Abu Dhabi Art has unveiled an extraordinary trio of artists selected for this year’s Beyond: Emerging Artists programme, a platform dedicated to elevating fresh voices in UAE’s creative landscape.
Curated by the visionary Lorenzo Fiaschi, co-founder of Galleria Continua, this year’s programme promises an evocative journey through new works by Fatma Al Ali, Dina Nazmi Khorchid, and Simrin Mehra Agarwal.
Their pieces, crafted to spark thought and inspire dialogue, will debut in November at Abu Dhabi Art before journeying internationally, offering the world a glimpse into the UAE’s evolving art scene
At the heart of the ”Beyond” programme is a mission to amplify diverse perspectives and challenge conventional narratives. “This programme is about creating space for new ideas to flourish,” Lorenzo shared, eager to help shape an evolving artistic landscape. For the selected artists, “Beyond” represents a chance to bring ambitious projects to life, each offering a unique lens into personal and collective histories.
Fatma Al Ali’s work draws audiences into the depths of Emirati history, challenging them to reconsider familiar narratives. Through drawings, videos, and sculptures, Fatma reimagines Gulf traditions altered by power structures and societal shifts, transforming archival materials into a layered exploration of memory and identity. Her work offers a rare window into how cultural heritage is preserved, adapted, and sometimes obscured over time, inviting reflection on what it means to honour the past in a rapidly changing world.
Simrin Mehra Agarwal, a multidisciplinary artist, will submerge audiences in Subterraneous, an installation inspired by her dives into the UAE’s underwater world. Her work reveals the eerie beauty of submerged war wrecks and artificial reefs, crafted from murals, sculpture, and video. Simrin’s piece invites viewers to confront the delicate balance of life beneath the waves and to consider how human history, nature, and climate change intersect in hauntingly beautiful — and urgent — ways.
Dina Nazmi Khorchid brings an entirely different lens with her textile installation, Land, Untitled. Hauntingly serene, her piece merges inverted trees, unnatural colours, and woven textures to craft a world suspended between memory and dream. This landscape becomes a metaphor for belonging and the longing for home, a powerful reflection on transience, statelessness, and the search for roots in shifting sands.
These three artists were carefully chosen from over 100 submissions, each handpicked for their visionary approach. Abu Dhabi Art and Galleria Continua, alongside Friends of Abu Dhabi Art, have provided essential resources to help these artists realise their ideas — from mentorship to production support.
The Beyond: Emerging Artists exhibition, running from November 20 to 24, 2024, will be a highlight of Abu Dhabi Art’s 16th edition, inviting audiences to step into a world where heritage and innovation converge in unexpected and moving ways.
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