ABU DHABI: In collaboration with Swiss watchmakers Richard Mille, Louvre Abu Dhabi is hosting the fourth edition of the annual exhibition and competition “Art Here” from Sept. 20 to Dec. 15.
With more than 200 applicants from all over the Arab world, the Art Here award is offering a $60 thousand prize for its winner.
This year, five artists were selected to showcase their work under the theme “Awakenings,” with the winning artist to be selected by a jury and announced in December.
The artists are Sarah Almehairi, Lamya Gargash, Ferielle Doulain-Zouari, Moataz Nasr and Nicene Kossentini.
Emirati artist Gargash interpreted the theme with a giant beach ball sculpture made entirely of sand from the UAE.
Gargash explained that her piece “Debutante Ball” was inspired by a derogatory comment someone made toward her when she was younger, saying the UAE was just a “giant sandbox.”
“I consider it (the art) a response to something that I experienced years ago. A negative comment, a provocative comment that was pointed at me. And I took it to heart,” she said.
“The theme ‘Awakenings’ speaks volumes about transience and finding your way. So for me, it is a rebirth. It’s a renaissance,” she said.
Egyptian artist Nasr decided to give up the field of economics to pursue his passion.
“My mother was an artist. I used to sit with her, watching her where she’s painting. And that was the best thing in my life. Just sitting behind her. Seeing how colors keep mixing until something comes out all of the sudden over there in front of me,” he said.
Nasr describes himself as a history buff and said his work is inspired by Arab history. His piece “Brides of the Sky” tells the story of women during the Mongolian invasion of Egypt.
“What I’m trying to do as an artist is bring a big loop, a magnified loop and put it on things that people can pass by without seeing and tell them: Look, this is your heritage.
“Maybe this is going to awaken something in them and make them understand something about themselves, about the history, the heritage,” he said.
