One piece from Learning Abu Dhabi was included as part of Bait 15's inaugural show, Bait, in 2018, celebrating the opening of this new, independent, and artist-run exhibition and studio space in Abu Dhabi. The title of the piece was Sabeel, and encouraged visitors to consider the impact of the state in shaping the urban landscape and ultimately the lives of its citizenry, and how Islamic traditions and values have directly directed urban planning, whether that be through municipality-mandated mosques that ensure access for all, or through publicly available drinking water fountains - the sabeel. The very presence of free, flowing drinking water at the push of a tap in the middle of a desert serves as a reminder of just how much urban development has affected the city and the wider region, and questions the idea of provision - how does the city (and the government that engineered its development) provide for its residents, both physically and spiritually, and how does this manifest in the urban landscape?

Copyright © All rights reserved.
Using Format