The exhibitions, workshops, excursions and more are designed to keep you entertained while making you contemplate
4…2….1, here comes a spring full of arts and culture!
Abu Dhabi’s independent platform dedicated to supporting emerging creative practices, 421 is back with its Spring 2023 Program: Savour the Sun and the Moon.
Running until 21 June, the spring season presents two major exhibitions and a wide-ranging program of workshops and special events that aim to bring people together to slow down and collectively contemplate.
From supper clubs to cultural tours and more, there’s a lot for art lovers to look forward to in the UAE capital! In addition to their ongoing exhibitions from the Winter Program, here are a few things lined up to check out.
Nasir Nasrallah: Poetics of the Machine
18 May – 27 August
Part of the Artistic Development Program, Nasir Nasrallah’s latest solo exhibition presents a mythical exploration of the relationship between humans and machines.
Entitled Poetics of the Machine, the UAE-based artist has curated intricate drawings, paintings, publications, textiles, and installations to take us on a journey into a world of mechanical creatures that exist in an unknown space and time.
Inspired by early Islamic inventions and experiments, the drawings and paintings are detailed, depicting a variety of unique robotic figures. They are often presented in groups, suggesting a kind of community or society of machines.
In one of his installations, visitors walking through the exhibition will encounter a fax machine that receives messages in real-time and a sofa setup that replicates the one found in Nasrallah’s personal studio. These elements create a sense of familiarity and intimacy, inviting visitors into the artist’s personal world.
Nasrallah is a recipient of the 2023 cycle of the 421 Artistic Development Program. Poetics of the Machine is a result of the program which is organized in partnership with pedagogical partner Institute for Emerging Art.
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SYNTHESIS: 2023 MFA Graduate Show
18 May – 27 August
This one’s for the art students!
SYNTHESIS: 2023 MFA Graduate Show presents the work of graduate students completing the two-year Master of Fine Arts in Art and Media at New York University Abu Dhabi (NYUAD).
Marking the second year of collaboration between 421 and NYUAD, the exhibition showcases the research and experimentation of the inaugural MFA cohort who visualize questions and ideas in expansive ways and provides valuable insights into our contemporary global condition.
SYNTHESIS features projects by Elizabeth Dorazio, Liane Al Ghusain, Majd Alloush, Mahra AlFalahi, and Fabiola Chiminazzo.
This collaboration aims to support the production of emergent contemporary practices from the region, by facilitating explorations by the MFA cohort of public spaces to work towards an expansive studio practice beyond purely academic or institutional environments.
Chef Kuv’s Supper Club
27 May, 17 June
Who doesn’t love a good supper club experience?
From 7pm to 9pm, join Chef Kuv at the dinner table as he takes you through otherworldly menus and expressive plates.
The supper club is best known for the secret menus revealed only to the participants joining the experience.
Chef Kuv, an architect from the UK, pioneered the supper club dining culture in the UAE, having kickstarted the movement about five years ago. Attendance here gives you the chance to be part of his loyal following, aka Kuv’s Secret Supper Club, who have enjoyed over 100 menus featuring cuisines from all over the world.
Chef Kuv’s approach to culinary experiences is focused on community-building and communal sharing, strongly emphasizing nutrition and depth of flavors backed by thorough research.
For more information, visit 421.online/en/visit/
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