A major new photography exhibition documenting the culture and scenery of Abu Dhabi is currently on tour across the emirate. The Essence Collection, by the American photographer William Huber, was on display at the Al Wahda Mall this week and will move to Al Ain Mall on Saturday. It will then show at Marina Mall in Abu Dhabi on May 20, Abu Dhabi Mall on June 1 and the Emirates Palace hotel in Abu Dhabi on June 10, where it will stay until June 30.
The photographs were taken last year in a project commissioned by the Office of the Brand of Abu Dhabi (OBAD), a government department charged with communicating the values and identity of Abu Dhabi at a time of rapid cultural change. The exhibition is being accompanied by a photography competition, Abu Dhabi Through Your Eyes, which invites members of the public to submit their own photographs of Abu Dhabi. Citizens and residents who submit unpublished images taken in the emirate will be eligible to win prizes of up to Dh30,000 in cash.
"This exhibition is about making sure that as well as capturing the culture, traditions and heritage of Abu Dhabi, we really connect and interact with the public," said Reem al Shemari, general manager of OBAD. "These photos are a representation and a reminder of the many aspects of Emirati culture that have existed for generations. We think it's important that the people of Abu Dhabi live up to the late Sheikh Zayed's legacy in not forgetting their past, and we have already had a lot of positive feedback. And we hope that with the photography competition and the pictures people send in, we will learn new things about Abu Dhabi."
The collection consists of 18 photographs, ranging in location from mountains, deserts and islands across the emirate. The image of young boys on a traditional boat (left) was taken on Dalma Island, an island 208km off the coast of Abu Dhabi and 116km from Qatar. In 1992 the Abu Dhabi Islands Archaeological Survey (ADIAS) carried out an initial survey of the island, finding more than 20 sites dating from the Neolithic age.
There are images, too, of Bedouin life which few people strolling Abu Dhabi's shopping malls ever get to see. In one of the images shown here, a young boy poses proudly with his mother and grandmother outside a tent; in another, a middle-aged man rests with his head on his mother's lap in the desert at Sweihan (above), between Abu Dhabi and Al Ain. One particularly striking photograph is of a woman offering a finyal, or small cup, of coffee, her face blurred to focus attention on the action of giving (above). "This image emphasises the importance of hospitality in our culture," Shemari added. Bahraini Island near Abu Dhabi Island, not to be confused with the state of Bahrain, was the setting for some of the other seaside images; also particularly striking is the photograph of two girls in red thobes from Al Samha, between Abu Dhabi and Dubai, sharing a joke outside (above).
To enter the competition, aspiring local photographers are invited to submit their images in person at OBAD's office or through one of the stands at the exhibition venues. Application forms and terms and conditions can be downloaded from www.brand.abudhabi.ae. "Whatever you decide to submit, we want to see Abu Dhabi Through Your Eyes," said Shemari. "It could be anything from a modern cityscape to something that represents our unique heritage and culture, or perhaps you will feel inspired by Liwa's majestic sand dunes or Al Ain's green oases."
The deadline for submissions is July 31. The winners will be announced in September.