA in Digital Culture from Kings College London (2018) and her Master of Research from the RCA in 2020. Her expressionist abstracts have an enigmatic quality that articulates a sense of time and memory; rooted in recollections and observations of her native Riyadh, informed both by broader Saudi cultural traditions and use of the internet, her paintings engage with change, adaptation, and belonging. Ahmad’s work has been exhibited widely, including in the Diriyah Contemporary Art Biennial (2024); her debut UAE solo show opened at Lawrie Shabibi this week (on 18 September).
left: Aspect 1 [ مظهر ١] (2024)
Aseel AlYaqoub, Yousef Awaad Hussein, Asaiel Al Saeed, Saphiya Abu Al-Maati are a collective of architects and researchers working at the intersection of architecture, environment, and cultural narrative. They curated the Kuwait Pavilion at the 2021 Venice Biennale, where they expanded on these themes via a critical examination of Kuwait’s desert hinterland titled Space Wars – an exhibition that aimed to create an active, critical, and informative discussion around the hinterland as a continuously evolving and increasingly pressing space. For Between the Tides, the collective are revisiting that exhibition with two works from Space Wars.
Ayman Zedani b.1984 Saudi Arabia: lives and works in Riyadh says his work aims to “upend our comprehension of the past and challenge our acceptance of the future.” His practice considers the future of the Gulf through videos, installations, and immersive environments; examples have featured locally and internationally, including numerous biennials and festivals – among them the Manar Abu Dhabi light festival (2023); the Islamic Arts Biennale (2023); Desert X AlUla (2022); the Diriyah Contemporary Art Biennale and Expo 2020 Dubai (both 2021); and the Lahore Biennale (2020).
left: from The Ancient Ones (2023)
Aziz Motawa b.1995 USA: lives and works in Manama works with photography, video, installation, and sound to reflect on peripheral land and seascapes that exist around industrialised zones. His work was shown at the Kuwait Pavilion in the 2023 Venice Biennale of Architecture as part of an exhibition by Akkaz Collective, a collaborative research and art collective focused on peripheral histories, storytelling, and independent publishing that he co-founded.
left: from Motawa’s solo show at Sultan Gallery, Kuwait (2023)
Bu Yousuf date and place of birth unknown From the gallery’s description: “Bu Yousuf (بو يوسف), colloquially known as “Bu,” is the current reigning king of The Kingdom of Jannah. Known for his unwavering dedication and kindness, Bu Yousuf positively impacts his kingdom and its people, always striving to uplift and support those around him. His benevolent leadership has fostered a harmonious and prosperous society, earning him the admiration and love of all his people”. To which we can only add that the literal meaning of Jannah is a green garden, whether in the earth or the heavens; by extension the religious interpretation is analogous to the Christian heaven, a place created by Allah for believers in which they shall dwell forever.
Christopher Joshua Benton b.1988 USA: lives and works in Abu Dhabi works in socially engaged art and installation: “inspired by my 10 years living in the United Arab Emirates, I like to research how the homeland endures inside immigrant populations … I collaborate with academics, architects, scientists, and everyday people to imagine new ways of living and create new sites of knowledge production”. His work has been featured in solo and group exhibitions in Europe and the States as well as the UAE; his biennial and festival participation includes Sikka Art Fair (2023); Abu Dhabi Art (2022, 2021 – he was one of Sam Bardaouil and Till Fellrath’s selections for that year’s Beyond: Emerging Artists programme); Al Seef Festival (2020); and Fikra Graphic Design Biennial (2018).
left: My Plant Immigrants (2021)
Camille Zakharia b.1962 Lebanon: lives and works in Manama left his home country during the height of the Lebanese Civil War to live in the US, Greece, Turkey, Bahrain, and Canada before moving to Bahrain in 1999. His practice centres on photo-montage, collage and print to document his journey taken since leaving Lebanon; his work explores home, identity and belonging especially in urban landscapes “and what is represented socially and culturally by changes in the shape and size of cities”. Zakharia’s work is in numerous private and public collections around the world and has been included in several biennials and festivals, including the Diriyah Contemporary Art Biennale (2024); Sharjah Architecture Triennale (2018); Venice Biennale of Architecture (2010); and the Jameel Prize.
