Art smart

The Department of Visual Communication at The American University in Dubai is organising a new student exhibition, 'The Rituals of Dinner', at the Ayyam Gallery from December 1 to 6 next month.

The exhibition draws together the artworks of a group of graduating art students from AUD under the curatorship of Roberto Lopardo, AUD's chair of the Department of Visual Communication and assistant professor of photography, and Michael Bray, assistant professor of visual communication at AUD.

Lopardo and Bray say the exhibition acts as a platform to showcase the creative talents of emerging artists who possess the enterprise, initiative and fortitude needed to satisfy the increasing demands of an educated and sophisticated art market, and ensure the continuation of the UAE's art and culture for years to come.

A committee of art professionals, which includes some of the movers and shakers of the UAE's art market, has been critiquing the students' work since the beginning of the semester. Their evaluation will aid the curators in the selection process. This committee includes:

• Hisham Samawi, managing partner of Ayyam Gallery,
• Laura Trelford, education manager at Art Dubai,
• Stephanie Sykes, communications manager at Art Dubai,
• Sonia Brewin, director of START,
• Hetal Pawani, director of The Jam Jar Gallery,
• Rachael Brown, gallery and special projects coordinator at The Jam Jar Gallery,
• Mehnaz Tan, director of Elementa Gallery,
• Christopher Lord, arts and culture editor of Time Out,
• Katrina Weber, Events, marketing and communications manager at The Third Line Gallery
• Antonia Carver, editor of Bidoun magazine
• Rami Farook, director of Traffic Gallery
• AUD faculty members

The students participating in the exhibition hail from diverse cultural backgrounds representing a number of countries, including the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Palestine, Jordan, Lebanon, Algeria, Philippines, Venezuela, Pakistan, India, Libya, Egypt and Iraq.

The event will showcase a fantastic array of their work spanning various media such as photography, animation, video, sculpture, illustration and painting.