Withered Green is the story of young Iman, a conservative religious person, who takes people's opinions of her into account and shows uptight restriction to all the withering social traditions. However, a shocking discovery prompts her to do away with the withered traditions that she once clung to.

A 14-year-old girl experiences the onset of puberty, meaning she must begin wearing a full black niqab. When a tormentor at school swipes her jacket, a case of mistaken identity exposes the perversity of the bully's father.

Anna Rispoli

For Durub Al Tawaya VI in 2016, artist Anna Rispoli was commissioned to create a performance for the city of Abu Dhabi, which was entitled Five Attempts to Speak to an Alien. The performance is part of the Abu Dhabi Art Collection of Performances and is presented in 2018 in collaboration with Warehouse421. For this site-specific intervention, Rispoli invited the audience on a boat ride performance across the city’s waterfront, an opportunity to take part in five collective exercises to speak to an alien. 

Co-curated by Warehouse421 and long-term collaborators Gulf Photo Plus, Architecture of Loneliness is a photography exhibition that explores the UAE’s shifting urban landscapes, and how they shape the experience of its inhabitants. The bodies of work selected examine feelings of solitude, shaped by the nation’s city planning, governance, and architecture. The images presented in the exhibition focus on abandoned spaces that once were thriving centres of activity, the development of projects at various stages, and the manifestations of the ideologies that motivate the growth and development of global cities. The exhibition will be accompanied by the publication of a dedicated book cataloguing the artists’ work, together with a collection of reflective essays and two specially commissioned poems.

Participants in this thought-provoking workshop will delve into various elements of storytelling and creative voice through the medium of film, exploring film language, through camera movement, style, theme, character and dialogue. The session will also provide opportunities for participants to workshop some of their new and existing film ideas.

Inventions happen when someone needs help with something!

Children aged 6-12 years will be given a ‘Character Profiler’ worksheet, which will help them form a picture in their mind of a character and what that character might find challenging. They will be asked to think of a person (or a thing) they would like to help and draw or write down information about them, such as who they are, where they live, what they like or dislike. They will then think about an invention that their character would need or like, and how this invention could change their life.

This intensive five-day workshop challenges participants to explore and experiment with the essential art of observation.  Beginning with still life drawing in charcoal on day one, participants will then move on to still life drawing with pen on day two, before producing three separate paintings of their own in acrylic and oil over the final three days, including a medium or large-sized, full-color final work.

In this two-day workshop, participants will break free of Auto mode and gain a solid understanding of the essential elements in achieving a perfect exposure: ISO, shutter speed, and aperture. They will also explore the creative side of photography with a focus on the traditional rules of composition, as well as how to break them. By the end of the workshop, each participant will be able to confidently craft and shoot photos in semi-manual modes.

The deaf daughter of a baker is subjected to abuse at her own home. The rest of her family is apathetic to her existence.

Directed by: Manal Bin Amro 
UAE
PG-15 | Drama | Arabic | 14 mins

"17" is a social exploration into the lives of young women who are passionate about a sport they have been told was only for men. The film follows the Jordanian under-17 women's football team as they prepare for the FIFA U17 Women's World Cup Jordan 2016. Coming from different backgrounds, each of the girls has faced a different set of challenges as a national team player. But now they come together to face their biggest challenge yet.

Directed by: Widad Shafakoj
Jordan
PG | Documentary | Arabic | 73 mins

In partnership with Cinema Akil

Visitors can embark on a remarkable boat ride with performance artist Anna Rispoli, as she invites her audience to experience Five Attempts to Speak to an Alien. Commissioned by Durub Al Tawaya IV, this participatory public performance is part of the Abu Dhabi Art Collection of Performances. Rispoli encourages people to imagine the city from a distance, in order to explore possibilities to develop fresh connections and new commitments to the future. Five Attempts to Speak to an Alien will take place on Saturday 10 November and Saturday 17 November, from 5:30pm to 7:00pm. The boat will depart from Al Dhafra Restaurant in Mina Zayed.