left: Camille Zakharia & Ali Ismail Karimi, Photos A La Chair 17 (2023)
Civil Architecture (Hamed Bukhamseen, b.1991 Kuwait – lives and works between Kuwait and Boston: and Ali Ismail Karimi, b.1989 Bahrain – lives and works in Manama) describes the collaboration as a “cultural practice preoccupied with the making of buildings and architectural books. The work of Civil Architecture asks what it means to produce architecture in a decidedly un-civil time, presenting a new civic character for a global condition”. In particular the collective is concerned to promote an “alternate future for a nascent Middle East; its work has been presented in biennials and festivals internationally, including the Doha Design Biennale and the Islamic Arts Biennale (both 2024); the Bahrain Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai (2021); and the Sharjah Architecture Triennale (2019).
left: Installation view: Foreign Architecture / Domestic Policy (2023)
Faissal El-Malak b.1988 UK: lives and works in London is a Palestinian artist who originally trained as a fashion designer and established his own fashion brand in Dubai. He’s an SEAF alumnus (2019) and added a MFA in Fine Arts (his degree show at Goldsmiths won the Wardin’s Prize). Since then, his work has been exhibited at numerous institutions, including Expo 2020 Dubai, the Lisbon Architecture Triennale, the collections of the Durjoy Bangladesh Foundation and the V&A. Most recently, El-Malak was commissioned to produce a major work for the opening of the Hermès store.(both 2024); the Bahrain Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai (2021); and the Sharjah Architecture Triennale (2019).
left: The Lizard in my Dream (2022)
Hazem Harb b.1980 Palestine: lives and works in Dubai is from Gaza, studying visual art in Rome before establishing an artistic career in the UAE. He describes his practice as one of “an unwavering dialog with his symbolically charged homeland”. His work has been exhibited at biennials and festivals internationally, and his many solo shows including Maraya Art Centre, Salsali Private Museum, Satellite at Alserkal Avenue, Tabari Artspace (all UAE) and ATHR Gallery (Saudi Arabia). His show at Tabari earlier this year was a thoughtful and poignant exploration of “the profound connections between material, the body, the context and the artist’s personal journey as a Gazan native in exile”.
left: from Gauze (2023)
Mariam M Alnoaimi b.1990 Bahrain: lives and works in Manama has a BA in Interior Design (University of Bahrain, 2013) and an MA in Urban Design (University of Colorado, 2017). Her installations, mixed media works, and videography serve as a platform to explore the relationships between people and their surroundings; a main focus is the impact of rapid urban development and its impact on social patterns within communities and the urban fabric more generally. Her exhibitions include the 2019 Venice Biennale, several Bahrain Annual Fine Arts exhibitions, and installations art at the Bahrain National Theater and National Museum.
left: Fii Albahar Markooz, Kil Mahal Markooz? (It’s in the Water, It’s Everywhere?) (2022)
Mohammad Alfaraj b.1993 Saudi Arabia: lives and works in Al-Ahsa, KSA trained as an engineer, but now has an artistic practice deeply rooted in his hometown of Al-Hasa that blends traditional and contemporary elements. Sensitive to the oral traditions and legends that populate his country’s collective imagination, AlFaraj draws inspiration from the social practices and architectures of everyday life and creates multimedia works from fictional and non-fictional sources that draw on contemporary social and environmental issues. He participated in the AlUla Art Residency in 2022, and his work has been shown in several international solo and group shows, including the 2023 Islamic Arts Biennale and the 2022 Biennale de Lyon.
left: The Sun Matches the Heat in my Heart IV (2019)
Mohamed Almubarak b.1994 Bahrain: lives and works in A’ali has a diploma in Film Studies (2014) and a BA in Moving Image from ArtEZ University of the Arts (2019). His video and film work has been featured in festivals and biennials including the Saudi Film Festival (2024); the Bahrain Annual Fine Art Exhibition (2020, 2024); the Athens International Film and Video Festival (2016); and the Bahrain Film Days Festival (2014). He has collaborated with a range of other artists on projects that have appeared in exhibitions worldwide, including at the Sharjah Biennial (2023); Berlinale Forum Expanded (2023); the Whitney Biennial (2022); and Tate Modern Film (2022).
