The UAE National Pavilion has announced Sam Bardaouil and Till Fellrath as its curators for the next Venice Biennale, which opens next May.
The two are well known in the UAE art world: they are the curators behind the current Ways of Seeing show at the Art Gallery at NYU Abu Dhabi, and last March they organised That Feverish Leap into the Fierceness of Life, a survey of five Middle Eastern modernist movements that was held in the Modern section of Art Dubai.
"We've been coming here for years and we know a lot of artists' practices," says Lebanese-born Bardaouil. "We're interested in shedding light or showing things that people don't expect or that has been less represented in previous editions, perhaps coming from different disciplines."
Bardaouil was an assistant professor of art history and performance studies at the American University in Dubai from 2005 to 2008, when he was offered a position teaching art history at the Tisch School of Arts, part of New York University.
It was in New York that Bardaouil met Fellrath, a German former professor of economics at LSE who was then the managing director of the Chelsea Art Museum. The two immediately began collaborating, with the show Iran Inside Out – which launched just as the Green Revolution was getting under way in 2009 – and ItaliaArabia, which explored connections between Arab and Italian artists.
The success of these exhibitions led them to formalise their partnership, with the moniker Art: Reoriented, and they have since gained a reputation for well-researched, scholarly historical shows and their focus on the Middle East. Their biggest project, Art and Liberty: Rupture, War and Surrealism in Egypt (1938-1948), investigated the little-known works of Egyptian surrealists and exhibited at locations including the Centre Pompidou in Paris and Tate Liverpool.
They also bring their pedagogical backgrounds to shows of contemporary work: for the instalment of Jeddah art week 21, 39 – which they curated last year – they initiated a year-long mentorship programme for the young Saudi artists they worked with, rather than focusing solely on the ultimate show.
For the Venice pavilion, Fellrath says, "We want to do something that hasn't been explored. We want to advance the discourse within the context of the National Pavilion. At the moment, we're looking at all the past editions to see how we can further the dialogue."
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Read more:
New NYUAD exhibition 'Ways of Seeing' urges visitors to be more critical
Venice Biennale 2017: UAE National Pavilion is an artists’ playground
Art Dubai to partner with Saudi Arabia’s Misk Art Institute
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"We're very excited," Bardaouil adds. "It's a great platform to do something that can truly engage with all the preconceived notions of what this particular part of the world stands for and what they should or shouldn't do. It's a way of complicating the narrative and taking to a different level while still having something very artist-centred."
Last year's pavilion, curated by Hammad Nasar, focused on the notion of play via works by Nujoom Al Ghanem, Sara Al Haddad, Vikram Divecha, Lantian Xie and Mohamed Yousif. It was the fifth time the UAE participated in the biennial, which is a major art world event, and was the first time non-Emiratis participated in the country's representation.
The National Pavilion is supported by the Sheikha Salama bint Nahyan Foundation and overseen by Laila Binbrek. "I’ve known Sam and Till for a while and have been following their work over the last 8 years," Binbrek tells me. "In that time, they’ve produced some exceptional exhibitions and contributed valuable thinking to the cultural discourse of the region, so I’m delighted that they’ve been appointed to curate the National Pavilion UAE in 2019 following our rigorous selection process."
THE BIO
Favourite car: Koenigsegg Agera RS or Renault Trezor concept car.
Favourite book: I Am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes or Red Notice by Bill Browder.
Biggest inspiration: My husband Nik. He really got me through a lot with his positivity.
Favourite holiday destination: Being at home in Australia, as I travel all over the world for work. It’s great to just hang out with my husband and family.
Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
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Name: Rain Management
Year started: 2017
Based: Bahrain
Employees: 100-120
Amount raised: $2.5m from BitMex Ventures and Blockwater. Another $6m raised from MEVP, Coinbase, Vision Ventures, CMT, Jimco and DIFC Fintech Fund
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The specs: 2019 Audi Q8
Price, base: Dh315,000
Engine: 3.0-litre turbocharged V6
Gearbox: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 340hp @ 3,500rpm
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About Okadoc
Date started: Okadoc, 2018
Founder/CEO: Fodhil Benturquia
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Healthcare
Size: (employees/revenue) 40 staff; undisclosed revenues recording “double-digit” monthly growth
Funding stage: Series B fundraising round to conclude in February
Investors: Undisclosed
Company: Instabug
Founded: 2013
Based: Egypt, Cairo
Sector: IT
Employees: 100
Stage: Series A
Investors: Flat6Labs, Accel, Y Combinator and angel investors
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Company profile
Name: Back to Games and Boardgame Space
Started: Back to Games (2015); Boardgame Space (Mark Azzam became co-founder in 2017)
Founder: Back to Games (Mr Azzam); Boardgame Space (Mr Azzam and Feras Al Bastaki)
Based: Dubai and Abu Dhabi
Industry: Back to Games (retail); Boardgame Space (wholesale and distribution)
Funding: Back to Games: self-funded by Mr Azzam with Dh1.3 million; Mr Azzam invested Dh250,000 in Boardgame Space
Growth: Back to Games: from 300 products in 2015 to 7,000 in 2019; Boardgame Space: from 34 games in 2017 to 3,500 in 2019
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Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
Motori Profile
Date started: March 2020
Co-founder/CEO: Ahmed Eissa
Based: UAE, Abu Dhabi
Sector: Insurance Sector
Size: 50 full-time employees (Inside and Outside UAE)
Stage: Seed stage and seeking Series A round of financing
Investors: Safe City Group
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Director: Goran Hugo Olsson
Rating: 5/5