Rock, Paper, Scissors: Positions in Play by The National Pavilion UAE

Accompanying the eponymous exhibition and with newly-commissioned texts, this book served both as its additional site and speculative expansion. The exhibition ‘Rock, Paper, Scissors: Positions in Play’ explored a strand of artistic practice in the UAE through the analogy of play. Featuring existing works, re-fabrication of “lost” works and new commissions, the exhibition staged a set of nested questions: where does “playfulness” in artistic practice come from? How and where is “play” nurtured? What does “play” do?

The National Pavilion UAE

The National Pavilion UAE was established to endorse the UAE’s contemporary art practices on an international platform and provide a foundation to support the nation’s diverse and developing cultural scene. It is commissioned by the Salama bint Hamdan Al Nahyan Foundation and supported by the UAE Ministry of Culture and Youth.