NYUAD Art Gallery’s Project Space reopens with series of diverse exhibitions by regional emerging artists

ABU DHABI, 28th September, 2022 (WAM) — The NYU Abu Dhabi (NYUAD) Art Gallery’s auxiliary venue, The Project Space, has reopened its doors to the public with an exciting series of exhibitions.

Associate Manager of Curatorial Projects at The NYUAD Art Gallery Tala Nassar commented, “Our intimate Project Space has always been critical to our mission, as part of The NYUAD Art Gallery department, nurturing regional talents, and making a place for experimentation and new ideas. We open this year with a great lineup of exhibitions featuring emerging artists from both our UAE and NYUAD communities.”

The Project Space’s upcoming exhibition, Almaha Jaralla: Shadia, will open to the public tomorrow, Thursday, 29th September, followed by three more exhibitions this Fall. Curated by Emirati artist and curator Hashel Al Lamki, Shadia is the latest body of work by Emirati artist Almaha Jaralla. It recounts the artist’s recent family history of migration in the Arabian Peninsula and documents collective memories of the artist’s maternal family members and their relocation within the region.

Then, opening 20th October, Mahmood Al Daoud: The Flow of Stillness is a solo exhibition by Mahmood Al Daoud, a Syrian artist based in Abu Dhabi. This exhibition features mixed-media works, including some where the artist utilises sand and other materials from nature. Artworks include a light-reflecting resin installation with sand from across UAE, sketches of boats, mixed media works on canvas, and a dark room installation, a short film immersing audiences in a feeling of sandy environments.

Running from 10th to 23rd November, the exhibition, Noura Ali-Ramahi: Allow Me Not to Explain, grew out of the Lebanese-born Emirati artist Noura Ali-Ramahi’s struggle to explain her work. Ali-Ramahi invites audiences to experience her work, to meditate on the objects, and to derive their own meaning out of them. Her artistic practice is one of repetitive meditation. In her works, Ali-Ramahi portrays the nature that she encounters on her strolls, be it the sunrise, the sunset, the shape of the sun, the earth, or the sea. She recycles found material to create her work: wax paper that came with a cheese order; a piece of cardboard that wrapped an Amazon package; or even a paper-bag from a retail brand.

Finally, opening 6th December is Coin-Op: Exploring the Spirit of ‘80s and ‘90s Arcade Games by artists Jonathan Bonner, Steven Doughty, and Eric Martin. Coin-Op is an interactive installation looking at the retro arcade experience and explores the community and spirit that lived in these spaces. From multiple-player cabinets to single-player experiences, the Coin-Op arcade will give the audience a feel of 80’s nostalgia. Participants will have the opportunity to play many classic 1980s 8 and 16-bit games with a modern twist (designed by Jonathan Bonner). Participants will also take in uniquely created sights and sounds of the 1980s arcade era while exploring the Coin-Op Arcade (designed by Steve Doughty and Eric Martin).