NYU Abu Dhabi, in partnership with Manarat Al Saadiyat, is pleased to announce Within/Without, a new exhibition featuring 25 artworks that will be unveiled for the first time from His Excellency Dr. Zaki Nusseibeh’s private collection. This exhibition opens to the public tomorrow, Monday, November 26, at Manarat Al Saadiyat’s atrium with a public reception at 6:30pm.

Curated by NYU Abu Dhabi students as part of their Curatorial Practice class taught by Associate Professor Practice of Art History Salwa Mikdadi, the artworks stretch across a wide spectrum of formal innovation, from new forms of figuration to expressionist abstraction. The stylized faces and bodies emphasize the degree to which these artists have broken free from the conventions of figuration.  In an age when people across the globe seem more and more obsessed with appearance, the artworks here remind us that artists from a variety of cultural traditions have for a long time been putting the self into question and challenging us to look at ourselves anew. The exhibition offers a welcome reprieve from the hyper self-focused images we are bombarded with every day.

“NYUAD is grateful to HE Dr. Zaki Nusseibeh for allowing our students to curate an exhibition from his collection, and to the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi for their partnership. The class of nine students conducted the research and curation over three months, dedicating time and effort to all aspects of curation, from research to installation. This partnership between the collector, the art institution, and the University is an example of a successful collaboration that advances the students’ education, prepares them for future careers, and benefits the community.”