SALMAH AL MANSOORI’S FIRST SOLO “GHAYATHI” SHEDS LIGHT ON THE CONDITION OF BUILDINGS IN THE WESTERN REGION. CURATED BY FATIMA AL KURDI, THE ARTIST SHARES THE OBSCURITY OF THE PLACES SHE WITNESSED AND THE MULTIPLE TRANSITIONS THEY UNDERWENT.
Taking Daily trips from and to her hometown Ghayathi, Salmah Al Mansoori developed a strong desire to explore the route she observes for hours. Starting from the desert, and demolished buildings, to the abandoned houses that were left with untold stories that Salmah attempts to narrate. Composing a series of works inspired by the neighborhoods she ran across and the uninhabited homes that were once populous, Salmah shares the obscurity of the places she witnessed and the multiple transitions they underwent.
Through “Ghayathi” Al Mansoori outsets an investigational journey into houses that were built during the 1980s in the western region of the emirate of Abu Dhabi. She highlights the condition of these buildings between the past and the now. Seeing familiar spaces being disrupted by elements of gloominess and isolation, realizing that these residents are no longer what they once seemed to be. With attentive observation the walls of these demolished kitchens, bedrooms and living rooms- she reimagines the moments, feelings, and experiences of former inhabitants in spaces that burst with uncertainty.
With every object left behind, Salmah sees many possibilities for nostalgic narratives, that documents of the historical transition that many individuals, families, and spaces have witnessed. she is inviting the spectator to reimagine the scenarios that might have once happened, which remain open to possible meanings and interpretations.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Salmah Al Mansoori is an Abu Dhabi-based multidisciplinary artist. Born in Ghayathi, Aldhafra in 2001. Investigating the intersections of place and memory. She has developed a diverse practice that includes painting, sculpture, ceramics, installation photography, and video. She currently interns for i.e. Art projects and works as an exhibition assistant for Engage 101, helping foster a greater arts ecosystem and community locally and internationally. And volunteers as the Student Council President for her college.
While her career continues to grow, Almansoori’s work has already been featured in recent exhibitions at Dubai’s ZUUSS Gallery(2022), Puertas Adentro, Punta Del Este, Uruguay( 2022), Dubai Design District(2022), and the 4th International Digital Media Triennial (2021). She completed residency programs, including Volume 6, Samt Alternative Art School residency program(2022), and MANGO Residencia para Artistas together with Puertas Adentro, casa de artista, Argentina, Uruguay(2022). Recent projects have included: Abu Dhabi Family Forum (Art and Culture), Abu Dhabi, UAE (2020); TwoFour54 Media and Art Souq, Abu Dhabi, UAE (2020);She will receive her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Visual Art from Zayed University, Abu Dhabi, UAE, in August 2023. @Visualsalmah
ABOUT THE CURATOR
Fatima Al Kurdi, a Senior Curator and an Art Advisor at Iris Art Advisory. She has an academic background in Art History and Archeology from Sorbonne Abu Dhabi. Her experience is focused on both the Art market & Art education. She has worked at the Louvre Abu Dhabi and the art collections of the Presidential Palace of Abu Dhabi. Along with curation, Fatima continues to work with New York-based galleries providing south Asian artworks to a variety of clientele between UAE, New York, and India.
In 2022 Fatima produced 6 Art Exhibitions Including, “Versus collective consciousness”, “Fractured Existence “and “Chill” Summer in the city”. “Fractured Existence” “I hear their Echoes” and “Imaginary Burdens”. Her exhibitions are a way to encourage the public to re-evaluate their opinions on art and to change their experience and perception of the Art world. @fatimalkurd
