For those unfamiliar with the UAE’s contemporary art scene, a pile of rocks might seem like an underwhelming opening to ‘Rays, Ripples, Residue’, an exhibition dedicated to the last decade of the country’s cultural production. For others, Fresh and Salt (2015) – comprising freshwater stones from the Caspian Sea and coral from Khorfakkan, bound together with copper wire – is instantly recognizable as a key piece of land art from the region. Created by Mohamed Ahmed Ibrahim, a member of ‘the five’, the group of Emirati artists who introduced conceptual art to the UAE in the 1980s, the work’s inclusion functions as both homage and red herring – momentarily suggesting a traditional survey exhibition before giving way to something much more creative.
‘Rays, Ripples, Residue’ Reframes a Decade of Emirate Art
A survey at Abu Dhabi’s 421 Arts Campus unfolds into an idiosyncratic portrait of the UAE’s contemporary art scene, shaped by influence, informality and heat
Chloe Stead, Frieze, January 14, 2026