Warehouse421 will be screening Diver, an immersive video installation by Monira Al Qadiri commissioned for the Durub Al Tawaya VI program in collaboration with Warehouse421 and Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art (Australia). The piece addresses the disconnect between the realities and the romanticized modern-day view of pearl diving in the Arabian Gulf, highlighting the massive transformations that occurred following the discovery of oil. Diver will be shown daily at Warehouse421 from 16 November.

Through the series titled Odysseus, photographer Tarek Al-Ghoussein carries out a comprehensive artistic study of the islands off the coasts of Abu Dhabi. Al-Ghoussein aims to document and interact with found natural habitats and built environments. Choosing locations much in the same way a film director does, Al-Ghoussein moves between abstraction and the specific circumstances found in particular places. Relying on subtle interventions and non-invasive interactions, the images consider various aspects of isolation and place. He uses the body as a medium that interacts with and becomes a part of and not separate to the landscape he is photographing, thereby adding parallel narratives to the overall image.

Hundred Best Arabic Posters celebrates the diversity of visual cultures by collecting and choosing the best posters from across the Arab world through a biannual competition from the region, for the region and the rest of the world. This exhibition spreads knowledge on graphic design from the Arab region through exhibitions and specialized talks and workshops, and reveals the vibrancy of poster language that is deeply embedded in the culture of the Arab world, beyond just its visuals. Poster language, along with its urgency and loudness, looks a lot like the overwhelming intensity of our maximalist culture, both contemporarily and historically. The winning posters are rewarded with a traveling exhibition that stops in several countries within the Arab world, starting with Abu Dhabi.

What do we find visually valuable in our existing cultures? What do we keep, what do we refine or change, and why? Inspired by the 100/100 exhibition, currently on show at Warehouse421, this two-day workshop will explore these timeless questions through the language of design. Participants will then create a poster and a postcard reflecting visually on the conclusions of these discussions.

This workshop will introduce participants to the art of Palestinian embroidery known as tatreez. During the session, artist Joanna Barakat will discuss how tatreez came to be a powerful medium for expressing identity and how it changed in form and meaning after 1948 by sharing the historical and cultural context from which it stemmed. Along with acquiring the new skill of cross-stitching a motif, participants will gain a new perspective on Palestinian embroidery and an in-depth understanding of its historical, socio-cultural and political significance. 

In this two-day workshop, participants will be taught to break free from auto mode and gain a solid understanding of the essential elements for achieving a perfect exposure: ISO, shutter speed, and aperture. They will also explore the creative side of photography with a focus on the traditional rules of composition, as well as how to break them. By the end of the workshop, each participant will be able to confidently craft and shoot photos in semi-manual modes.

This intensive two-day workshop, led by Engy Mahdy, designer and founder of oneandfour studio, is ideal for those interested in garment making. Over two days, participants will select a fabric, create a design and then stitch their own kaftan.  

A global nomad herself, Hanan Sayed Worell has lived on four continents and travelled extensively, allowing her to move adeptly between cultures and cuisines. As a careful and affectionate observer of Abu Dhabi for a quarter of a century, she offers up a taste of the cosmopolitan community of the city. Rooted in a Bedouin desert culture, Abu Dhabi has been at the crossroads of East and West for millennia. However, for most visitors and newcomers to the city, life beyond the tourist attractions is an enigma. In Table Tales: The Global Nomad Cuisine of Abu Dhabi, Sayed Worrell takes the reader through the city for an intimate glimpse into the homes of Emiratis as well as residents from a variety of places, including Syria, Spain, India, Italy, Afghanistan and the Americas. This launch event will also feature cuisine cooked using recipes from the book.

Nagwa Design Series showcases creative practitioners working across all disciplines in the UAE. In this edition, SEAF Alumni and co-founders of a hypothetical office (AHO), Fortuné Penniman and Hatem Hatem, will discuss the research behind their recent projects, their approach to context, and how design can be used to reinterpret landscapes and materials. Most recently, Penniman and Hatem constructed a wall in one of the courtyards at Warehouse421, using materials which reflect both Abu Dhabi’s ecological heritage and the geological landscape of the region.

