"Khaleejiness" Exhibition

This exhibit was prompted by “Encapsulated Volume 1: Photoessays on Khaleejiness,” a book published under SWALIF that exists as a meeting ground between intellectual and cultural thought around what the Khaleeji experience entails to a newer generation of our society. This experience is told through the photographs, installations and videos of a newer generation, focusing on their personal and unique exploration of Khaleejiness.

The photographers participating in this exhibit either selected work from their archive that reflects their experience of Khaleejiness or used the prompt of this project to produce new work. Khaleejiness is an exploration of Khaleeji identity as a multi-faceted, ever-changing feature of reality. We aim to question the legitimacy of attempting to define identity and ultimately explore coining a new term to replace our previous idea of ‘Khaleeji Identity,’ and that is ‘Khaleejiness.’

This exhibition was a pillar of a significant cultural shift within Abu Dhabi, reorienting towards a youth-led creative scene. Over 1,000 guests visited the exhibition in our first week, 3,000 in the first month, and around 6,000 by the end of its run. Our exhibition extended to participate in Abu Dhabi Art, the Sharjah Entrepreneurship Festival, and the AlBurda Expo 2020 Festival.

Featured Artists: Khaldoun Khelaifi, Abdulaziz Abdullah Alhosni, Hajar AlMutairi. Hamad Al-Fayhani, Ishaq Madan, Lama Al Jalal, Mahmood Al Zadjali, Shamsa Al Mansoori, Ali Al Hosani, Mariam AlKatheeri, Zayed AlHaddar, and Tariq Al Hajri