On Nov. 1, the NYU Abu Dhabi Art Gallery opened its doors to the public with the inauguration of On Site, an exhibition that centers on notions of place and location with Saadiyat Island as its starting point.

In her opening speech, Chief Curator Maya Allison introduced the concept behind the exhibition.

“How do the cues that create a site tell its story?” She describes the concept of On Site as one that aims to make us “consider how we know, or interpret, where we are, physically and culturally … The work on display invites us to contemplate the essence and appearance of a location, whether natural or artificial, real or illusory.”

The artists featured are Ebtisam Abdulaziz, Tarek Al-Ghoussein, Mohammed Ahmed Ibrahim, Basim Magdy, Rashid Rana and Mary Temple. The works on display traverse a variety of mediums and places of origin, from a collection of copper-wrapped stones from the region of Khor Fakkan on the East Coast of the UAE, to wall projections of Canary Islands landscapes in 35 mm film stock and series of photographs of Saadiyat Island itself.

The opening night of the exhibition had a range of attendees from students and faculty to artists and art enthusiasts from around the city. Artists whose work is being featured at the exhibition, such as Rashid Rana and Mohammed Ahmed Ibrahim, attended and spent the evening talking to guests and visitors.

Sophomore and Art History Major Sophie Arni, who volunteered as a museum docent during opening night, shared her views on the project:

“I am proud that the university now has a gallery that will exhibit regional and world-renowned artists … This space will contribute to the growth of contemporary art in the Arab world within our context, and it will also act as an educational tool for the NYUAD community to learn about the power of art and make a viewer 'feel' the cross-cultural dialogues, social forces and philosophical concepts that we encounter as liberal arts scholars.

On Site will be open through Jan. 17 and is free and open to the public. More information about opening hours, location, the NYUAD Gallery and On Site is available on the gallery's website.