Paper short abstract:

Displaced by development: how has contemporary art in a developing traditional society, such as the United Arab Emirates, been shaped by displacement, migration and ideology? The contradictory co-existence of tradition and modernity and what UAE art has come to represent will also be considered.

Paper long abstract:

The dictionary definition of displacement pertains to the "moving of something from its place or position." In the case of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) a country that has known rapid development, modernisation and expansion since the discovery of oil and the country's unification in 1971 and where the native population has become outnumbered by over 800% by foreign workers and expatriates, displacement seems a suitable term for the feelings expressed in art by Emiratis, who can feel like strangers in their own country.

This visually-led paper will begin with a brief introduction to the UAE context and to the country's particular art ecosystem. Art by Abdulqader Al Rais, Najat Maki, Hassan Sharif, Karima Al Shomely, Nasser Nasrallah and Afra Al Dhaheri will be explored. Many express the rapid urbanisation, the speeding up of time and other changes to Emirati traditional life.

It is important to consider the role of art by Emiratis within the UAE and abroad, as a means of communication and diplomacy. The responsibility of art organisations, museums and galleries may also be observed. Though tradition and heritage are important to UAE cultural identity, many Emirati artists attended art schools or residencies in Europe and the United States. Should observers therefore expect art by Emiratis to reflect Western art history, with art critics, muses and involved collectors also playing a part? What has art come to represent for the UAE?

This research includes interviews with over fifty artists, collectors, curators, writers, art dealers in the UAE.