Abu Dhabi Art: ‘Durub Al Tawaya’
As part of Abu Dhabi Art a project titled ‘Durub Al Tawaya’ will see a series of public buses transformed into interactive art spaces, taking visitors on a journey between cultural happenings.
Inspired by Greek poet Constantine Cavafy’s poem ‘Ithaka’ which celebrates the concept of a journey, the buses will take visitors between a series of performances and meeting points. The project encourages visitors to see the buses not as a connection between two places, but an experience of the journey.
The buses themselves are considered moving artworks and their interiors have been transformed into site-specific pieces. A series of artists have worked on the project including Cao Fei, a multimedia artist based in Beijing; Wael Shawky, an Egyptian artist who creates large multimedia works; Zeinab Al Hashimy, an Emirati artist who is attempting to pave a local style; and Russian Born American based artist Ilya and Emilia Kabakov.
The project represents a desire to embed art within the cultural fabric of Abu Dhabi. The inclusion of the buses travelling around the city allows people that may not attend the event itself to become engaged with art and culture. The project also broadens the idea of visitors attending art fairs to ‘view’ works, instead allowing them to immerse themselves within them as an active participant.
The fair also incorporates a series of workshops, interviews and over 50 galleries exhibiting works from around the world. Abu Dhabi Art takes place in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates from Wednesday 20 – Sunday 23 November 2013.