Cyanotype is a photographic printing process that produces a cyan-blue print. In this hands-on workshop, participants will use the City of Abu Dhabi as the backdrop to explore the relationship between light and dark, embarking on a walk through Mina Zayed in search of something fleeting, such as a shadow that can be given physical form through cyanotype.

This workshop, led by Cristiana de Marchi, introduces a technique that allows for the transition of digital images to embroidered textiles. Each participant will take a digital image and transform it into a work of embroidery. Working in a grid system, participants will follow different stages – from selecting and scaling images, to reproducing them on canvas – leading to the creation of small “textile-paintings” that can be stretched and framed.

Hafez Gallery will present a group show that focuses on Islamic art and includes works by Saudi and Saudi-based artists Rashed AlShashai, Sara AlAbdali, Ali Chaban, Khalid Zahid, Nojoud AlSudairi and Lulwah Al Homoud. All artists participating in this show present works about their own contemporary interpretations of the exhibition’s theme, with works in various media from calligraphy to illustration, mixed media and installation.

This 3-day workshop challenges the concept of art school (art as pedagogy) and aims to clarify the practice of young artists. Using simplified and straightforward directions that avoid the jargon and beautification of the art industry, this workshop seeks to realign the artist’s focus on the intellectual longevity of their practice through deep research and critical thinking. This workshop contains a short reading component.

Participants in this introductory workshop will learn the basics of Arabic calligraphy.  Working with ink on paper, participants will be encouraged to experiment with the Arabic alphabet, utilizing a combination of arcs, lines and curves. 

This is exhibition celebrates the work of students from the class of 2018 from Brighton College Abu Dhabi, Cranleigh Abu Dhabi, The British School – Al Khubairat, and, The British International School Abu Dhabi. Visitor are invited to view the work of our next generation of creatives.

Participants in this workshop will learn basic grayscale drawing and painting skills, incorporating shapes and values. Beginning with a black and white self-portrait, which will be gridded out into tiled blocks, participants will then use the blocks as a reference to begin drawing their portrait block-by-block, and assigning a value (from black to grey to white) to each shape. The final step will be to use acrylic paints to fill in the shapes in shades of black, grey, or white.

In this workshop, participants will learn the relaxing art of macramé, which involves tying knots to create beautiful items. After learning just 3 basic knots, participants will be able to create a modern plant hanger on Friday, including a terracotta pot and saucer.  On Saturday, they will learn just a couple more knots in order to make their own Macramé Wall Hanging.

This workshop will introduce participants to the basics of cement/plaster casting using silicone molds, including basic hand sculpting techniques using wire and plaster mesh.  The objective is to produce a cement/plaster base that can house handmade trees or branches using a choice of materials.  For practicing artists, the workshop will hone skills that can be applied in other disciplines. For non-artists, the workshop will provide a creative new way to produce decorative objects and household ornaments. 

This intermediate workshop is designed to take participants from shooting in semi-manual modes to full manual mode, allowing them to infuse more creativity into their photography.  Through a mix of theoretical lessons and practical exercises, the workshop will cover various aspects of working with light and movement, and equip participants to delve into more advanced genres of photography, such as portraiture, travel, family, food, and wedding photography.

This exhibition represents a culmination of a year-long engagement in the Salama bin Hamdan Emerging Artists program (SEAF).  The Salama bint Hamdan Al Nahyan Foundation (SHF), in partnership with the Rhode Island School of Design, welcomes a group of emerging artists from across the UAE to participate in this unique educational program designed to encourage and foster artistic growth and development.

Cuadro Fine Art Gallery will present artworks by Camille Zakharia. While the photographic collage works carry a fluid abstract characteristic on the surface, upon close reflection, subtle patterns composed of specific signifiers and symbols begin to emerge on the surface, reflecting the artist’s itinerary journey away from his native land, and his attempt to find harmony within the boundaries of places he calls Home.

