Ishara: Signs, Symbols and Shared Languages

The concept of the exhibition is derived from a broad understanding of the meaning and use of language. In Arabic, Ishara, denotes “sign”—the most basic form of communication, and refers to the linguistic marks, gestures and indications, as well as commonly used signals that transcend language, like those used in traffic or urban spaces. The curatorial process for the exhibition has been thematically informed by the idea of “lingua franca,” which hints at constructed, second or third languages that were used to aid communication between various groups or in situations where communication was difficult.

Curated by Karim Sultan and Laura Metzler, the exhibition featured new works by 10 UAE-based artists, in addition to loaned works by guest artists Ramin Haerizadeh, Rokni Haerizadeh and Hesam Rahmanian. The participating artists for the 2018 edition of UAE Unlimited were Amna Al Dabbagh, Cheb Moha, Chndy, Dina Khorchid, Farah Al Qasimi, Flounder Lee, Nasir Nasrallah, Saba Qizilbash, Salem Al Mansoori, and Shaikha Al Ketbi.

For this exhibition I worked closely with the artists on how best to display their works, created layouts, made virtual reality walk-throughs, and handled all design, lighting, and production for the exhibition. I ensured that the vendors we chose were fair priced and had high production standards.