Art of making presence felt even in absentia

An art piece at the Abu Dhabi Art Exhibit in Manarat Saadiyat Cultural District.

You might never have noticed them; you might have walked past dozens of times, on your way through the vast collections of the British Museum or the Louvre, and not have seen them. Small signs, sometimes glassily translucent, sometimes tagged with a brightly coloured dot, declaring 'object removed for photography', or otherwise for restoration, or maybe research. Temporary interruptions in the logic and flow of the museological display, they make a double promise that an object was there and that it will be returned.
Anna Blessmann began noticing and photographing these signs a decade ago and, together with Peter Saville they use the form of these museum placeholders to explore ideas of possession and collection, potential and imagination, and the art object itself.
Their artworks are now with the Paul Stolper art gallery in London and the gallery has brought one piece, the "Object transferred to Room 90" to the Abu Dhabi Art (ADA).
As in the previous seven years, ADA is once again opening its doors to modern and contemporary art from around the world, some of it familiar, some of it quirky, but all creatively uplifting.
From France to UAE and from New York to Tokyo, 40 art galleries have booked a space at ADA this year.
The four-day art fair has a schedule packed with art related events and exhibits of the most engaging and, on occasion, the most unexpected kind.
Organised by the Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority (TCA) at Manarat Al Saadiyat and the Pavilion on Saadiyat island, ADA brings together not only contemporary art galleries showcasing some of the latest "trends" in art, but also art historians, curators, museum directors and art collectors too.
"As we move towards an interwoven, comprehensive vision of Abu Dhabi's art scene, ADA provides a distinctive meeting point for diverse audiences to join together in a spirit of artistic exploration and intellectual discovery," said Rita Aoun-Abdo, executive director of Culture Sector at TCA. Apart from art galleries, several art shows and talks will be held at this year's fair.
Inspired by French ghettos and the New York City Ballet, Les Bosquets, an art video by JR, atypical French artist who exhibits freely on the streets of the world, will be screened daily during ADA.
Details for the fair's programme are available on www.abudhabiart.ae. - silvia@khaleejtimes.com

• UAE
• Abu Dhabi

Silvia Radan

silvia@khaleejtimes.com