As part of the Community and Critique: SEAF 2017/2018 Cohort 5 show, Warehouse421 is hosting a panel discussion featuring artists from the Salama bint Hamdan Emerging Artists Fellowship (SEAF), followed by an open critique of their work. Fellows will discuss their works and answer questions from the public. The session focuses on the value of constructive language as an integral tool in the artistic process.

In this two-day workshop, participants will break free of Auto mode and gain a solid understanding of the essential elements in achieving a perfect exposure: ISO, shutter speed, and aperture. They will also explore the creative side of photography with a focus on the traditional rules of composition, as well as how to break them.

In partnership with Gulf Photo Plus

This 3-day workshop delves into the world of jewellery making. Participants will learn basic jewellery sawing and piercing techniques and fabrication methods such as filling and polishing.

Perfume making has a long history in the region and is a living art in the Emirates. This session offers a very personal workshop, demonstrating how to create various forms of perfumes based on old family recipes.

This workshop delves into the world of contemporary embroidery. Participants will learn essential embroidery techniques and tricks, and start a sampler of different embroidery stitches that have various textures and effects.

Led by leather specialist, Naresh Kumar of 24th Street in Dubai, this two-day session explores the details of working with leather, covering modes of leather, tanning, tempers, stitching and more.

This workshop delves into the world of contemporary embroidery. Participants will learn essential embroidery techniques and tricks, and start a sampler of different embroidery stitches that have various textures and effects.

This workshop provides an intensive introduction to paper marbling, which is a form of surface design that produces patterns similar to smooth marble or stone.

This workshop provides an introduction to the 3D printing process and the design of small-scale objects under the guidance of experts in the field.

This workshop offers a creative way to reuse, reinvent and recycle paper scraps, turning them into handmade paper.

This hands-on session provides a step-by-step introduction to the screen-printing process. With a focus on experimental printing, the collaborative workshop also explores the history of the medium, the aspects of color theory and the importance of considering print and production factors in any design process.

This workshop breaks down a number of complex filmmaking techniques into practical and accessible tools for capturing and editing video.

In partnership with Gulf Photo Plus

This 3-part workshop provides an introduction to the product design process, with a particular focus on lighting objects, using wood and soft wood materials.

Please come into our self-service studio anytime during July 3 – 21 where you can book up to 3 hours with an unlimited array of acrylic paint in different colours.

This 2-day workshop provides an intensive course in the process of making a button-up shirt.  From selecting the right fabric to working the stitch, the workshop introduces participants to the basic principles of clothing design.

Sketch, cut, colour, glue and piece together vibrant Eid postcards on the final weekend of Ramadan, as a way to ring in the holidays. Leading the workshop is Medaf, a creative studio + art space that utilizes multi-disciplinary art practices to develop the skill-set of children and young adults.

Instructor: Medaf

Age: 11-16

Participants in this is family workshop will learn about the history of the astrolabe and its use in the Arab and Muslim world. Children will then be guided through the making of their very own celestial compass using color and cardboard.

Instructor: Matthew McGrady

Age: 6 – 14 

As part of our Ramadan activation, Warehouse421 will feature a dessert and coffee bar for a whole week.  Each evening will provide an array of games, regional and global, from sequence to backgammon to kerem and more, providing a place to unwind and indulge post-Iftar.

In collaboration with Dinner Club no. 57 and Blacksmith Coffee

Age: All ages

Participants in this workshop will gain an understanding of geometric design principles of grids, construction of shapes, compositions and methods of creating infinite repeats of expandable colorful patterns, inspired by Islam's rich aesthetic legacy. Through a series of activities including drawing, stamping and collage, participants will create their own individual pieces and a collective mural. Parents and guardians are welcome to attend.

Instructor: Dina Khorchid, Artist & Designer

Age: 10+

Project Warehouse by Festembr returns this Ramadan to Mina Zayed, bringing you a curated selection of fashion retail, gourmet food and beverage, and innovative art installations. This year, Project Warehouse will be hosted at two warehouses adjacent to Warehouse421.

