Abdullah Al Saadi: Sites of Memory, Sites of Amnesia
Overview
Co-published with National Pavilion UAE
Edited by: Tarek Abou El Fetouh and Rasha Salti
Contributions: Sultan Sooud Al Qassemi, Dr Aisha Bilkhair, Younes Mashish (pseudonym)
Sites of Memory, Sites of Amnesia accompanies Abdullah Al Saadi’s solo exhibition in the National Pavilion UAE at the 60th International Art Exhibition at La Biennale di Venezia. A prominent figure in the contemporary art scene of the UAE, Abdullah Al Saadi is a wanderer, chronicler, cartographer, poet, decipherer, memory carrier, and storyteller. The publication explores the poetic constellations that guide his practice through contributions from Sultan Sooud Al Qassemi (scholar, educator, collector, and eminent cultural figure in the UAE), Dr Aisha Bilkhair (scholar and keen observer of the social and cultural realms), and Younes Mashish (pseudonym; literary scholar). It also features chronicles from eight of the artist's journeys in the wilderness, which include drawings, paintings, and excerpts from the artist’s diary.
About the Artist
Abdullah Al Saadi
Born in Khor Fakkan, UAE, 1967. Working in drawing, photography, artist’s diaries, and found objects, Abdullah Al Saadi has exhibited both in the UAE and internationally. In 2014, Sharjah Art Foundation presented his solo exhibition Al-Toubay. He has participated in many other shows, including Emirati Expressions, Abu Dhabi (2013); Art of Body and Performance in the Gulf Region, an exhibit of 16 artists, at New York University, Abu Dhabi (2013); the 10th Sharjah Biennial (2011); the UAE Pavilion at the 53rd Venice Biennale (2009); Languages from the Desert at Kunstmuseum Bonn (2005); the 26th São Paulo Biennial (2004); the 6th Sharjah Biennial (2003); and Five Artists from the UAE, Ludwig Forum for International Art (2002). He received a bachelor’s degree in English Literature from the United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, in 1993, and studied Japanese art at Kyoto Seika University from 1994 to 1996.
Technical Details
- Publication Date:
- Wednesday, April 17, 2024
- Language:
- English
- Format:
- Hardcover
- Dimensions:
- 20.5 x 28.5 cm