A new art exhibition in Abu Dhabi celebrates the city’s landmarks from a different perspective
Ever wondered what would happen if you took the capital’s landscape and used it to create unique abstract patterns? No? Well, French photographer Isabelle Avenarius did, and the result is ‘Mosaiques – Abu Dhabi’, a collection of photographs manipulated into becoming abstract works of art.
Isabelle, who was born in Casablanca and raised in Paris, is a photographer and painter. She moved to Abu Dhabi in 2012 but is no stranger to unique art projects: her previous ‘Street’ series depicted Abu Dhabi’s roads as vibrant streams of light thanks to long exposure photography.
For her latest exhibition, ten images are printed on circular acrylic tiles, 1m in diameter. At first they look like geometric compositions of symmetrical patterns, but upon closer inspection you will discover familiar buildings that you might see every day, including Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, the Corniche and Khalidiya Palace.
The original pictures of the buildings have been shrunk and replicated to create abstract patterns, a homage to non-figurative Arabic art as well as to the UAE capital.
‘Mosaiques – Abu Dhabi’ opens on 15th April from 7pm to 9pm. The reception is free and open to the public.
The pieces will be on display until 30th June at Fairmont Bab Al Bahr, in Khor Al Maqta’a. Contact: 02 654 3333 www.fairmont.com
Laura Volpi