Presented by Festembr

Age: All ages
Entry: Tickets will be sold at the door - 50 AED per entry per adult / 25 AED per entry per child / 175 AED per 4-day pass / 175 AED per family ( 2 adults + up to 4 kids)

Participants in this family-friendly workshop will learn the basics of film-based storytelling with clay. Leading the session, Emirati artist Ahmad Ayderous will help participants to build their stories and fashion their characters, settings, and places out of clay, before finally helping them to capture their story on film. Parents and guardians are welcome to attend.

Instructor: Ahmad Ayderous, Artist

Age: 10+

This intensive two-day workshop delves deeply into the world of contemporary embroidery. Participants will learn various stitches, embroidery techniques and tricks, as well as discover the influence of a thread’s texture, shape and colour on the effects that can be achieved.

Instructor: Ola Dajani, Designer

Age: 16+

The artist trio Rokni and Ramin Haerizadeh and Hesam Rahmanian will host a participatory community activity at Warehouse421, experimenting with archival images from the UAE’s history. Originally created for the UAE's National Pavilion at Venice Biennale, Rock Paper Scissors, this exercise re-interprets archival photographs, including images of Sheikh Zayed and pivotal moments in the history of the UAE, from a new perspective, by magnifying some of their less obvious peripheral elements. Visitors are invited to take part using their mobile phones or cameras, re-photographing the archival images and finding their own story in them. 

In collaboration with The National Pavilion United Arab Emirates (UAE) – La Biennale di Venezia

Age: 15+

Entry: Free

This workshop is aimed at aspiring writers, poets or anyone looking to develop their own literary practice.  Participants arrive at the workshop with personal texts of any genre (poetry, extracts from a novel, memoir, etc.) and receive feedback from peers in a non-threatening and constructive setting. This workshop is only open to Arabic speakers and aims to support the development of the Arabic-language spoken-word, poetry and literary scene in the UAE.

Instructor: Farah Chamma

Age: 16+

In partnership with The Poetryhood

With Faysal Tabbarah of Architecture + other things 

This talk is focused on Tabbarah’s ongoing project, Almost Natural, which looks at the state and effects of the Anthropocene, which is a term used to describe the current geologic era we live in, whereby the planet is shaped most by human activity. Tabbarah calls into question the idea that nature and technology are opposites, pulling from his own work as a designer and architect that blurs the line between what is synthetic and what is natural.

Age: All Ages

In partnership with Nagwa Design

Participants in this four-day introductory course on the traditional Emirati craft of Telli begin by learning the basics. What is this craft? What is it made of? What are the raw materials and tools? What was it used for? What were the traditional patterns? Who still makes it and how? The course then delves into practical techniques and troubleshooting, inviting each participant to apply the techniques they have learned to produce their own individual piece. Materials provided. Final project and certificate available for an additional fee.

Instructor: Al Ghadeer UAE Crafts

Age: 16+

In partnership with Al Ghadeer UAE Crafts

Capacity: 10 people

Abu Dhabi Art and Meem Gallery will present a survey of works by Palestinian art historian and artist, Kamal Boullata hosted at Warehouse421. The exhibition will be comprised of Boullata’s last three series, Addolcendo, Angelus and Bilqis. This exhibition will be the first time that these three interconnected bodies of work will be shown together, and will offer audiences a unique opportunity to view and acquire the artist’s recent oeuvre in one setting. Boullata’s paintings are created to reflect a sense of time and a feeling of light, giving the viewer a feeling of spatial ambiguity.

In this two-day workshop, participants will break free of Auto mode and gain a solid understanding of the essential elements in achieving a perfect exposure: ISO, shutter speed, and aperture. They will also explore the creative side of photography with a focus on the traditional rules of composition, as well as how to break them. By the end of the workshop, each participant will be able to confidently craft and shoot photos in semi-manual modes.

