Expo 2020 Dubai: Terra artworks tell story of humans and nature

Dubai - Specially commissioned by Expo 2020 in collaboration with Art Dubai, the installations tell the story of humans’ relationship to the planet.

Published: Wed 31 Mar 2021, 1:59 PM

By
Dhanusha Gokulan

Five thought-provoking art installations demonstrating a Middle Eastern response on ‘sustainability’ are now on display at Terra – The Sustainability Pavilion. Specially commissioned by Expo 2020 in collaboration with Art Dubai, the installations tell the story of humans’ relationship to the planet.

Marjan Faraidooni, chief experience officer, Expo 2020 Dubai, said: “The five pieces help articulate our sustainability messages in uniquely visual and inspiring ways, further empowering people to make changes towards a cleaner, safer, healthier future.”

The four artists and their five artworks are: Zeinab Alhashemi’s Takween; Mohammed Ahmed Ibrahim’s Hugs; Mohammed Kazem’s Directions (Expo 2020) and Measuring; and Ayman Zedani’s Terrapolis.

Takween explores the hidden connections and geometry found in nature as a universal language. Among the UAE’s first generation of contemporary artists, Mohammed Ahmed Ibrahim hails from Khorfakkan, a coastal city in the UAE surrounded by the mountains, and his deep connection with the environment is evident in his work. Hugs is an interactive installation forming a reflective walk-through space where visitors are asked to examine how their values impact their decisions, especially when it comes to big questions such as the environment.

Mohammed Kazem combines technological and traditional methodologies in an ongoing exploration of his environment, whether social, political or natural. Ayman Zedani is a visual artist from Saudi Arabia whose work sits at the crossroads between installation, sound, photography, video and science and attempts to renegotiate the relationship between human and more-than-human in regard to the future of the planet and, more specifically, the future of the Gulf.

dhanusha@khaleejtimes.com