Conventions of Arts closed down its exhibition of artworks by 15 Emirati artists, which have been on display at Manarat Al Saadiyat and throughout the city of Abu Dhabi since November 2015. Alongside the duration of the exhibition, a series of panel discussions featuring the artists and curators, as well as Artscape, a celebratory evening of visual arts, music and workshops, took place. Emirati Expressions IV: Conventions of Arts is the fourth edition of an ongoing biannual initiative organised by Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority. The exhibition ran from November 12 2015 until March 31 2016, and was co-curated by Maisa Al Qassimi, Programmes Manager, Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, TCA Abu Dhabi and Reem Fadda, Associate Curator, Middle Eastern Art for the Abu Dhabi Project of the Solomon R. Guggenheim, with Assistant Curator Muneera Al Sayegh, Programmes Officer, Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, TCA Abu Dhabi. The exhibition featured the work of Emirati artists whose projects oscillate naturally between design and fine art, combining languages of form and use to produce a communal, cultural art practice that is embedded in the social fabric of the UAE. Artworks presented in the exhibition included wearable art, photography, furniture design, interactive video installations, paintings, illustrations and large-scale sculptures. Outside the main exhibition at Manarat Al Saadiyat, artists were invited to produce site-specific works for Abu Dhabi's diverse and historic social clubs. The various works were displayed at the India Social & Cultural Centre, Emirates Writers Union, the Armed Forces Officers Club and the Jordanian Association "Emirati Expressions is an ongoing project which aims to support and promote the growing Emirati art scene and connect our nation's talented artists with local and international communities," said Maisa Al Qassimi. "Our curatorial vision for this edition was guided by the insight that the arts of the UAE reflect a tradition of art practice that is embedded in the fabric of communities and combines functional design with aesthetic creativity. With this socially conscious artistic practice in mind, we were very pleased to engage with the diverse audiences and dynamic cultural institutions of the UAE throughout the exhibition." The artists whose work was presented in Emirati Expressions IV: Conventions of Arts were: Ammar Al Attar Afra Al Dhaheri Zeinab Al Hashemi Farah Al Qasimi Salem Al Qassimi Maryam Al Suwaidi Sumayyah Al Suwaidi Hind Bin Demaithan Rami Farook Lamya Gargash Alia Lootah Ghaya Bin Mesmar Khalid Mezaina Nasir Nasrallah Khalid Shafar Emirati Expressions were first held in 2009, when 64 Emirati artists presented more than 165 paintings, sculptures, drawings, calligraphic works, prints, photographs, videos, mixed media works and installations. The second edition (2011–2012) reflected on Emirati cultural heritage through the thematic lens ‘Movement of Thoughts', which included photographs by Emirati artists as well as visiting photographers with a global viewpoint. In 2013, Emirati Expressions: Realised showcased the newly commissioned artworks of six distinguished Emirati artists from across the UAE.
