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Abu Dhabi, UAE: NYU Abu Dhabi (NYUAD) will host its inaugural, in-person edition of Ramadaniyyat - a diverse, week-long series of public events this Ramadan. Kicking off on April 11, Ramadaniyyat will be hosted jointly by NYUAD’s three public-facing institutions: The Arts Center, The Art Gallery, and The Institute.
Vice Provost for Cultural and Research Engagement at NYUAD Nadia El Cheikh said: “Similar to all of our programming, these events are open to the wider public so they can experience the Holy Month with the NYUAD community, as we celebrate our communal spaces and our shared values at this special time. Ramadaniyyat is also the ideal opportunity for the three public-facing institutions to invite our shared community to feel a sense of home.”
The program will feature a series of activities including a talk by The Institute on al-Mutannabi, one of the most celebrated Arab poets. The event will welcome Chairman of Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Center His Excellency Ali Bin Tamim, who will be in conversation with Sheikh Zayed Professor for Arabic and Islamic Studies at the American University of Beirut and Senior Research Fellow at the Library of Arabic Literature at NYUAD, Bilal Orfali.
The Arts Center will host a special edition of its contemporary Arab Cinema series, CinemaNa, with a screening of Emirati filmmaker Nawaf al Janahi’s feature Before We Forget, along with two musical evenings: a global collaboration between Khaleeji jazz ensemble Boom.Diwan x Nduduzo Makhathini x Jean-Michel Pilc (Supported by the US Mission to the UAE), and a performance by internationally acclaimed oud and violin virtuoso Simon Shaheen and his band.
The Art Gallery will present tours and events within the exhibition currently on view: Parthenogenesis: Ramin Haerizadeh, Rokni Haerizadeh, Hesam Rahmanian, and will shift its opening hours during Ramadan from 2-10pm. Regular tours of the exhibition will be available, and the Gallery will soon announce details of a meditative performance in response to the artworks currently on view at the Gallery.
A suhoor will be served nightly after the events at the East Plaza throughout the week for the NYUAD community and general public.
“On my appointment this year at NYUAD, I immediately started to imagine the possibilities that a joint programming between The Arts Center, The Art Gallery, and The Institute could present, and I was also keen to celebrate the return of in-person events that showcase the vibrancy of our campus. We very much look forward to coming together with our community and the wider public at NYUAD this Ramadan,” El Cheikh added.
To view the full program and for more information, please visit nyuad.nyu.edu/ramadaniyyat.
EVENT DETAILS
The Arts Center
CinemaNA: Before We Forget by Nawaf Al Janahi
April 11, 9:30pm, The Blue Hall | Free (prior booking is required)
The contemporary Arab cinema series features Before We Forget, in which a man burdened by debt and bad luck takes the son he can’t support and the father who suffers from memory loss on a road trip to find a buried treasure that could solve all their problems. The screening will be followed by a live conversation with Emirati filmmaker Nawaf Al Janahi moderated by filmmaker, curator, and scholar Nezar Andary.
Boom.Diwan x Nduduzo Makhathini x Jean-Michel Pilc
April 14, 9:30pm, The Red Theater at The Arts Center | AED 150
In the spirit of Ramadan, enjoy an evening of Khaleeji rhythms and sounds in a musical conversation with global jazz featuring Boom.Diwan (Kuwait/UAE), led by guitarist, composer, and applied ethnomusicologist Ghazi AL-Mulaifi, with Nduduzo Makhathini (South Africa) and Jean-Michel Pilc (France/USA/Canada). The global collaboration highlights the power of dialog for understanding, peace, and resolution.
April 15, 9:30pm, The Red Theater at The Arts Center | AED 150
Internationally acclaimed oud and violin virtuoso Simon Shaheen and his band showcase their soaring technique, melodic ingenuity, and unparalleled grace with classical Arabic sounds.
The Institute
The Steed, The Night and The Desert
April 13, 9:30pm, NYUAD Lecture Hall | Free (prior booking is required)
Head of the Abu Dhabi Center for the Arabic Language His Excellency Ali bin Tamim will discuss his personal experience with al-Mutannabi, considered to be one of the most influential Arab poets, with Sheikh Zayed Professor for Arabic and Islamic Studies at the American University of Beirut and Senior Research Fellow at the Library of Arabic Literature, Bilal Orfali. The talk will include readings of al-Mutannabi’s poetry and the distribution of some publications from the Abu Dhabi Center for the Arabic Language.
The Art Gallery
Parthenogenesis: Ramin Haerizadeh, Rokni Haerizadeh, Hesam Rahmanian
On view until June 12, The NYUAD Art Gallery | Free
The Art Gallery will present tours and events within the exhibition currently on view, Parthenogenesis, and will shift its opening hours during Ramadan from 2-10pm. Regular tours of the exhibition will be available, and the Gallery will soon announce details of a meditative performance in response to the artworks currently on view at the Gallery.
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About NYU Abu Dhabi
NYU Abu Dhabi is the first comprehensive liberal arts and science campus in the Middle East to be operated abroad by a major American research university. NYU Abu Dhabi has integrated a highly selective liberal arts, engineering and science curriculum with a world center for advanced research and scholarship enabling its students to succeed in an increasingly interdependent world and advance cooperation and progress on humanity’s shared challenges. NYU Abu Dhabi’s high-achieving students have come from more than 115 nations and speak over 115 languages. Together, NYU's campuses in New York, Abu Dhabi, and Shanghai form the backbone of a unique global university, giving faculty and students opportunities to experience varied learning environments and immersion in other cultures at one or more of the numerous study-abroad sites NYU maintains on six continents.
About The Arts Center at NYU Abu Dhabi
https://www.nyuad-artscenter.org/
Presenting music, theater, dance, film and interdisciplinary performances that defy definition, The Arts Center at NYU Abu Dhabi is a performing arts center that presents distinguished professional artists from around the world alongside student, faculty, and community productions. The Arts Center draws on the resources of NYUAD to create a dynamic space for research, investigation, and the active pursuit of knowledge and wisdom for audiences as well as visiting artists. The Arts Center is proudly supported by Mubadala as lead sponsor.
About The NYU Abu Dhabi Art Gallery
www.nyuad-artgallery.org
Established in 2014, The NYU Abu Dhabi (NYUAD) Art Gallery is the Gulf’s first and only university gallery with a program of scholarly and experimental museum exhibitions. The program seeks to map new territories and ideas through presenting exhibitions by internationally established artists, curators, and scholars at its main space. Its auxiliary venue, the Project Space, is an exhibition laboratory for the university community, and for emerging artists and curators. Situated within NYU Abu Dhabi, the community of which hails from over 115 countries, The Art Gallery organizes free public programs and guided tours in conjunction with its groundbreaking exhibitions. It also produces scholarly publications, which are a core part of its curatorial frame and reflect its academic mission. Collectively, with the Gallery’s Reading Room, these welcoming, intimate spaces open up artistic opportunities and initiate regional and international dialogue.
About The NYU Abu Dhabi Institute
www.nyuad.nyu.edu/en/institute-events
Established in 2008, The NYU Abu Dhabi Institute is a center of advanced research, scholarly, and creative activity for Abu Dhabi, the UAE, and the world. Its academic conferences serve as a scholarly platform for NYU Abu Dhabi faculty, and faculty across the global network, to discuss and showcase their innovative research and creative activity. Its diverse public program of talks, panel discussions, film screenings, and exhibitions feature scholars, researchers, policy makers, and thought leaders who present topics of local and global significance. From its inception, The Institute has hosted more than 800 academic conferences and public events, and welcomed over 800 speakers from around the world.
