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The Abu Dhabi Department of Culture and Tourism (DCT Abu Dhabi) has launched the Abu Dhabi Public Art Project, a wide-reaching initiative that will further the emirate’s long tradition of investing in culture and embedding it in the social fabric.
The initiative was launched in conjunction with the Abu Dhabi Cultural Foundation’s unveiling of WAVE, a public digital media artwork for the arts collective. Using anamorphic illusion technology, the 2D installation recreates the ever-surging three-dimensional waves, and was exhibited for the first time at COEX K-Pop Plaza in Seoul, South Korea.
Public Art Abu Dhabi’s projects will reflect the emirate’s inherent cultural identity, cementing a sense of belonging and fostering creativity. Integral to the program is its community engagement work. As a catalyst for creativity and artistic expression in the public sphere, Abu Dhabi Public Art will offer everyone the opportunity to participate in new cultural programming.
More than AED128 million (US$35 million) will be invested in the initiative each year to support the wider creative industries in the UAE through public art.
Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman of DCT Abu Dhabi, said: “Public art in Abu Dhabi enriches lives by bringing art to every member of the community, inspiring civic pride and advancing the capital’s creative heritage. We have a proud tradition of public art, which we are now enhancing with our ambitious Abu Dhabi Public Art Programme.
“These will foster creativity, placemaking and cultural infrastructure, and ensure that public art becomes an integral part of our emirate’s cultural identity, liveability and attractiveness to tourists. DCT Abu Dhabi’s commitment is to promote, protect and progressive emirate, and transform Abu Dhabi into a global cultural hub.”
The Abu Dhabi Public Art Center will work to preserve important architectural and urban spaces and enhance their historical, aesthetic, social, scientific and technological value to the community. It will expand the ambitions of DCT Abu Dhabi’s Modern Heritage Conservation Initiative (MHCI), which identifies, protects and maintains sites that tell the story of the country’s recent history.
Opening in November 2024, Abu Dhabi Biennial of Public Art will be led by Reem Fadda, Director of Cultural Foundation and Abu Dhabi Cultural Programs, and Galit Eilat, independent curator. The two curators collaborated between 2006 and 2009 on the multifaceted award-winning project Liminal Spaces in Palestine, Israel and Germany. Fadda and Eilat will bring to the inaugural Abu Dhabi Biennial of Public Art their experience of working on projects involving deep engagement with community and art in the public realm.
Other projects include Manar Abu Dhabi, a public art platform featuring light art sculptures and installations in the Abu Dhabi archipelago and mangroves. Viewers will embark on an immersive water journey to discover the artwork from a whole new perspective.
The exhibition will connect the shores of the different islands and celebrate Abu Dhabi’s natural beauty. Artworks will range from light projections, sculptures and installations to performances, creating surreal and magical views of the surrounding landscape.
Public Art Abu Dhabi will further make its mark on the emirate’s landmarks, including tunnels, roundabouts, bridges, parks and more, through a series of annual direct commissions. Engaging artists to create significant permanent or temporary contributions, the commissions will draw inspiration from the UAE capital’s distinctive character, highlighting its modern heritage and natural landscape. – trade arab news agency
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