With one week to go, last chance to visit Portrait of a Nation II: Beyond Narratives in Abu Dhabi

With one week to go, last chance to visit Portrait of a Nation II: Beyond Narratives in Abu Dhabi

Curated by Maya El Khalil with Co-curator Roxane Zand, POAN II features more than 100 key artworks, including 15 special commissions, covering the work of over 62 pivotal artists, ranging from founders of the Emirati art scene to today’s emerging generation.

The exhibition leads visitors on a tour through the nation’s art scene, sparking new conversations inspired by five essential themes: Reclaiming/Reimaging Home looks at the early days in the places artists called home and explores their wider sense of belonging. In Shifting Landscapes, home yields ground to its opposite, and artists must negotiate both stability and transformation, authenticity and modernism. Configurations of Togetherness examines the spaces that draw people together and the relationships that transcend cultural difference to embrace diversity. Reclaiming/Reimaging Language looks to the mediums of communication that make togetherness possible. Last but not least, Shifting Sociality addresses changing social modes, including consumerism, custom and the organising structures of time and travel.

The exhibition also mounts a tribute to Christo and Jeanne-Claude, whose legacy with the Emirates began over 40 years ago and flourished over the years through collaborations with ADMAF until after Christo’s passing on May 31, 2020.

The 19th edition of Abu Dhabi Festival 2022 is held under the