Untitled 14km - Youness Atbane
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A satirical look at contemporary art’s engagement with Arab identity through the dramatised conception of an imagined exhibition.
Untitled 14km investigates how the contemporary art world engages with questions of identity, with a particular focus on what is framed as “Arab identity.”
In the imaginary museum of North Africa, Middle East Contemporary Art, an Arab-Andalusian poet, a museum director, a curator, and a contemporary artist attempt to conceive an exhibition that re-examines modernism through two parallel lenses: the poetic legacy of the Arab-Andalusian era and the practices of established contemporary Arab artists. Their exchanges reveal the tensions embedded in translating historical narratives into contemporary artistic frameworks.
Through this constructed situation, the project exposes the underlying negotiations, frictions, and power dynamics that shape the definition of a so-called “contemporary Arab identity” within the global art system. It questions legitimacy, authority, and representation, highlighting how identity is not fixed but continuously produced through discourse, competition, and institutional validation.
Coproduced by: Studio Emad EDDIN Stiftelsen & The Arab Arts Focus, with the support of the Ford Foundation / Sundance Institute / The Arab Fund for Arts and Culture (AFAC) / Moussem Nomadic Art Center
Supported by: THE 18Marrakech / The uZine / Artlab Berlin / LTK4 Cologne / Minister of Rauyame Culture of Morocco
Untitled 14km investigates how the contemporary art world engages with questions of identity, with a particular focus on what is framed as “Arab identity.”
In the imaginary museum of North Africa, Middle East Contemporary Art, an Arab-Andalusian poet, a museum director, a curator, and a contemporary artist attempt to conceive an exhibition that re-examines modernism through two parallel lenses: the poetic legacy of the Arab-Andalusian era and the practices of established contemporary Arab artists. Their exchanges reveal the tensions embedded in translating historical narratives into contemporary artistic frameworks.
Through this constructed situation, the project exposes the underlying negotiations, frictions, and power dynamics that shape the definition of a so-called “contemporary Arab identity” within the global art system. It questions legitimacy, authority, and representation, highlighting how identity is not fixed but continuously produced through discourse, competition, and institutional validation.
Coproduced by: Studio Emad EDDIN Stiftelsen & The Arab Arts Focus, with the support of the Ford Foundation / Sundance Institute / The Arab Fund for Arts and Culture (AFAC) / Moussem Nomadic Art Center
Supported by: THE 18Marrakech / The uZine / Artlab Berlin / LTK4 Cologne / Minister of Rauyame Culture of Morocco
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Where is it happening?
New York University Abu Dhabi, Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Event Location & Nearby Stays:
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Host or PublisherNYUAD Arts Center
