In Pictures: Abu Dhabi Art 2018

Exciting exhibitions, art installations, performances and creative workshops

Abu Dhabi Art 2018 featured a dynamic and collaborative programme of engaging exhibitions, public talks, performance art, workshops and more, all aimed at engaging visitors from Abu Dhabi, the wider UAE and from across the world. The public programme launched in November and will continue until January 2019.

The Focus gallery sector concentrating on Icons returned this year; the key voices that have not only shaped and influenced Contemporary art over the last five decades, but also those individuals who are setting precedents, and paving the way for future generations of artists through their diverse sets of practices. Focus: Icons was curated by Dr. Omar Kholeif.

A new edition of Gateway, the visual art exhibition under the title Structures of Meaning | Architectures of Perception considered artworks and installations that explore the built environment and language as structures through which meaning accumulates. Curated by Hammad Nasar, Gateway included the works of more than 15 international artists, including Abigail Reynolds, Imran Qureshi, Muhanned Cader, Abdullah al Saadi, Marysia Lewandowska, Kim Lim, Rachel Whiteread, Hajra Waheed, and Lantian Xie. Gateway will remain on display for an additional two months after the November event.

Abu Dhabi Artâ€™s performance art platform Durub Al-Tawaya, curated by Tarek Abou El Fetouh, has returned for its sixth edition and is taking place in different locations throughout the city, including Manarat Al Saadiyat, Warehouse421 and on Abu Dhabiâ€™s Corniche from November 2018 until January 2019. This yearâ€™s programme investigates technology as a fundamental force in the development and evolution of art, providing artists with new tools for artistic expression to go outside gallery walls and explore new horizons for artistic expression.

The Beyond: Artist Commissions programme this year feature large-scale sculptures and installations by Moataz Nasr, Ammar Al Attar, and Imran Qureshi in historic locations in Al Ain including Qasr Al Muwaiji, Al Ain Oasis, and Jahili Fort. The installations will remain on display until January 2019.