To book, click here:

www.gulfphotoplus.com/workshops/1/Photography-Level-1?si=1459

Instructor: Wilbur Smith

Age: 16+

In partnership with Gulf Photo Plus

Directed by: Stefanie Brockhaus, Andreas Wolff

Saudi Arabia, Germany | PG | Documentary, Feature | Arabic, English | 88 min

The inspirational and uplifting story of Hissa Hilal, a Saudi Arabian housewife who entered a high-profile poetry competition on TV, ‘Million’s Poet’. It’s the Arab world’s biggest poetry competition and in a part of the world where poetry is very much a live and thriving art form, competition is intense. Facing down a barrage of predominantly male rivals, self-taught poet Hissa not only makes it through to the finals, but also delivers a poem of female empowerment and emancipation.

In partnership with Cinema Akil

Directed by: Mounia Akl

Lebanon | 12+ | Drama, Short | Arabic | 21 min

Under the imminent threat of Lebanon’s garbage crisis, Hala, a wild child inside a woman, is the only one to refuse evacuation, clinging to whatever remains of home. The film was an Official Selection at the 69th Cannes Film Festival's Cinéfondation Competition. Submarine also won the Special Jury Prize in the Muhr Short Competition at the Dubai International Film Festival.

With HE Noura Al Kaabi and HE Zaki Nusseibeh, , moderated by Mishaal Al Gergawi

Although cultural diplomacy is a relatively recent term, the practice itself has existed for centuries, denoting a meaningful interaction between cultures, often via an exchange of language, ideals, art and religion. This evening’s discussion will explore the role of art and culture as a key facet of the UAE’s approach to cultural diplomacy with people and nations around the world.

Age: 16+

In partnership with National Pavilion United Arab Emirates la Biennale di Venezia (NPUAE)

Participants in this four-day introductory course on the traditional Emirati craft of Khoos begin by learning the basics. What is this craft? What is it made of? What are the raw materials and tools? What was it used for? What were the traditional patterns? Who still makes it and how? The course then delves into practical techniques and troubleshooting, inviting each participant to apply the techniques they have learned to produce their own individual piece. Materials provided. Final project and certificate available for an additional fee.

Instructor: Al Ghadeer UAE Crafts

Age: 16+

In partnership with Al Ghadeer UAE Crafts

Capacity: 5 people

Directed by: Mohamed Ben Attia

Tunisia | 18+ | Drama, Feature | Arabic | 88 min

Hedi, a young man with great dreams, is struggling his way through social conventions in Tunisia. While his mother tries to decide his life for him, Hedi meets Rym and suddenly he discovers that his world goes beyond and above conventions. Hedi's lead actor Majd Mastoura won the Silver Berlin Bear at the Berlinale, making it the first Arab film to win the prestigious award.

In partnership with Cinema Akil

Directed by: Mehdi Fleifel

Palestine & Greece | 12+ | Drama, Short | Arabic, Greek, English | 15 min

Alone and far from home, The Kid makes his way through a strange city looking for the means to get through his day. Surrounded by predators he is forced to make compromises merely to survive. His life of exile grows one day longer. Highlights: Mahdi Fleifel’s debut fiction film. The film landed its world premiere at the Cannes film festival where it was nominated for the short film Palme d'Or.

Participants in this hands-on workshop will explore the role of shape as an essential element in product design. With a particular focus on cone shapes and slab-building techniques, participants will be invited to design and create their own product idea using clay. Ceramic cone shapes are often used as a starting point to develop jugs, coffee drippers or hanging light shades. 

Age: 16+

In Partnership with Yadawei

Participants in this four-day introductory course on the traditional Emirati craft of Sadu weaving begin by learning the basics. What is this craft? What is it made of? What are the raw materials and tools? What was it used for? What were the traditional patterns? Who still makes it and how? The course then delves into practical techniques and troubleshooting, inviting each participant to apply the techniques they have learned to produce their own individual piece. Materials provided. Final project and certificate available for an additional fee.

Instructor:  Al Ghadeer UAE Crafts

Age: 16+

In Partnership with Al Ghadeer

Speakers: Helen Marriage and Kate Harvey of Artichoke

Attendees to this talk will hear from Artichoke, one of the UK’s leading producers of public art, on the importance of public art and design. The discussion will explore large-scale, ambitious, physical interventions and the key challenges involved in the successful development of art and design in the public realm.

