Art Fair ~ Abu Dhabi

Road trip!!!  That's right ~ 4 crazy women from Dubai hopped a bus and headed to the Art Fair in Abu Dhabi!!!  

Upon arrival in the city, we hit three exhibits.  First, in the Fairmont Hotel, we enjoyed the work of three distinctive artists.  Each woman, using a different medium, expressed her feelings about living in the UAE.  My personal favorite was Emily Gordan.  She was a multi-media artist who layered her work under a special resin.  It was vibrant, colorful, and of course: blingy!!!

 

The second artist used what looked like water-color.  And just a hint of bling (not sure if the sparkles are glinting in this picture)!

The third artist had a different 'slant' on the UAE ~ 

Another mixed-media piece ~ I couldn't help but think of my friend, Kathy McConnell, when I looked at these pieces ... 

At the second gallery, we saw a series inspired by the Formula One races and speed! 

But even racing has to have .... Bling!!!! 

This was my favorite:

Our third gallery stop had some very interesting pieces. In the entryway was a painting by a Canadian woman who has made her home in the UAE. Absolutely LOVED her work: 

If you look closely, you can see an Arabic word in the negative space between the shattered crystals: "Truth" 

Unlike our Art Bus tour of Dubai last year, this tour in Abu Dhabi was not all about hopping on and off the bus. After these first three gallery stops, we headed to the fantastic Manarat Al Saadiyat: a gorgeous venue under a copper, sand dune shaped roof, where they even rolled out the red carpet for us!

Housed under the 'dunes' roof were the works of what seemed like a gabajillion artists with displays ranging from oils and acrylics to cast iron sculptures to video productions. This simple video piece had quite the soothing effect (and I could be wrong about what it is exactly.... maybe it was computer generated... not sure, but they were all very cool!) ~ 

I had mixed feelings about this work of art: I loved that beauty is all around us in the nature, but I was a bit disturbed thinking of all the butterflies that gave up wings for this wonder.... 

And here are the four Lovelies ~

This man's work was a feast for the eyes ~ I loved the enamel work ~ 

And lots of modern art in the UAE ~ 

This woman was showcasing photographs of Indian holy women ~ women who thereby simply 'don't exist' because it is not believed that women can be moved by the spirit.... 

As a woman who loves texture, I was drawn to this 'paper' creation. It reminded me of the lovely work I collected in Colombia ~ 

And because this exhibit was in the UAE, and everything in the UAE is bigger than anywhere else.... there had to be a GIANT photobooth!!!! See the poster-sized picture spitting out at the top?

Next are my two favorites for the day. First, an elegant, sensual painting all in black. ALL in black ~ no shading or tinting. The 'picture' is visible only because of the way the light plays on the artist's brush strokes!

And finally, the piece de resistance! As I came around a corner and headed toward the 'painting' at the far end of the walkway, I noticed that it was... moving! As I swayed from right to left, the walls in this painting actually moved with me!! I walked closer and closer, mesmerized by the movement, until my nose almost touched.... the pyramidal protrusion on this three-dimensional sculpture!!!!!!! It was an optical illusion that held my fascination for the rest of the day!!!!! 

I tried to take of video... not sure if it conveys what I felt: 

Oh, if only I had $98,000 to spend.... 

Here's one hot, tired, (almost) patron of the arts!