Winners of the Christo and Jeanne-Claude Award 2023 announced

The winning submission, 'Shaheeq', was inspired by the UAE's mangrove trees

Vivi Zhu, Hala El Abora and Majd Alloush won with their submission 'Shaheeq'. Photo: NYUAD

Artists Vivi Zhu, Hala El Abora and Majd Alloush have won this year’s Christo and Jeanne-Claude Award.

Their submission, titled Shaheeq, was inspired by the UAE’s mangrove trees and aims to promote solutions already in place to protect the environment, while also illuminating a positive philosophy towards the “metaphysical grief” caused by the current climate crisis.

Huda I Alkhamis-Kanoo, founder of the Abu Dhabi Music & Arts Foundation (Admaf), said: “In line with Admaf's mission to nurture creativity and innovation among the nation’s youth, the award provides a platform for rising talents to exhibit their work for the public to reflect upon and enjoy in the spirit of Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s inspiring legacy.

“This year’s winning submission Shaheeq by NYUAD graduate Vivi Zhu, University of Sharjah graduate Hala El Abora and current NYUAD graduate student Majd Alloush pays tribute to the UAE’s mangrove ecosystems while encouraging an appreciation for the natural solutions they offer in the face of growing climate concerns.

"As the UAE prepares to host Cop28 later this year, the special project highlights Admaf’s efforts to raise environmental awareness by addressing climate change through creative artistic expression.”

The winners have been awarded $10,000 to complete their installation project, as well as guidance from the award’s director Emily Doherty, the award team at Admaf and the New York University Abu Dhabi art gallery team.

“Our winners this year — Majd, Vivi and Hala — now embark on an eight-month production period, supported by both the NYUAD Gallery team and the artists' mentor, Dale Hudson, to realise their work. Shaheeq is a particularly exciting proposition for us, embodying the evolution of the Christo and Jeanne-Claude Award towards the production of increasingly considered and mature work by participants dedicated to careers as professional artists. Our sincere congratulations to them,” said Doherty.

Of the work, Hudson, who is an associate teaching professor of film and new media, says that he hopes it will inspire people to take more action when it comes to the changing climate and more seriously consider the importance of sustainability.

“Vivi, Hala, and Majd demonstrate how students and artists are leading discussions on how local and place-based knowledge are urgently needed as alternatives to disinformation that has circulated globally for decades. Everyday usage of 'climate change', a term engineered by Frank Luntz to discredit global warming, indicates the severity of the crisis. Luntz may want to retract the term today, but the damage has already been done,” he says.

The Christo and Jeanne-Claude Award has been held annually since 2013 in collaboration with the NYUAD Art Gallery and serves as a launch pad for artists across the UAE. It is open to UAE students and recent graduates.