Bubble wrap, sandcastles and childhood memories: Inside Reem Al Mubarak's new Abu Dhabi exhibition
The sound of popping bubble wrap, the texture of sand or the sight of a familiar plastic chair can transport us back to moments from childhood that otherwise seem lost to time. These ordinary objects are at the heart of Emirati artist Reem Al Mubarak's new solo exhibition, which explores memory, play and the experiences that shape who we become. What We Left In The Sandbox opened at Rizq Art…
Reem Al Mubarak, an Emirati artist, has opened her new solo exhibition, "What We Left In The Sandbox," at Rizq Art Gallery on Abu Dhabi's Reem Island. The exhibition, running until January 10, explores memory, play and the experiences that shape our identities through interactive artworks made from everyday materials like bubble wrap, sand and plastic chairs.
Curated by Emirati architect and researcher Azza Aboualam, the exhibition challenges our understanding of memory and encourages visitors to reconstruct the past through touch, movement and play. Al Mubarak notes that modern life often lacks opportunities for creating lasting memories, but shared experiences with family members like her nieces and nephew leave stronger impressions.
She intentionally creates such moments with them, emphasizing the importance of doing something together. The artist's exhibition encourages visitors to engage with the artworks through interaction, rather than simply photographing them. Aboualam designed the exhibition to have no prescribed route, allowing guests to discover connections between the pieces on their own.
The tactile nature of the artworks also serves to engage visitors with their surroundings, rather than simply documenting them. Through conversations during her residency at Abu Dhabi's Cultural Foundation, Al Mubarak was inspired to recreate experiences she hadn't originally had, transforming them into pieces for the exhibition.
The show highlights the different meanings people assign to everyday materials and the influence of childhood experiences on our adult lives.
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