Introduction
ADISS 2010 – a cultural event to showcase public art and sculpture in the capital of the U.A.E.
ADISS is held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al
Nahyan, the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the U.A.E.
Armed Forces, who is dedicated to establishing Abu Dhabi as the cultural center
of the Middle East, in line with his 2030 vision.
This unique event is brought to Abu Dhabi under the direction of His Excellency
Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan - the Minister of Higher Education and
Scientific Research and President of Zayed University (ZU). Sheikh Nahayan is
committed to bringing together culture and education through ADISS, under the
theme of "Bridging Societies Through the Language of Art".
ADISS 2010 will be held and organized under the umbrella of Zayed University - an
internationally accredited university with campuses in Abu Dhabi and Dubai - in
collaboration with Salwa Zeidan Gallery, one of Abu Dhabi's eminent contemporary
art spaces.
The six-week symposium will run from February 25th to April 7th 2010 and will
reveal the works of some of the most talented international artists who were
carefully selected to give the Symposium a multi-cultural context.
Each artist was asked to submit three proposals for sculptures that were inspired
by the U.A.E., its history, and its culture, and were also linked to the theme
of ADISS: "Bridging Societies Through the Language of Art". During the
symposium, visitors will have the opportunity to watch the selected
international artists at work, as they create the sculptures commissioned for
Abu Dhabi. There will also be an opportunity to attend a series of lectures and
workshops by the visiting artists, which have been organized by Zayed University (ZU)
and include topics such as 'Art and Environment' and 'Originality and Identity
in Public Sculpture'.
At the conclusion of the Symposium, the new monumental sculptures will be
permanently placed at selected public spaces throughout Abu Dhabi, which will
complement His Highness Sheikh Mohammed's vision for a cultural city with
artistic landmarks.