In partnership with the British Council UAE and GREAT

2017 | Lebanon, Syria | PG-13 | Documentary | Arabic | 85 min

In Beirut, Syrian construction workers are building skyscrapers while their own homes are being shelled. These workers are confined to the site, forbidden as refugees to leave after sunset by decree of the Lebanese government. Cut off from their homeland, they gather at night around a small TV set for news about Syria.

In partnership with Cinema Akil

2017 | UAE | PG | Drama | Arabic | 16 min

A poignant story of Emirati women, spanning three generations. Mahra is a young bride, Najla a wedding organizer in her forties, and Um Ali a 70-year-old who takes care of her grandson, Rashid. Each one is in despair. How will their respective situations summon forth their inner fortitude? And, how are the three women connected?

H.E. Omar Saif Ghobash's 'letters' to his young Muslim son in the book Letters To A Young Muslim serves as the pivot around which artists respond in this latest exhibition by ATHR, Letters: Fragments of a Memory. Artists exhibiting in the show, with their work on sale, include Abdulkareem Qasem, Ahmed Mater, Ayman Yossri Daydban, Aya Haidar, Hazem Harb, Hajra Waheed, Joseph Rodriguez, Manal Al Dowayan, Moath Alofi, Muhannad Shono, Rund Alarabi, Rayyane Tabet, Saddek Wasil and Sara Rahbar.

The opening night of the exhibition includes a performance of And Here I Am by Ahmed Tobasi at 19:00.

This exhibition is brought to you by Abu Dhabi Art and ATHR gallery.

Continuing on the concept of memory explored in the exhibition, Letters: Fragments of a Memory; the theatre performance And Here I Am is based on the personal recollections of Palestinian actor Ahmed Tobasi. An epic voyage of identity and self-discovery, And Here I Am follows the protagonist through his transformation from resistance fighter to artist, capturing key moments in his journey as a refugee from the West Bank to Norway and then back again.

The performance will be in Arabic with English subtitles.

Participants in this practical workshop will learn different techniques for collaging and acrylic painting.  Led by visiting artist Kristina Alisauskaite, the session will cover a range of art-making techniques including the use of photocopies, old magazines, acrylic colours, brushes, sponges, stamps, coloured paper, dried plants and canvas. Alisauskaite, currently participating in Art Dubai’s new residents program at Warehouse421’s artist studios, will help participants to start creating their own universe.

Instructor: Kristina Alsauskaite

Age: 16+

In partnership with Art Dubai

Visitors to this unique behind-the-scenes experience will get an inside look at the art-making process of three international artists and an exclusive preview of what to expect at Art Dubai.  Three artists participating in the Art Dubai Residents Program – Kristina Alisauskaite, Iabadiou Piko and Faris Alosaimi – will boldly reveal their almost-finished works to the public and share insights into their residency in Abu Dhabi and how it has influenced the work they will unveil at Art Dubai.    

Age: 16+

Participants in this hands-on workshop will learn about the craft of Telli, including its history, traditions and basic techniques, before trying their own hand at this traditional technique for weaving with metallic threads. 

Instructor:  Al Ghadeer UAE Crafts

Age: 16+

In partnership with Al Ghadeer UAE Crafts

Participants in this hands-on workshop will learn about the craft of Khoos, including its history, traditions and basic techniques, before trying their own hand at this traditional technique for weaving with palm leaves. 

Instructor:  Al Ghadeer UAE Crafts

Age: 16+

In partnership with Al Ghadeer UAE Crafts

Participants in this hands-on workshop will learn about the craft of Sadu weaving, including its history, traditions and basic techniques, before trying their own hand at this indigenous métier.

The full four-day course is also being offered from 28-31 March 2018. 

