• • Winter season will see a new exhibition opening, The Cup and Saucer, focused on the themes of individualism and community
• • Winter season will see ongoing series of talks and workshops as part of public programing for How to Maneuver: Shape-shifting texts and other publishing tactics
• • Range of workshops include a rich variety of sessions focused on textiles, alongside return of previous partners such as Cinema Akil and the Goethe-Institut

Abu Dhabi, UAE – 05 January 2020: Warehouse421 has announced the line-up of its Winter Program, presenting a variety of exhibitions, workshops, short courses, and events designed to enable creative learning opportunities and encourage the exploration of regional themes. During the winter program, which runs from January to March, Warehouse421 is set to work with a range of local, regional and international partners and collaborators to present diverse and involving artistic experiences for the local community.

Speaking of the winter program, Faisal Al Hassan, Manager of Warehouse421, said “At Warehouse421, we have sought to develop an engaging and immersive series of public programing and exhibitions that work to bolster the emergent creative community in the UAE and the region. Over the course of the next three months, we aim to emphasize the wide range of arts and design present in the UAE and the Middle East, in order to support the suffusion of creative practices, bringing art closer to the community and cultivating its positive impact on all of us.

“This season, our programming presents a new exhibition, The Cup and the Saucer, with artist Hashel Al Lamki and the talented curator Munira Al Sayegh. The exhibition places an emphasis on engaging critically with materials and creative processes; and the opportunities to explore further arts and cultural frontiers in the UAE, in order to collectively provide new avenues for creative learning and immersion,” Al Hassan concluded.

Opening on March 7, The Cup and the Saucer explores individualism as part of the self in the wider whole, from a variety of disciplinary backgrounds, and evokes as its titular inspiration the metaphoric and momentary divorce that takes place when a cup parts from its saucer, and how, within that moment, a single item breaks into two. March will also see a workshop and a roundtable discussion that will offer further insight into the exhibition.

Additionally, How to Maneuver: Shape-shifting texts and other publishing tactics, will run through until 16 February. Featuring over 40 pieces of work from artists, architects and designers, the exhibition questions the boundaries separating Publishing from independent publishing, or mainstream from alternative cultural production, with an aim to understand the act of publishing, or making something public. The exhibition’s program will feature a Publishing Maneuvers Symposium that will take place on the 7 and 8 February.

In January, Warehouse421 welcomes the artist led platform, Naqd Critique, which will run a series of workshops on the skill of creative critique on contemporary art. In the first workshop, the platform will focus on Warehouse421’s ongoing exhibition, How to Maneuver. It will return in February for a session on discussing textiles.

Making its debut as well in 2020 at Warehouse421 is a series of programs designed to allow the creative community in the UAE to learn directly from established local artists. The series, titled Artist Community Engagement, aims to foster a direct exchange between inter-generational creatives to further develop and diversify the arts scene in the UAE. Renowned locally based artists Ramin Haerizadeh, Rokni Haerizadeh & Hesam Rahmanian; Shaikha Al Mazrou; and Mohamed Ahmed Ibrahim will all lead sessions, taking place at different times over the winter season. The artists have devised the sessions uniquely to combine theory and practice.

Additionally, Warehouse421 is collaborating with the Goethe-Institut for a workshop titled Site Specificity and the Director’s Eye, facilitated by award-winning director and producer, Stephan Koplowitz. The three-day workshop will provide insights on the production and creation of site-specific performances, which are inspired by design, history and the context of the space.

In February, Warehouse421 is presenting a range of workshops focused on the dialogue between fine art and textiles. UAE-based artist Fatima Uzdenova will run a two-part workshop, titled Subversive Stitch, discussing the role of women in the history of embroidery, as well as teaching participants the skills of needlework. A three-part workshop series will be led by Egyptian fashion designer, Engy Mahdy, on the process of creating garments, from the basics of sewing to completing a draped garment. Meanwhile, workshops on Palestinian embroidery, or Tatreez, will return to Warehouse421, led by UAE multidisciplinary artist, Joanna Barakat, along with the popular Contemporary Jewelry Making Series, teaching participants the processes of making leather and crochet jewelry.

In addition, Warehouse421 will lead two art tours during the Winter Season, enabling Abu Dhabi residents and visitors to explore art installations in both Sharjah and Dubai. In January, participants will tour the Sharjah Art Foundation, the Sharjah Architecture Triennial, and the 1971 Design Space in Sharjah; whilst in March, the tour will showcase Art Dubai and Alserkal Avenue in Dubai. The tours are designed to engage both art professionals and enthusiasts to experience regional artwork in a new light.

Book-lovers of all ages can enjoy the Arabic Book Club in January, which focuses on the work of Iraqi writer Sinan Antoun, Ya Maryam. Additionally, the Khayal Book Series for young readers will take place at the end of each month. For cinephiles, Cinema Akil and the Goethe-Institut will both return to Warehouse421. Cinema Akil continues its  'Arabs and the City' series, focused on Arab urban life. Meanwhile, the Goethe-Institut will hold screenings on German art and cinema.

The winter season will commence at Warehouse421 on 14 January, running through until March 2020. For more information, visit warehouse421.ae