Running until August 25 at 421, this exhibition features 43 works by the graduate students and artists Mahra AlFalahi, Liane Al Ghusain, Majd Alloush, Fabiola Chiminazzo, and Elizabeth Dorazio. SYNTHESIS marks the second year of collaboration between 421 and NYUAD.
MFA Program Director and Visiting Assistant Professor of Art and Art History at NYUAD Tina Sherwell said: “The two-year Master of Fine Arts in Art and Media at NYUAD is the only program of its kind in the region, providing our graduate students the opportunity to share their work at one of the UAE’s leading art institutions, 421. We are very proud of how far our artists have come, and look forward to welcoming the wider community throughout the exhibition’s period.”
Head of 421 Said Faisal Al Hassan said: “We are excited to host New York University Abu Dhabi’s SYNTHESIS: 2023 MFA Graduate Show. This exhibition marks the second year of our collaboration with New York University Abu Dhabi’s Master of Fine Arts in Art and Media program. Our partnership feels like the perfect match: two programs with a mission to support the production of emergent contemporary practices from the region coming together so seamlessly.”
In her work, Cosmic Forest, Dorazio deploys drawing to highlight a natural world that is random, unpredictable, and in constant movement. In I Would Tread Lightly, Al Ghusain presents art pieces related to being a Palestinian in diaspora, including geometric embroidery, serial sculptures, non-narrative videos, and performances. Alloush in his project, Mapscapes, examines the intersection of art and technology; he explores the transformation of pixels into tangible objects with the aim of documenting the often-overlooked urban and absurd landscapes that exist all around us. Working with textiles, AlFalahi’s Folded Stories project explores the effects of memories within storytelling and socialization, drawing from her own childhood. Chiminazzo’s Encounter Museum investigates society’s excess imagery using archival images from photos, books, prints and museum catalogues.
NYUAD’s MFA is a two-year degree in the visual arts. It is designed as a full-time, interdisciplinary studio art program that sits at the crossroads of practice and theory, tradition and change in the arts. The program immerses students in contemporary research and art practices while training them to become deep thinkers and artistic innovators. Courses emphasize artistic experimentation within a context of theoretical, cultural, and historical study. Its multidisciplinary coursework bridges disciplinary skills and diverse bodies of knowledge.
For more information, please visit https://www.421.online
About NYU Abu Dhabi
NYU Abu Dhabi is the first comprehensive liberal arts and research campus in the Middle East to be operated abroad by a major American research university. NYU Abu Dhabi has integrated a highly selective program with majors in the sciences, engineering, social sciences, arts, and humanities with a world center for advanced research. Its campus enables students to succeed in an increasingly interdependent world, and to advance cooperation and progress on humanity’s shared challenges. NYU Abu Dhabi’s high-achieving students have come from some 125 countries and speak over 100 languages. Together, NYU’s campuses in New York, Abu Dhabi, and Shanghai form the backbone of a unique global university, giving faculty and students opportunities to experience varied learning environments and immersion in other cultures at one or more of the numerous study-abroad sites NYU maintains on six continents.
For more information, please visit http://www.nyuad.nyu.edu
About 421
421 is an independent platform dedicated to emerging artists and creative practitioners in the UAE and across the region. A site for research, learning, and experimentation, 421 provides a nurturing environment for emergent creative practices and those who want to harness the arts as an agent for social inquiry and transformation. Encouraging practitioners to explore the potential of public spaces for progress and community engagement, 421 presents a wide-ranging programmatic model that facilitates artistic exchange and critical dialogue.
Located in Abu Dhabi’s Mina Zayed, 421 presents a year-round program of exhibitions, talks, workshops, special events and educational initiatives that offer accessible learning opportunities to the wider community and the general public. Many of the 421 programs are organized in collaboration with local, regional and international partners, engaging children, students, educators, and creative professionals in a participatory approach to artistic and creative practice. These programs are designed to develop artistic and creative skills, supporting the growth of the UAE’s creative ecosystem.
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