The history of the UAE is the inspiration behind the installation that won this year’s Christo and Jeanne-Claude Award.
Everyday Artifacts, by Noora Jabir and Moufida Mohideen, is the winning concept for a public installation inspired by fishing hooks similar to those used thousands of years ago at Tell Abraq, a prehistoric settlement between Umm Al Quwain and Sharjah.
The completed work is scheduled to be exhibited at Abu Dhabi Art, NYU Abu Dhabi and Umm Al Emarat Park in November and December.
Huda Alkhamis-Kanoo, founder of Abu Dhabi Music and Arts Foundation, and founder and artistic director of Abu Dhabi Festival, said the installation offers a fresh interpretation of some of the UAE’s archaeological finds.
“Using historical fishing hooks to connect past and present livelihoods in the UAE, it explores the relationship between people and their environment, as well as the everyday tools that stand as authentic witnesses to the lives of our ancestors,” she said.
“The work invites artists and the public alike to engage with our heritage and reinterpret it through a contemporary lens.”
Maya Allison, executive director of The NYUAD Art Gallery and the university’s chief curator, said the project would encourage audiences to consider how seemingly ordinary objects can play a role in preserving cultural memory and shaping historical understanding.
“Everyday Artifacts offers a thoughtful reflection on how we interpret and connect with the past, inviting audiences to reconsider the role of ordinary objects in shaping cultural memory and historical understanding,” she said.
The research-led approach of Everyday Artifacts also reflects how the Christo and Jeanne-Claude Award has developed alongside the UAE’s expanding arts education sector.
Jabir is a 2024 NYU Abu Dhabi graduate, while Mohideen graduated from the University of Sharjah in the same year. Their interdisciplinary practice examines archaeology, material culture and the relationship between communities and their environments.
Award director Emily Doherty previously told The National that more applicants were pursuing fine art and postgraduate study, rather than coming predominantly from architecture and design.
“This is a huge shift, and our award reflects what’s happening in the UAE,” she said.
Running annually since 2013, the Christo and Jeanne-Claude Award is open to UAE-based students and recent graduates. It supports winners through the process of developing, producing and exhibiting a new public artwork.