Guggenheim Abu Dhabi launches online studio visits to promote emerging talent

Four artists, who live and work in the UAE, will take part in the new virtual programme

Guggenheim Abu Dhabi's new virtual programme includes, from left, Maitha Abdalla, Nasser Alzayani, Rand Abdul Jabbar and Hashel Al Lamki. Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi

Guggenheim Abu Dhabi has launched a virtual programme to highlight emerging artists in the capital.

Titled In the Studio, the month-long initiative features four young up-and-coming artists living in Abu Dhabi: Rand Abdul Jabbar, who was born in Baghdad and raised in the capital; Nasser Alzayani, a Bahraini-American artist who also lives and works in Abu Dhabi; and Emirati artists Maitha Abdalla and Hashel Al Lamki.

In the interviews, the artists provide an introduction to their work and the ideas that inspire them, from Abdalla's investigation of Khaleeji folklore to Abdul Jabbar's interest in archaeology and myth. Al Lamki will discuss his recent projects, while Alzayani will offer insight into his glass-blowing technique.

The project aims to introduce the public to Abu Dhabi artists through a series of studio visits and interviews, which will be shared on the Abu Dhabi Culture YouTube page in the next four weeks.

The programme will begin on Tuesday, with Abdalla talking from Bait 15, an artist-run studio and exhibition space in Abu Dhabi that she founded with Al Lamki and fellow Abu Dhabi artist Afra Al Dhaheri.

Abdul Jabbar's interview will debut on Tuesday, July 28, followed by Al Lamki's on Tuesday, August 4 and Alzayani's on Tuesday, August 11.

At the end of the programme, on Tuesday, August 18, the artists will take part in an online round-table discussion with Guggenheim Abu Dhabi curators Sara Bin Safwan and Sasha Kalter-Wasserman.

“Guggenheim Abu Dhabi continually strives to engage with the local arts community here in Abu Dhabi,” said Maisa Al Qassimi, senior project manager of Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, in a statement.

“We hope to continue to highlight the creativity and great work being done here in the emirate, and create a sense of togetherness in the local arts community through these digital interactions.”

Guggenheim Abu Dhabi has launched a number of programmes recently, most notably its Talking Art Series, held at Manarat Al Saadiyat – located near the future Guggenheim Abu Dhabi site and the now open Louvre Abu Dhabi. The art museum has also continued to build its collection, which focuses on art from West Asia, North Africa, and South Asia from the 1960s to the present.