emirates7 - Sheikh Salem bin Khalid Al Qassimi, Minister of Culture, today inaugurated ‘PROXIMITIES’, an exhibition spotlighting contemporary art from the United Arab Emirates. The exhibition is organised by the Abu Dhabi Music and Arts Foundation (ADMAF) in partnership with the Seoul Museum of Art (SeMA), marking its first presentation at the museum and in the Republic of Korea, as well as East Asia.
The exhibition will run until 29th March, 2026, as part of a long-term cultural partnership aimed at strengthening cultural exchange and artistic dialogue between the two countries.
The opening was attended by Kim Hea Kyung, the First Lady of Republic of Korea, Chae Hwi-young, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism of the Republic of Korea; Huda Alkhamis-Kanoo, Founder of ADMAF and Founder and Artistic Director of Abu Dhabi Festival; Abdulla Saif Ali Slayem AlNuaimi, Ambassador of the UAE to the Republic of Korea; Choi Eun-ju, Director-General of SeMA; and Kim Tae-kyun, First Deputy Mayor of Seoul.
This is the largest exhibition in the Republic of Korea dedicated to contemporary Emirati art, featuring around 110 artworks by 47 male and female artists from three artistic generations, tracing their creative journeys since the 1980s.
The exhibition brings together leading Emirati artists, including pioneers, contemporary figures and emerging voices who have shaped the local art scene and presented diverse artistic practices. Their works reflect the evolution of Emirati visual discourse and its engagement with global human themes such as identity, memory, time, the body, nature and social relationships.
The exhibition builds on a series of joint projects between the Seoul Museum of Art and the Abu Dhabi Music and Arts Group since 2024. It seeks to establish an effective model for international cultural cooperation, enhance the global presence of Emirati art and open new avenues for engagement among artists, curators and audiences from diverse cultural backgrounds.
The exhibition will run until 29th March, 2026, as part of a long-term cultural partnership aimed at strengthening cultural exchange and artistic dialogue between the two countries.
The opening was attended by Kim Hea Kyung, the First Lady of Republic of Korea, Chae Hwi-young, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism of the Republic of Korea; Huda Alkhamis-Kanoo, Founder of ADMAF and Founder and Artistic Director of Abu Dhabi Festival; Abdulla Saif Ali Slayem AlNuaimi, Ambassador of the UAE to the Republic of Korea; Choi Eun-ju, Director-General of SeMA; and Kim Tae-kyun, First Deputy Mayor of Seoul.
This is the largest exhibition in the Republic of Korea dedicated to contemporary Emirati art, featuring around 110 artworks by 47 male and female artists from three artistic generations, tracing their creative journeys since the 1980s.
The exhibition brings together leading Emirati artists, including pioneers, contemporary figures and emerging voices who have shaped the local art scene and presented diverse artistic practices. Their works reflect the evolution of Emirati visual discourse and its engagement with global human themes such as identity, memory, time, the body, nature and social relationships.
The exhibition builds on a series of joint projects between the Seoul Museum of Art and the Abu Dhabi Music and Arts Group since 2024. It seeks to establish an effective model for international cultural cooperation, enhance the global presence of Emirati art and open new avenues for engagement among artists, curators and audiences from diverse cultural backgrounds.