Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi & Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, Emirati Expressions is a landmark exhibition that celebrates the artistic diversity in the United Arab Emirates at Gallery One, Emirates Palace - Abu Dhabi.
On behalf of tourism development & investment company,sheikh mohammed bin zayed al nahyan, Morris Associates has designed and realised the first comprehensive collection of traditional and contemporary work by Emirati artists, representing many generations. Paintings, photography, sculpture, graphic design, video, installations and calligraphy are all represented and the exhibition has been curated by Anne Baldassari, Director of the Musée National Picasso, Paris. The display captures the "movement of thought" at the intersection of cultures and influences.
Gallery One has been subdivided into three sections with an adjoining area for educational purposes. The first space provides a receiving and meeting lounge for organised discussions and presentations throughout the exhibition period. The second is somewhat darkened to provide a dedicated and intimate auditoria presenting a rear projected film introducing the exhibition's artists. The main spine of the gallery has been reconfigured into a magical and enigmatic "black box" environment to afford visitors a feast of discovery. The space has low ambient light with a focused approach to the works that provides an endless array of colourful windows of opportunity along the 100 metre gallery corridor. Finally, discrete niches are provided that allow the visitor to further discover artworks in a pure environment, rather than one full of random distraction and visual disturbance.
To complete this presentation, the end wall is clad with black mirrors to provide greater visual volume and an endlessly enhanced reflection of what will be perceived as our "Emirati Expressions".
