"The high-profile street artist KAWS will take centre stage in a major Abu Dhabi public art initiative launching next month. KAWS'S work-which shows the artist's signature Companian figure reclining on its back while lifting a lit moon in its hands-will feature in the second edition of Manar Abu Dhabi. The exhibition of light works takes its name from the Arabic for "light" or "guiding light"."
"Overseen by the artistic director Khai Hori, 23 works across four locations will be included in this edition, all under the theme of The Light Compass. Fifteen works will be shown at Jubail Island, which organisers describe as the "anchor location", including Emirati sculptor Shaikha Al Mazrou's circular land art installation Contingent Object ( 2025) and a dome-like structure by the multidisciplinary Dutch artist duo DRIFT."
"I'm showing Floral Resonance, an interactive audio-visual work built from a detailed 3D scan of a living plant on site, which responds through capacitive sensors to the proximity and touch of visitors, [helping to] shape the visuals and ambient sound in real time."
"Manar Abu Dhabi is part of the larger umbrella initiative Public Art Abu Dhabi, which when it launched in 2023 had a budget of $35m. The emirate is keen to promote its cultural credentials and position itself as a major cultural hub via projects such as Saadiyat Island, home to the Louvre Abu Dhabi and the new Zayed National Museum which opens 3 December."
Manar Abu Dhabi's second edition will present 23 works across four locations under the theme The Light Compass. KAWS will feature with a Companion figure reclining while lifting a lit moon. Fifteen works will appear at Jubail Island, the designated anchor location, including Shaikha Al Mazrou's Contingent Object and a dome-like installation by DRIFT. Al Ain is included for the first time with eight installations along the Al Qattara and Al Jimi oasis trails by artists such as Maitha Hamdan, Ammar Al Attar and Christian Brinkmann. Brinkmann's Floral Resonance is an interactive audio-visual piece that responds to visitor proximity and touch. Manar Abu Dhabi falls under Public Art Abu Dhabi, which launched in 2023 with a $35m budget, supporting the emirate's cultural hub ambitions alongside Saadiyat Island projects and the Zayed National Museum opening.
Read at The Art Newspaper - International art news and events
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