left: from Weaving in the Chaos (2019)
Mohammad Sharaf b.1981 Kuwait: lives and works between Qatar and Kuwait specialises in visual identity, typography, and editorial design. His practice focuses on social and political symbolism, and his work and designs have been exhibited in institutions internationally – most recently in the Doha Design Biennial (2024). Currently, he is director of Sharaf Studio in Kuwait; he’s also an assistant professor of graphic design at VCUarts Qatar. For Between the Tides, he produced is the exhibition’s graphic design identity.
left: After the End (2023)
Noor Al-Fayez b.1991 USA: lives and works in Al-Mangaf, Kuwait has a BFA from Pratt Institute in New York (2014). She centres her practice on local and regional calendars, seasonal knowledge, and the environmental language of her home; she is currently focusing on the names and natures of the winds of Kuwait. Al-Fayez’s work has been exhibited in Kuwait and the US; she is currently working on her first solo show for late 2025.
Sarah Brahim b.1992 Saudi Arabia: lives and works between Riyadh, New York, and Milan is a visual and performance artist specialising in immersive video installations. She trained at the San Francisco Conservatory of Dance and tool a BA at the London Contemporary Dance School (2016). At the core of Brahim’s practice is movement and the body; her work has been exhibited and performed at numerous venues and festivals, including at the Islamic Arts Biennale and Louvre Abu Dhabi’s Art Here (both 2023); the Lyon Contemporary Art Biennale, the Diriyah Contemporary Art Biennale and the Noor Riyadh Light and Art Festival (all 2022); and the Shubbak Festival in London (2021). Her show last year of multi-channel videos, installations and photographs at Bally Foundation, Lugano, was a genuinely moving exploration of the artist’s own personal history.
left: from Sometimes we are eternal (2023)
Shaima Al-Tamimi b.1984 Kenya: lives and works in Doha has degrees in finance and real estate, but was inspired by her photographer father to explore photography seriously during her travels. In 2018, she turned the lens on herself, marking a shift to a more personal and profound artistic practice. Her work has been exhibited at numerous institutions, especially in Qatar; she has also been selected in the Venice Film Festival (2021) and the Venice Biennale of Art (2024); Tasweer Photo Festival (2021); and Ajyal Film Festival (2021).
left: untitled (2020)
Sophia Al Maria b.1983 USA: lives and works in London is a Qatari-American artist, writer, and filmmaker whose work spans many disciplines including drawing, collage, sculpture and film. Her practice is characterised by her preoccupation with the power of storytelling and myth, and in particular with imagining revisionist histories and alternative futures – with her friend and collaborator Fatima Al Qadiri, she coined the term ‘Gulf Futurism’ to describe the growing atomisation of individuals and the shifting ground of urban planning, aesthetics, and media in the post-oil Persian Gulf. Al-Maria has had recent solo exhibitions at several institutions and galleries including Henry Art Gallery, Seattle; the Whitney Museum of Art; Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art; LUMA Arles; and Tate Britain. In 2022, she participated in The Milk of Dreams exhibition at the Venice Biennale. She was also featured in the NYUAD Art Gallery’s all-digital not in, of, along, or relating to a line exhibition in 2021.
left: F.F.W.H.H.R.O.S. (2023)
Vikram Divecha b.1977 Lebanon: lives and works in Dubai received his MFA in Visual Art from Columbia University in New York (2019) before completing the Whitney Museum’s Independent Study Program (2020). His projects often bring invisible structures into plain view, to raise questions about agency, ethics and value. He is a mainstay of the UAE art scene, with exhibitions at numerous institutions here (including Jameel Arts Centre, Alserkal Avenue, Manarat Al Saadiyat, Goethe-Institute, Sharjah Art Foundation, Louvre Abu Dhabi, Tashkeel, 421, and Maraya Art Centre) as well as several gallery shows. His participation in festivals and biennials includes the Diriyah Contemporary Art Biennale (2024); the Land Art Mongolia 5th Biennial (2018); the UAE National Pavilion at the Venice Biennale of Art (2017); the Sharjah Art Biennial (2017); the Kochi-Muziris Biennale (2016); and the SIKKA Art Fair (2013, 2014). His Gallery Isabelle show earlier this year with Mohammed Kazem showed two of the most distinctive Dubai-based artists exploring the intricate relationship between labour, rest, and the ever-evolving urban landscape of the UAE.
left: Resting Bodies (Island No.11) (2024)
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