A trio of shows arriving in the UAE, each exploring very different facets of culture and history, are the ones to check out this week.
Louvre Abu Dhabi celebrates African history, Nika Project Space puts the work of Lebanon-based Honduran artist Adrian Pepe on display, and an exhibition at The Concourse Convention Centre showcases Naruto, one of Japan’s most successful manga and anime series.
Naruto the Gallery at The Concourse Convention Centre
Manga and anime fans are in for a treat. For the first time, the exhibition celebrating the 20-year legacy of anime and its influence in Japan and around the world is opening in Dubai.
Straight from Tokyo, the exhibition will feature immersive installations and exclusive artworks from the Naruto manga series, as well as concept art and materials used to create the anime series. The exhibition will show how animation and storytelling techniques have brought the story of the ninja and his epic battles to life in the 72-volume manga series that has sold more than 100 million copies outside Japan, with two anime shows and 11 animated features.
It runs from Friday to April 6. Entry tickets start at Dh60, available at Platinumlist and at the venue
Monday to Friday, 12pm – 10pm; Saturday to Sunday, 12pm – 11pm; until April 6; The Concourse Convention Centre, Dubai
Kings and Queens of Africa: Forms and Figures of Power at The Louvre
Louvre Abu Dhabi’s new exhibition looks at the African continent’s most revered and powerful figures, exploring the design of their royal attire, their sacred symbols of spiritual influence, and more.
The exhibition, which will showcase more than 300 objects from the collections of Musee du Quai Branly – Jacques Chirac in Paris, will introduce African kings and queens who shaped the continent and how their legacy is still influencing contemporary African art and culture. The exhibited pieces come from cultures across the continent as well as a range of time periods and include their detailed histories.
Monday to Thursday, 10am-6.30pm; Friday to Sunday, 10am-8.30pm; until May 25; Louvre Abu Dhabi
A Shroud is a Cloth at Nika Project Space
Fibre artist Adrian Pepe's new body of work explores themes of memory, healing, and the interplay and connections between destruction and renewal.
Pepe investigates process and materiality in his work. At the heart of this solo exhibition is a 200-square metre woollen piece that once wrapped a damaged heritage building in the centre of Beirut. This work threads throughout the other pieces, with wool cleansed, processed, manipulated and recontextualised into works ranging in scale.
Monday to Saturday, 11am-7pm; until May 17; Nika Project Space, Al Khayat Avenue, Dubai
