NYU Abu Dhabi Art Gallery’s fall exhibition opened on Sept. 16, showcasing the work of four artists and their imagined worlds. The artists – Areej Kaoud, Ayman Zedani, Jumairy and Raja’a Khalid – come from varying backgrounds and all developed their craft in the UAE. Their art is informed by personal interpretations of the world as well as through the landscapes around them. They explore things as they are now and how they can be in the future.

Maya Allison, the executive director of the NYUAD Art Gallery and the exhibition’s chief curator, provided valuable insight into how the show came about and what it aims to convey from a curatorial standpoint.

“The reason that I am doing this is to give a feeling of this particular type of approach of looking at the world around us [through the art] … that these four artists have. Each of them is different but each of them is kind of taking this installation [to investigate] … where we are and where we are going, physically, virtually, emotionally and culturally,” said Allison. “All of these, to me, felt very connected, so to me, this is about the landscape of the UAE through the eyes of these four artists.”

Image by Emily Broad

Within the exhibition, each artist has their own space where their work is showcased. While the artists’ individualities are maintained, the exhibition is curated in such a way that there is a continuance throughout the exhibition.

“I hope the viewer or the visitor will in some way experience a shift in their perception of the world around them,” said Allison. “There is a very relaxing room, there is a room for play, there's a room that's kind of scary; the show takes you through … different physical sensations and emotional sensations.”

The gallery houses interactive and immersive exhibitions which allow the viewer to experience the works hands-on.

“In the end, what art can do – and what I hope this show will do – is that when you leave, on some level, your mental pallet has been changed so that now when I see a certain color of pink I think of that [Jumairy] room,” Allison commented.

Image by Emily Broad

The Art Gallery has also developed a resource library in the Reading Room, which is situated next to the gallery, with relevant materials and resources.

“We have the curatorial fellow, Tala Nasser, who does research on the subject of the exhibition and collects books from the library and from inter-library loan, and we compile them into the reading room,” said Allison. “So each exhibition has this library that is created that is relevant to the exhibition.”

In addition, the gallery created youth guides for children to navigate the space and booklets with more information about the exhibition.

The show runs from Sept. 16 to Dec. 7, and the gallery’s operating hours are Monday to Saturday, from 12 to 8 p.m.