With a diverse collection of artworks that reflect key stages in the development of the visual arts movement in the UAE, the \u201cWitnesses of Change\u201d exhibition at the Etihad Museum in Dubai offers a visual reading of an artistic journey spanning nearly 50 years. The exhibition revisits important moments from the early beginnings of local art, leading up to contemporary practices that engaged with the social, economic, and urban transformations witnessed by the country.<\/p>\n
The exhibition takes its name from a photography series by Sheikha Lateefa bint Maktoum, which was presented at the UAE Pavilion during the Venice Biennale in 2011. The title reflects the central idea of the exhibition: documenting change through the eyes and works of artists.<\/p>\n
Organized by Dubai Culture and Arts Authority, the exhibition features around 60 works from the collection of the Barjeel Art Foundation. The artworks bring together contemporary Emirati artists and creators from several Arab countries, including Syria, Iraq, Palestine, Egypt, Tunisia, Algeria, and Bahrain.<\/p>\n
Through this diversity, \u201cWitnesses of Change\u201d opens an artistic dialogue between different generations, schools, and creative experiences. The works appear as visual testimonies to the development of Emirati society, and to the artist\u2019s relationship with place, memory, and identity.<\/p>\n
The exhibited works vary between early landscape paintings, experiments in abstraction, calligraphic art, urban documentation, and pieces that draw on personal and collective memory.<\/p>\n
This variety gives visitors the chance to follow the changing language of Emirati art, and to see how it moved from recording the early features of the local environment to expressing broader transformations connected to the city, the individual, and national identity.<\/p>\n
The exhibition continues to welcome visitors until June 30, through several sections, including \u201cPicturing the Nation\u2019s Rise,\u201d \u201cIn Search of Abstraction,\u201d \u201cUrban Transformations Through the Lens of Art,\u201d \u201cPersonal Collections and Shared Memory,\u201d and \u201cPainting Through Contemporary Visions.\u201d<\/p>\n
Alongside the exhibition, the Etihad Museum hosted a dialogue session that explored the development of the Emirati art scene through the experiences of several artists: Najat Makki, Nujoom Alghanem, Khalil Abdulwahid, and Ismail Al Rifai.<\/p>\n
The session looked back at the early beginnings and the challenges that accompanied them, while also highlighting the changes the art scene in the UAE has witnessed with the growth of cultural institutions, artistic initiatives, exhibitions, and programs that support artists.<\/p>\n
Dr. Najat Makki spoke about the importance of an artist\u2019s first exhibition, describing it as a turning point that places new responsibility on the artist and opens a different path ahead. She also pointed out that her later shift toward expressing society was one of the important stages in her own journey.<\/p>\n
Makki noted that the local environment remains a rich source of inspiration, adding that the level of support given to the arts in the UAE is a source of pride, especially with the rapid growth of the visual arts movement and the wide range of creative forms across the country.<\/p>\n
She also said that \u201cWitnesses of Change\u201d presents a clear image of an important period of success achieved by Emirati art, while dialogue sessions with artists give the public a deeper understanding of artistic experiences and the challenges behind them.<\/p>\n
Artist Nujoom Alghanem returned to her early years, noting that the beginnings were not easy, especially when it came to gaining recognition for her talent. She described words as a powerful action that can either offer support or leave a painful mark.<\/p>\n
Alghanem explained that in her early stages, she needed encouragement more than early obstacles, adding that the individual effort artists depended on in previous years could have pushed some of them away from art altogether.<\/p>\n
She praised the role of the teachers who supported her and encouraged her to continue. She also noted that her studies in directing brought her back to visual art, after her relationship with art had begun with drawings at home and later developed into works presented in exhibitions.<\/p>\n
Alghanem said the Emirati art scene is witnessing a clear shift today, both in the public\u2019s relationship with art and in its broader understanding of creative forms that go beyond painting and sculpture. She also praised the role of cultural institutions and artist residency programs in strengthening the global presence of Emirati art.<\/p>\n
Artist Khalil Abdulwahid spoke about his beginnings at the Free Atelier, his work with artist Mohammed Kazem, and later his move to Bait Al Shamsi and artists\u2019 studios, before taking part in \u201cThe Valley\u201d project, which was carried out in the Netherlands.<\/p>\n
He said \u201cThe Valley\u201d was a defining experience in his artistic and personal journey. Abdulwahid explained that being influenced by several local experiences helped him develop his own vision, particularly the work of Mohammed Kazem, which he described as one of the most important influences on him.<\/p>\n
He added that the development of the UAE art scene is clearly visible through the growing number of events, festivals, and exhibitions, as well as the country\u2019s transformation into an attractive environment for artists from around the world.<\/p>\n
Syrian artist Ismail Al Rifai recalled his journey from Syria to Dubai, particularly to Bait Al Shamsi, which he described as a central workshop for artists and a platform that brought painters together and hosted shows and events.<\/p>\n
Al Rifai spoke about his work connected to the tree of Bait Al Shamsi, explaining that although it was only one tree, it appeared in his works in many different shapes and sizes, eventually becoming a recurring artistic subject present in more than one institution and museum.<\/p>\n
He noted that an artist\u2019s understanding of place is often shaped through drawing, and that this understanding may sometimes be connected to imagination as much as to lived reality. He also pointed out that his latest project, \u201cThe Road,\u201d revisits places from an inner perspective, where roads become symbols and meanings that go beyond their direct physical form.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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