Seeing Through Light

Over the weekend, we headed to Manarat Al Saadiyat to view 'Seeing Through Light" - selections from the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi collection.

The introduction in the booklet we picked up at the exhibition states:

"The exhibition unfolds through five sections that examine light in various iterations: Activated, Celestial, Perceptual, Reflected and Transcendent. While the exhibition begins chronologically in the 1960s (which aligns with the start date for the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi collection), it quickly blends time and mixes established and mid-career artists of multiple nationalities. From immersive environments that visitors can move round in and even through to video, painting and sculpture, light may be experienced in all its spatial, sensory and perceptual phenomena.The exhibition illuminates the creative vision of the future museum, offering the first glimpse of what is to come, and represents a significant milestone in the evolution of the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi."

The exhibition runs until the 19th of this month (tomorrow! Eek!) so I highly recommend seeing it before it goes!

I had always heard of Saadiyat Island being the cultural hub of Abu Dhabi but we only recently started visiting the exhibits. The first one we went to was 'A History of the World in 100 Objects'. Though it was a bit confusing to get to the venue, once inside, we were so glad we went. Truly fascinating. Initially we were a bit apprehensive that we wouldn't be welcome bringing our little one along but the guards were all very friendly, and even made faces to entertain her. We had a great experience and knew that this was something we definitely wanted to do more of!

Once you arrive at the venue, we recommend listening to the audio guide that you can pick up at a desk upon entering the gallery. It's free, and definitely helps you appreciate the art and intention behind it more. We didn't pick it up at first but immediately changed our minds when we overheard a French woman who was definitely experiencing something we weren't. "Mon dieu! C'est drole!" 

Here are a few photographs I took of some the pieces you can see at the exhibit.

I'm really looking forward to the museums being finished and opened to the public :)

Did you attend the exhibit? Which was your favorite piece?