On Sept. 14, a talk between Dale Hudson, Associate Teaching Professor of Film and New Media and Curator of Film and New Media and two famous photographers, Ammar Al Attar and Hussain AlMoosawi, took place at NYU Abu Dhabi’s auditorium.

The discussion aimed to bring the two photographers’ work together to show how the spaces in UAE have physically changed. Al Attar and AlMoosawi briefly introduced themselves and then presented their photography to the audience. Al Attar presented his project about mosques and decommissioned local cinemas while AlMoosawi showed his enthusiasm for symmetry and colors through recording unique building facades and construction fences. They also shared their personal stories about why they chose their career paths and the interesting stories behind their projects.

“Both define themselves as researchers who work through photography, so we focused the discussion on what they notice that others might overlook. These photographs are both art and also research. They document places and objects that are part of life in [the] UAE, but not the kinds that people living here might always notice and not the kinds that people living abroad would associate with [the] UAE,” said Hudson, who coordinated with the guest speakers and organized the talk.

“They locate moments that are aesthetically beautiful in the everyday practices of life in the UAE. Ammar’s latest series involves performing the gestures, which comprise routing work inside office, outside. Both Ammar and Hussain help us see the world around us anew,” he added.

The talk was enthusiastically attended by undergraduate and graduate students, as well as NYUAD alumni and faculty members. A first year student even thanked the artists for inspiring her to go downtown Abu Dhabi to start exploring the city.

“I really enjoyed the talk today,” said Jason Li, Class of 2023. “Although I majored in Economics, I am always very interested in photography and want to know how photographers actually create their works.”

“It’s a good opportunity for visiting students to observe this country and the Arabic culture in a different perspective and to further integrate into local lives,” said Jingyao Fu, Class of 2024 and a visiting student from NYU Shanghai. “I used to pay more attention to scenic spots like the beach and ignore the local culture lives. The talk reminded me of how valuable this study away opportunity is.”

After the talk, participants had the opportunity to communicate freely with each other and the guest speakers over some light refreshments provided by the school.

“I felt comfortable exchanging my opinions with others in this environment. It’s not like a formal occasion and I am relaxed to ask questions,” said Li.

Besides this talk, NYUAD Institute has also held other events over this past semester. At the beginning of September, a talk titled “Understanding Our Universe from 2km Underground” took place at the conference center and attracted a lot of students. The guest speaker was Professor Emeritus Art McDonald, a Nobel Laureate in Physics.

Last Thursday, a talk discussing the evolution of architecture in the UAE took place on campus. Students receive an email from the NYUAD Office of External Relations every week providing information about ongoing events. The types of events are diverse — from exhibitions, performances and workshops to conferences and talks.

Students are also free to search for events online, where they can choose their preferred event type, organizer and date. The events are scheduled in advance so students can browse future events and plan ahead. The latest event currently scheduled is a colorful visual circus created by Moroccan artist Hassan Hajjaj, which will take place in April 2023.