January 15–March 21, 2023
421, Abu Dhabi’s independent platform dedicated to supporting emerging creative practices, announces its winter 2023 program: RE/COLLECT THIS, which presents four major exhibitions and over 20 workshops, talks, and special events that interrogate contemporary modes of memory-making and how they shape our understanding of the past, present, and future.
Running in tandem with the exhibitions Mahshid Rafiei: Of Mythic Proportions and And The Mirrors Are Many, which open on February 5, the winter 2023 program responds to ideas presented in the exhibitions and offers an opportunity for us to collectively reflect on the ways that eurocentric, hegemonic methods of remembering influence our collective self-perception, and ultimately, how we imagine and build our futures.
This seasonal program includes artist-led talks, workshops, and performances; home-cooking sessions; cultural tours and excursions; outdoor creative markets; professional development courses; a three-day film program; and a three-day symposium, all offering new perspectives on how we can contribute to the formation of an alternative collective memory.
Mahshid Rafiei: Of Mythic Proportions
February 5–May 8, 2023
Gallery 1
The first solo exhibition presenting the work of Mahshid Rafiei, Of Mythic Proportions is a large-scale installation of five newly commissioned works. This installation, which takes up the entire space in Gallery 1, suggests that illusion is not the antithesis of truth but a co-conspirator, guiding us in a world of loss. Of Mythic Proportions includes sculptures and sound pieces where elements are intentionally hidden to offer a deceptive reading and ask us to consider how art provides a stand-in for what might be missing.
This exhibition is a result of the 421 Artistic Development Exhibition Program, which is organized in collaboration with pedagogical partner The Institute of Emerging Art. Of Mythic Proportions is the inaugural presentation of the 2023 edition of the program.
And The Mirrors Are Many
February 5–May 8, 2023
Gallery 2
And The Mirrors Are Many investigates institutional repositories of memory–the museum, the memorial, and the archive–and poses the questions: why do we remember, and how? By examining these contemporary modes of remembering, the exhibition considers the relationship between remembrance and history. It reflects on the aesthetics, techniques, provenance, and language that are deployed in the process of memory-making. Featuring annotations spread across the gallery spaces and new commissions, And The Mirrors Are Many spans a range of mediums including sculpture, video, and installation to photography, printmaking, and textiles.
Contributing artists in this exhibition are Maitha Abdalla, Rand Abdul Jabbar, Reem Al Menhali, Emii Alrai, Moza Almatrooshi, Nasser Alzayani, Hadeyeh Badri, Rohini Devasher, Vikram Divecha, Mirella Salamé, Sarah Smarrazzo, and Fatima Uzdenova.
And The Mirrors Are Many is curated by Mona Al-Jadir and emerged from a year-long journey as part of the 421 Curatorial Development Exhibition Program in collaboration with The Bombay Institute for Critical Analysis and Research (BICAR) and with mentorship from curator Sabih Ahmed.
The program also includes a group exhibition curated by Dania Al Tamimi that will be presented at Art Dubai in March, and an exhibition presenting the work of selected designers that made submissions to the 4th edition of the 100/100 Best Arabic Posters design competition. While the former will take place off-site at Art Dubai, the latter will be installed in a public space in Abu Dhabi. More information about both exhibitions will be announced soon.
The winter 2023 program: RE/COLLECT THIS starts on January 15 and runs until March 31, 2022. All our exhibitions are open to the public and free to attend. Most of our talks, workshops and special events are free of charge unless otherwise stated on our website.
We are open from 10am to 8pm, Tuesday to Sunday, and are located in Mina Zayed.
For more information about the program and to register, please visit 421.online.
