How does an artwork form a relationship with the space in which it lives? How does an artwork become “public” despite the “private” processes it has with its creator, the artist? Join us for a conversation that digs more deeply into art and space. A sculptor and a sound artist describe their works and how they inhabit the so-called ‘public realm.’

Join critic and curator Nadine Khalil in conversation with artists Azza Al Qubaisi and Safeya Alblooshi.

About the Panel:

Azza Al Qubaisi is a jewellery artist, product designer and sculptor. She has a BA in Jewellery Design and Allied Crafts from London Guildhall University and an MA in Cultural and Creative Industries from the Centre of Excellence for Applied Research & Training (CERT) based at the Higher Colleges of Technology (HCT). She has exhibited in solo and group exhibitions in the UAE and worldwide, highlights of which include Portrait of a Nation (Berlin, 2017); UAE National Day Exhibition at EXPO Milano (Milan, 2015); Three Generations, Sotheby’s (London, 2013); Sculpture to Wear at Tashkeel (Dubai, 2012); A 1001 Steps Festival (Helsinki, 2004). She has also exhibited in Doha (Bahrain), Morocco, Cairo and Brussels. Her work has been published in several books, including 500 Earrings: New Directions in Contemporary Jewellery (Lark Crafts, 2007). She was a winner at the British Council’s Young Creative Entrepreneur Awards, as well as the Emirates Woman of the Year Awards.

In 2018, the artist participated in Artists and the Cultural Foundation: The Early Years, Abu Dhabi Cultural Foundation. In 2021, Azza exhibited in Art Space, a collaboration between The Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi and ALDAR properties.

Azza Al Qubaisi is a recipient of the Cultural Foundation Art Residency 2021.

Safeya Alblooshi experiments with sound in the realms of manipulated field recordings, experimental composition and participatory performance to engage with topics of conceptual narrative, environmental listening and interactivity in performance.

In addition to performing at the annual Hekayah | The Story (2021) at the NYUAD Arts Center, Safeya has also done sound for live performance and moving image, such as Re|sound V in the Sharjah Arts Foundation (2020) and has collaborated in various soundscape projects, one of which was recently presented at the UAE programming of the Smithsonian Folklife Festival (2022). She has completed her BA in Music from NYU Abu Dhabi with a minor in Interactive Media in 2021.

Nadine Khalil is an independent arts writer, researcher, curator and content specialist. After a decade-long stint in art publishing, she is currently advising art institutions such as the Ishara Art Foundation, Goethe and the NYUAD Arts Center in editorial strategy and content development. She is former editor of Dubai-based contemporary art magazine, Canvas (2017-2020) and Beirut-based magazines A mag and Bespoke (2010-2016). Her writing can be found in Art Review, Ocula, Brooklyn Rail, Goethe’s Art and Thought journal and the Women’s Review of Books. She has authored a series of artist monographs (Paroles d'Artistes) on Lebanese artists Samir Sayegh, Hanibal Srouji and the late filmmaker Jocelyne Saab curated for film festivals such as MidEast Cut and the Arab Independent Film Festival.