The Abu Dhabi Art Museum has announced the list of artists participating in the 'Cultural Site Commissions' program for 2025. The invitation was extended to the Abu Dhabi-based trio of Ramin Hairi Zadeh, Rokni Hairi Zadeh, and Hasan Rahmianian, as well as Nikki Davies-Okundaye and Esam Karbaj. They will present their works commissioned by the museum in the city of Al Ain, where they will be on display for the public from November 19 of this year until April 26, 2026. The trio of Ramin Hairi Zadeh, Rokni Hairi Zadeh, and Hasan Rahmianian will present their new work, titled 'The Luminous Shadow,' at the archaeological site of Hili. This work explores the undulating and dynamic nature of Arabic script, as well as Pahlavi script as a visual manifestation of sound. The texts are formulated as winding hieroglyphic (pictorial) symbols that embody the symbolic connection, highlight the interwoven forms, and emphasize the expressive modification of static letters. The artists said of their work: 'At the Hili archaeological site, the largest Bronze Age site in the UAE, (the arch) emerges from the depths of the silent sands, and we are proud to be part of this edition of the 2025 Cultural Site Commissions program, which gives us the opportunity to engage in a dialogue with a site of such antiquity and importance.' The Al Ain oasis will also host a large-scale installation by world-renowned artist Nikki Davies-Okundaye, which combines techniques of embroidery, appliqué, and adire (a resist-dyeing technique involving tying).
