Louvre Abu Dhabi's first exhibition of the year will focus on abstract and calligraphic works across various cultures and time periods.
More than 80 artworks from 16 partner institutions are included in the show Abstraction and Calligraphy – Towards a Universal Language, which will open on February 17, with creations by Dia Azzawi, Mona Hatoum, Wassily Kandinsky, Paul Klee, Lee Krasner, Jackson Pollock and Cy Twombly.
Many of the pieces will be shown for the first time in the region.
Abstraction and Calligraphy – Towards a Universal Language
Organised in four themed sections, the exhibition charts the development of abstraction in visual art since the early 20th century. Influenced by signs, symbols and philosophies from outside of the western canon, these abstract movements bear elements and artistic techniques from various cultures and societies.
In the first section, the show looks at how symbolic figurative images, including hieroglyphics, inspired artists such as Klee. It also explores how inscriptions and calligraphy have been reinterpreted by artists such as Azzawi and Anwar Jalal Shemza.
The second section delves into signs and their use in the abstract works of Kandinsky, for example, as he sought to express universal ideas. Many artists of the time turned east, to Japan and China, to borrow elements from calligraphers in those traditions.
In the next section, which is devoted to lineaments, the show considers how western artists such as Pollock, Philip Guston and Willem de Kooning turned to abstraction and expressionism as a way to break away from convention and explore the subjective experience.
The final section investigates how calligraphy was influential among both western and eastern artists. This includes works by regional artists Shakir Hassan Al Said and Sliman Mansour, who sought to expand the technique’s use beyond its linguistic purposes.
Additionally, this section includes two original artworks by French-Tunisian artist eL Seed, who lives in Dubai, and Pakistani street artist Sanki King. Both are known for fusing calligraphy and graffiti in their works.
The pair will present large-scale installations that venture into new visual forms and also speak to the museum programming’s theme of cultural exchange.
This exhibition, which runs until June, marks the continued collaboration between Louvre Abu Dhabi and Centre Pompidou. It will also feature loans from Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, Musee du Louvre in Paris, the Pollock-Krasner Foundation and The McKee Gallery in New York, among others.
More information is available at louvreabudhabi.ae
The specs
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The team
Photographer: Mateusz Stefanowski at Art Factory
Videographer: Jear Valasquez
Fashion director: Sarah Maisey
Make-up: Gulum Erzincan at Art Factory
Model: Randa at Art Factory Videographer’s assistant: Zanong Magat
Photographer’s assistant: Sophia Shlykova
With thanks to Jubail Mangrove Park, Jubail Island, Abu Dhabi
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
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The Brutalist
Director: Brady Corbet
Stars: Adrien Brody, Felicity Jones, Guy Pearce, Joe Alwyn
Rating: 3.5/5
TO A LAND UNKNOWN
Director: Mahdi Fleifel
Starring: Mahmoud Bakri, Aram Sabbah, Mohammad Alsurafa
Rating: 4.5/5
A little about CVRL
Founded in 1985 by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, the Central Veterinary Research Laboratory (CVRL) is a government diagnostic centre that provides testing and research facilities to the UAE and neighbouring countries.
One of its main goals is to provide permanent treatment solutions for veterinary related diseases.
The taxidermy centre was established 12 years ago and is headed by Dr Ulrich Wernery.
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What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
England Test squad
Ben Stokes (captain), Joe Root, James Anderson, Jonny Bairstow, Stuart Broad, Harry Brook, Zak Crawley, Ben Foakes, Jack Leach, Alex Lees, Craig Overton, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts
MATCH INFO
Newcastle United 1 (Carroll 82')
Leicester City 2 (Maddison 55', Tielemans 72')
Man of the match James Maddison (Leicester)
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
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SPECS
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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UAE SQUAD
Khalid Essa, Ali Khaseif, Fahad Al Dhanhani, Adel Al Hosani, Bandar Al Ahbabi, Mohammad Barghash, Salem Rashid, Khalifa Al Hammadi, Shaheen Abdulrahman, Hassan Al Mahrami, Walid Abbas, Mahmoud Khamis, Yousef Jaber, Majed Sorour, Majed Hassan, Ali Salmeen, Abdullah Ramadan, Abdullah Al Naqbi, Khalil Al Hammadi, Fabio De Lima, Khalfan Mubarak, Tahnoon Al Zaabi, Ali Saleh, Caio Canedo, Ali Mabkhout, Sebastian Tagliabue, Zayed Al Ameri
![Vassily Kandinsky, 'Trente [Thirty]' (1937), oil on canvas. Courtesy Centre Pompidou, MNAM-CCI, Dist. RMN-Grand Palais / Philippe Migeat](https://www.thenationalnews.com/resizer/v2/635GF6XYW6LPFG3GOIS4VGZHCU.jpg?smart=true&auth=55ac553d892b6a6ba926fc358e2360ec7e1055f3e2795fd78ef20a5536454469&width=800&height=654)
