Retrospective opens in Paris
PARIS 25 September 2018: Dubai Culture opened the first international retrospective of Emirati artist Abdulqader Al Rais, at the Institut du Monde Arabe (Arab World Institute) in Paris.
It runs from 25th September 21st October 2018.
The exhibition will provide a comprehensive display of over 50 of the artist’s works spanning from the 1960s until today. It will cover various periods in the artist’s career, from his time in Kuwait to his current life in Dubai, said Wam.
Considered one of the pioneers of contemporary art in the Arabian Gulf , Abdulqader Al Rais played a pivotal role in enriching the nation’s arts scene. The artist created a special painting for this exhibition titled ‘An Eternal Spring’ to celebrate the ‘Year of Zayed 2018’ initiative, and, in honour of this unique exhibition, he will present one of his masterpieces from his ‘Serenity Series 2017 – Watercolour on Paper’ as a gift to the Arab World Institute.
Coinciding with the ‘Year of Zayed 2018’ initiative in the UAE, the event reaffirms the cultural legacy of the late Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan and his role in consolidating relations with France since his first official visit to the country in July 1975. In recognition of his great role, the Arab World Institute prepared a historical film about the UAE and Sheikh Zayed in May 2016 entitled ‘Sheikh Zayed … An Arab Legacy.’
This was a remarkable and unique execution within the activities of the Institute as a gesture of appreciation for his peace-loving personality, tolerance, and understanding among the people of the world as well as for his fundamental support for the establishment of the Institute and the teaching of Arabic in France.
In addition to the exhibition, a number of panel discussions will be held in which some of the UAE’s arts and culture enthusiasts and VIPs will participate, while Abdulqader Al Rais will organise a panel session and hold a live-drawing session for visitors. On 14th October, exhibition visitors will have the opportunity to take part in a panel discussion on Dubai’s growing art landscape and available platforms that support artists and artworks from the UAE and abroad.
The UAE delegation to the French capital was attended by Mohammed Al Murr, Chairman of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Library, who also inaugurated the exhibition; Zaki Nusseibeh, Minister of State; writer Abdulghaffar Hussain; Ahmed Al Sarkal, Chairman of Alserkal Group; and Ali bin Thalith, Secretary-General of the Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum International Photography Award.
Saeed Al Nabouda, Acting Director-General of Dubai Culture, said, “We are delighted to launch this unique retrospective by Emirati artist Abdulqader Al Rais which will provide a vantage from which the audience may be exposed to the UAE’s thriving art sector and its global skills. The event will contribute to consolidating relations between the United Arab Emirates and France, and will support the prospects for cooperation between the two countries in various fields, mainly in arts and culture.”
