Abu Dhabi Art Fair showcases Al Burda Award winners

The Ministry of Culture and Youth will collaborate with Abu Dhabi Art to present a selection of Al Burda Award-winning submissions from prior years. The collection will be on display at the Abu Dhabi Art Fair’s 13th edition at Manarat Al Saadiyat, including Islamic Art from various genres such as decoration and calligraphy.

Her Excellency Noura bint Mohammed Al Kaabi, Minister of Culture and Youth, said: “Showcasing some of the best pieces from the Al Burda collection in Abu Dhabi Art reaffirms our trust in this international platform that brings the best of Art from across the world. The Ministry of Culture and Youth is committed to supporting Islamic Art and promoting it not just within the Islamic world but also among other cultures.”

Her Excellency added: “Art transcends cultures, religions and nationalities, and has a unique power to unite people, this is what we seek to achieve through our participation in Abu Dhabi Art. Reaffirming the universality of Art, the carefully curated Al Burda collection will be exhibited alongside other genres of Art for visitors from different backgrounds to see and appreciate.”

“With attendees coming from all over the world, the exhibition also confirms the world’s trust in the UAE for safely hosting in-person large-scale events following the pandemic,” Her Excellency concluded.

In 2019, the Ministry of Culture and Youth joined with Abu Dhabi Art for the first time to present the work of ten Al Burda Endowment grantees. The exhibition featured a wide range of artworks, including sculpture, textile-based work, photography, installation, virtual reality, and interactive projects. This partnership exemplifies the Ministry’s ongoing efforts to collaborate with local institutions in order to promote and improve Islamic arts and culture. This year, the two organizations have teamed up once more to promote Art and culture.

The 13th edition of the Abu Dhabi Art Fair has unveiled a lineup of 50 local, regional, and international galleries that will participate. 14 new galleries and 36 returning galleries will present artwork from 19 nations.

The involvement of the Abu Dhabi Art Fair in the Al Burda Festival, which will take place from December 19-21 this year, will add to the momentum. The Al BurdaFestival will showcase an exhibition of chosen artworks from the Abu Dhabi Art Fair, further cementing the two organizations’ partnership.

Launched in 2004, Al Burda Award reinforces the UAE’s message of tolerance and peaceful coexistence among people worldwide by highlighting the diversity of Islamic Art and bringing people together through artistic and cultural endeavors. Al Burda Festival was launched in 2018 to further promote this message.The name Al Burda comes from the thirteenth-century poem by Imam Al Busiri, written in praise of the Prophet Muhammad.