1980-Today: Exhibitions in the UAE

‘1980 – Today: Exhibitions in the United Arab Emirates’ presented a selection of works from different decades highlighting the emergence of art practices in the UAE. The Emirates Fine Arts Society, a non-profit association that was formed in 1980 in Sharjah, has served as a main point of focus and inspiration for research.

The exhibition was built upon extensive research involving archives of newspaper articles, artists’ writings, and catalogues, as well as interviews with artists and cultural practitioners. Reflecting personal and geopolitical trajectories, the research focused on the underexposed historical record and evolving practices of some of the UAE’s most important modernist and contemporary artists.

Publication

The accompanying publication featured a series of essays and contributions by Sheikha Hoor Al Qasimi and some of the participating artists, as well as some archive material, and is available for sale online on Koening Books’ website (order #1536407).

The exhibition is built upon extensive research involving archives of newspaper articles, artists’ writings, and catalogues, as well as interviews with artists and cultural practitioners.