Instructor:  Al Ghadeer UAE Crafts

Age: 16+

In partnership with Al Ghadeer

Participants in this workshop will learn the etiquette for serving Arabic coffee and the other traditions of hospitality associated with this simple beverage. Beyond serving etiquette, the workshop also explores different types of dallahs (Arabic coffee pots), spices, their effects and the traditions associated with them.

Age: 16+

Instructor:  Al Ghadeer UAE Crafts

For the first time in the UAE, the two most recent national exhibitions unveiled by the UAE at the Venice Biennale are presented through an exhibition at Warehouse421 that explores the UAE’s participation at one of the art world’s oldest institution

Transformations: The Emirati National House, curated by Dr. Yasser Elsheshtawy, the UAE’s National Exhibition from the Venice Biennale’s 15th International Architecture Exhibition in 2016;

Rock, Paper, Scissors: Positions in Play, curated by Hammad Nasar, the UAE’s National Exhibition from the Venice Biennale’s 57th International Art Exhibition in 2017.

Visitors are invited to begin their journey into these exhibitions with an introduction to the UAE’s participation in the Venice Biennale and a behind-the-scenes view into the making of a national exhibition.

This exhibition is presented in partnership with the National Pavilion UAE – La Biennale di Venezia

National Pavilion UAE – La Biennale di Venezia

Transformations: The Emirati National House

Rock, Paper, Scissors: Positions in Play

Dedicated to connecting new artists with the community, Galleries Week features six commercial galleries exhibiting artworks from emerging and established artists, offering the community an opportunity to purchase artworks with prices starting at AED 650 .

With a diverse program of performances, activities and designers, brought to you by the creative team of Festember, Galleries Week introduces a vibrant art platform for residents to engage with the exciting cultural scene in Abu Dhabi.

Participants in this four-day workshop will learn how to progress an idea into a well-designed and high-quality product. Divided into four parts, the program covers research and strategy, design, prototyping and development, and finally, production. This workshop is ideal for budding entrepreneurs, aspiring inventors or anybody with an idea that they want to explore. 

Instructor:  Slash

Age: 16+

In partnership with Nagwa

Participants in this workshop will learn about the use of color, dyeing and natural colorants. Led by experts from Al Ghadeer, the session covers a range of natural ingredients, exploring where they come from, how they are extracted and the colors they produce. Practical demonstrations, including the mixing of ingredients over a burner, will be used to demonstrate the different effects of colorants on wool, palm leaves, and natural and synthetic fibres.

Instructor:  Al Ghadeer UAE Crafts

Age: 16+

In partnership with Al Ghadeer

A meditation followed by a painting workshop for those looking to break into the craft.

Led by visiting artist Iabadiou Piko, this painting workshop begins with a meditation, an exploration into the things (the people, places, sights) that move you personally. It then takes you through from freehand sketching to delving into materials, and then onto construction and techniques, and finally painting.

Piko is currently producing work for Art Dubai’s residents program at Warehouse421’s new artist studios.

Instructor:Iabadiou Piko
Age group: 16+

In partnership with Art Dubai.

Jiwa Jiwa Dibawah Awan Hitam, courtesy of Orbital Dago and the artist Iabadiou Piko.

Directed by Kaouther Bin Hania
2017 | Tunisia | PG-13 | Drama, Crime | Arabic | 100 min

A critical smash at Cannes Film Festival last year, where it was screened to acclaim in the Un Certain Regard section, this is a gripping moral conundrum featuring two young Tunisian women. During a student party, Mariam meets the mysterious Youssef and leaves with him. And so begins an epic journey to the end of the night, during which she'll have to fight for her rights and her dignity. But how can justice be dispensed when she has to assert her innocence in the face of her tormentors?

Directed by: Muzna Al Musafer
2014 | Oman, Zanzibar | PG | Drama | Swahili | 21 min

The dark-skinned 11-year-old Cholo meets his fair-skinned younger stepbrother Abdullah for the first time when their father Said arrives in Muscat. Although strikingly different, the boys have great chemistry. Cholo is an 11-year-old boy full of imagination and a great love for nature and life. But jealousy, competitiveness and curiosity arise between the two as they go through a journey of self-discovery.