Collectors Room Berlin, Olbricht Foundation in collaboration with ADMAF Art Collection presents contemporary art from UAE with “Portrait of a Nation” featuring works from the ADMAF Art Collection.The exhibition is an invitation into the creative practices of 50 contemporary artists offering a glimpse into the cultural practice of the nation through the works and individual perspectives of the artists. It is an invitation to the visitors to explore the country that the artists call home. The showcasing of the artworks is split into seven themed rooms, namely, Nation & Unity, Geography & Nature, Architecture & Urbanism, Portraiture & Identity, Religion & Spirituality, Language & Calligraphy, and Tradition & Heritage.Founded in 1971, UAE offers an umbrella to some 200 nationalities residing there. The construct is intricate and complex, and thus an inward outlook and a detailed insight is rare. That is what the exhibition offers, a rare glimpse into its little-known history and diversity while considering significant contemporary questions of heritage and identity. The works explore the complex and often contradictory ideas of nationhood through urban and rural landscapes, visiting the strong in contrast geographies, examining major issues of unity, spirituality, and language. Tracing the identity of the nation, 20 major commissioned works are also presented in the exhibition by emerging and established artists. These new reflections are contextualized by seminal pieces dating back to the birth of the country, featuring three generations of renowned Emirati artists ranging from Hassan Sharif and his atelier students to younger artists.The varied mediums through which the artworks are published include sculpture, photography, land art, painting, textiles, video, scenography, and new takes on traditional crafts. One of the largest exhibitions of Emirati art, “Portrait of a Nation” opened in Abu Dhabi in 2016. This is the first time it is staged abroad, prompting urgent and globally relevant questions on identity and exchange in the 21st century. The artists featured are Ebtisam Abdul Aziz, Ali Al Abdan, Zayed Al Absi, Sarah Al Agroobi, Sarah Al Ahbabi, Ahmed Saeed Al Areef Al Dhaheri, Mohammed Al Astad, Ammar Al Attar, Jassim Al Awadi, Khalid Al Banna, Amna Al Dabbagh, Shamsa Al Dhaheri, Abdul Aziz Al Fadli, Ahmed Al Faresi, Reem Al Ghaith, Yousif Al Harmoudi, Eman Al Hashemi, Zeinab Al Hashemi, Khuloud Al Jabri, Saeed Al Madani, Fatema Al Mazrouie, Mohammed Al Mazrouie, Sheikha Alyazia Bint Nahyan Al Nahyan, Omran Al Owais, Mohammed Al Qassab, Azza Al Qubaisi, Abdul Qader Al Rais, Sumaya Al Rais, Hamdan Buti Al Shamsi, Karima Al Shomely, Architecture + Other Things, Hind Bin Demaithan, Maitha Demithan, Afra Bin Dhaher, Lamya Gargash, Mohammed Ahmed Ibrahim, Aisha Juma, Layla Juma, Mohammed Kazem, Fatma Lootah, Najat Makki, Lateefa Bint Maktoum, Mohammed Mandi, Khalid Mezaina, Salama Nasib, Abdul Rahim Salem, Khalid Shafar, Hassan Sharif, Hussein Sharif, Obaid Suroor, and Khalil Abdul Wahid.The exhibition is on view from September 13, 2017 through October 29, 2017 at the Collectors Room Berlin / Olbricht Foundation, Tina Volk, Auguststrasse 68, 10117 Berlin.For details, visit: www.admaf.org/en/event/portrait-of-a-nation-berlinClick on the slideshow for a sneak peek of the artworks.
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