{
  "id": 20107436,
  "title": "Shaikha Al Mazrou explores space between perception and reality in Abu Dhabi exhibition",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/15/shaikha-al-mazrou-explores-space-between-perception-and-reality-in",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-11-15T03:02:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The National Business",
    "slug": "the-national-business",
    "url": "https://www.thenationalnews.com/arts-culture/2026/11/15/shaikha-al-mazrou-explores-space-between-perception-and-reality-in-abu-dhabi-exhibition/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Shaikha Al Mazrou's solo exhibition, \"Two Horizons,\" at Abu Dhabi's Cultural Foundation delves into the intricate relationship between perception and reality, exploring the limits of our senses and beliefs. The artist employs everyday materials, such as marble, steel, and industrial substances, to challenge our understanding of these materials, making them appear almost weightless and defying their customary properties.\n\nCentral to the exhibition are contradictions that arise from the juxtaposition of familiar objects and concepts, prompting the viewer to question their perceptions. Al Mazrou's works reflect her curiosity about the horizon and the shifting boundaries between land and sea, as well as the fluidity of color and the natural world.\n\nOne of the most captivating installations is \"Fragmented Horizons,\" a collection of oxidized steel poles that mimic the appearance of an artificial horizon. The piece questions the assumptions people make about color, as well as the relationship between nature and its artistic interpretation. Another striking work, \"Water Was Never Blue,\" draws on the cyanometer, an 18th-century instrument used to study variations in the color of the sky, to challenge the notions of color and the natural world.\n\nAl Mazrou's use of materials and techniques further emphasizes the fluidity and contradictions in her sculptures. For instance, \"A Throw of the Dice Will Never Abolish Chance\" is made from black jade marble, appearing as water disturbed by gentle waves. The piece reveals the weight and rigidity of the stone, despite its fluid appearance. This sculpture, created for the Aichi Triennale in Japan, showcases Al Mazrou's ability to manipulate materials to convey emotions and ideas.\n\nThe Cultural Foundation, where the exhibition is held, holds a significant place in Abu Dhabi's artistic history. The building's scale allows visitors to move around and experience the sculptures in their environment, creating a more immersive and interactive experience. Al Mazrou's connection to the Cultural Foundation dates back to her time as an assistant professor of arts practice at New York University Abu Dhabi, where she witnessed considerable changes in the UAE's cultural landscape.",
  "summary": "Marble ripples like water, steel folds like paper and heavy industrial materials appear almost weightless. In Shaikha Al Mazrou's sculptures, the familiar properties of everyday materials become difficult to reconcile with what the eye sees. These contradictions are central to Two Horizons, her solo exhibition at Abu Dhabi's Cultural Foundation . Bringing together existing works and new…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}