Emirati Expressions

This multimedia app accompanies the Emirati Expressions: Realised exhibition. Emirati Expressions: Realised features the work of six influential Emirati artists, each of whom has 'realised' a long-desired project. The app includes an adult tour and a family tour, introducing and guiding you to the processes and artworks of Layla Juma, Abdullah Al Saadi, Mohammed Al Mazrouei, Mohammed Kazem, Ebtisam Abdulaziz, and Mohammed Ahmed Ibrahim.

The adult Emirati Expressions: Realised tour features exclusive video interviews (in the artist’s native Arabic) with each of the six artists. These videos will take you through the cities of Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah and Korfakkan in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), to see each artist in their workspace and to have a first-hand account of their artistic approaches, philosophies, and processes. Each artist's work is explored in three segments: the first includes audio interview excerpts with curator Reem Fadda), describing why she selected these artists for this exhibition and why their work is innovative and thought-provoking. The second and third segments are video clips in which each artist discusses their artistic ideas and artwork. These short videos explore either the artist's physical work environment or their process and/or materials. The adult tour also introduces visitors to the history of art in the UAE and to the creative relationships the artists have sustained for more than two decades.

In the family tour, two playful characters, Maha the Arabian Oryx and Teetar the Gecko, lead children on a fascinating journey through the work of the six artists. Accompanied by the lead characters, children are encouraged to realise their dreams, inspired by the artworks on view in Emirati Expressions: Realised.

As they make their way across an artistic landscape of vivid colours, open oceans, and mountainscapes, they are assisted by the wise words of a magical Ghaf tree known as “The Tree of Knowledge.”

With six fun challenges to complete before journey's end, the app is a playful mix of learning, storytelling, and interactive fun.

The exhibition is on at Manarat Al Saadiyat, the premiere art, culture, and heritage centre in the Saadiyat Cultural District in Abu Dhabi. It is open daily 09:00 to 20:00 and entry is free of charge. Visit saadiyatculturaldistrict.ae for more information. Emirati Expressions: Realised is on view until 18th January 2014.