The AD Arts Collective was a grass-roots movement formed in October of 2014 to give artists a platform for reaching out to the public and is truly, as the names suggests, a “collective”.
It was open to all artists living in Abu Dhabi, inviting a diverse and eclectic range of art forms and is simply a very open and welcoming environment that provided a means of breaking down barriers. One of the greatest assets of the group was the range of those involved, with members from so many countries and cultures and at varying stages in their personal artistic journey.
Participation gave the opportunity to meet people one may not have met otherwise; it enabled the chance to exchange different ideas and share experiences of living in the dynamic Emirati culture around us. So, in its own little way, the Collective has contributed to what makes the UAE so special, the cross-fertilization of ideas and the chance to grow and blossom.
The AD Arts Collective provided opportunities for:
- joint exhibitions and reaching out to the public with your art
- socializing and connecting to other artists and those interested in art
- inspiring each other through sharing of experience and techniques
- building a bridge between Arab and international expat cultures
- establishing a living art scene in Abu Dhabi
The mission of AD Arts Collective was expressed through organizing art festivals including art exhibitions and special events such as live music, poetry, interactive workshops, art performances, live art demonstrations and even comedy on stage. The art shows have taken place at The National Theatre of Abu Dhabi, hosted by Emirates Writer’s Union with the events of the „1st Art Show“ and two volumes of „HONALFAN – Art’s here“ festival, also at The Space Abu Dhabi with “THE Collective @ THE Space” exhibition and “Caravan – Journey Of Art” festival.
The Collective was not only “alive” during exhibitions and shows, it also organized Art Picnics during the ”cooler” months of the year, as well as other gatherings connecting Abu Dhabi’s creative artistic minds.
Though the project ended start of 2017, the Facebook groups to connect and reach out within the creative community still exist. There is the group „Creative Minds of Abu Dhabi/UAE“, where sharing of information takes place such as Calls for Artists across the UAE, upcoming events, discussions around art supplies and the exchanges of experiences in our art journey. The other group still running on facebook is meant to be an online art gallery for local based artists “Original Artworks from Abu Dhabi based artists”.
Katharina ‘arsnecopinata’ Möller
Co-founder and Organiser of AD Arts Collective