An exhibition of over 200 rare photographs and paintings by artists from across the UAE opened yesterday in Al Ain.
Entitled the Arts and Music Bazaar, the display will run for 10 days at the Al Ain Mall, which was officially opened by Sheikh Hazza bin Tahnoon Al Nahyan, Director of the Office of the Ruler's Representative in the Eastern Region.
Currently, Al Ain does not have a permanent arts and cultural centre.
Bashar Tamimi, general manager of the mall, said: "We felt there was a need to put on an exhibition such as this... we are not simply a shopping mall but a community centre as well." The drawings and paintings are being displayed across the shopping mall.
To complement the show, organisers have arranged for six international classical musicians to play the piano, violin and flute each day between 6pm-9pm.
Mohammed A.M. Al Marzouqi, a national photographer exhibiting his works, has already displayed his work in Saudi Arabia and Qatar. He is employed at the press and public relations bureau of the General Authority of Youth and Sports Welfare in Dubai.
The exhibition also features paintings of UAE national sisters Fatima, Sarah, and Salama Al Mazroei. Salama said: "Our paintings come in different media, showing emirati culture, heritage and wildlife."
The sisters trained at the Abu Dhabi Cultural Foundation and have since hosted a number of exhibitions in the country. They too are keen for Al Ain to have its own cultural centre.
Sharing similar views, David Fernandes, an Indian, said: "The foundation should open a branch in Al Ain, which enjoys a multi-cultural population and is the second most important city of the emirate."
Abdul Hakim, an Egyptian, said Al Ain desperately needed a venue to promote art and culture. "An Al Ain Cultural Foundation is the only thing the city is short of," he said.
Gulf News
