Ala Younis's First West Asia Retrospective Stages Time at NYU Abu Dhabi Art Gallery
The NYU Abu Dhabi Art Gallery is hosting 'Past of a Temporal Universe,' marking the first West Asia retrospective of artist-researcher-curator Ala Younis, which will be on display until 18 January 2026. This exhibition spans two decades of her artistic journey, featuring installations such as Nefertiti (2008), Tin Soldiers (2010-11), and Plan and Plan (fem.) for Greater Baghdad (2015, 2018). New pieces include Templates P and D, Climate Conditions, and Cut Flowers (all 2025). Works like High Dam (Modern Pyramid) (2019) and High Dam (Concrete Poetry) (2023–25) contextualize the Aswan High Dam as a symbol of progress. The show merges stark visuals with abundant information, highlighting Younis's investigation of time as both a medium and a theme.
Key facts
- Ala Younis's first retrospective in West Asia
- Exhibition title: Past of a Temporal Universe
- Location: NYU Abu Dhabi Art Gallery
- Dates: Until 18 January 2026
- Features works from two-decade practice
- Includes iconic installations like Nefertiti (2008) and Tin Soldiers (2010-11)
- New works from 2025: Templates P and D, Climate Conditions, Cut Flowers
- High Dam series includes High Dam (Modern Pyramid) (2019) and High Dam (Concrete Poetry) (2023–25)
Entities
Artists
- Ala Younis
- Alexander Calder
- Donald Judd
- Ragheb Ayad
- Effat Naghi
- Hamed Ewais
- Le Corbusier
- Gamal Abdel Nasser
- Maya Allison
- Zaha Hadid
- Rifat Chadirji
- Jewad Selim
- Riad Sattouf
- Naima Morelli
- John Varghese
- Masha Kirasirova
Institutions
- NYU Abu Dhabi Art Gallery
- Barjeel Art Foundation
- NYUAD
- Louvre Abu Dhabi
- Majid
- New York University Abu Dhabi
- al Mawrid Arab Center for the Study of Art
- Arts and Humanities Research Forums
- Kayfa ta
- University of Jordan
- Goldsmiths, University of London
- Le Frac Centre-Val de Loire
- Darat al Funun
- Uppsala Art Museum
- Sharjah Art Foundation
- Jameel Art Collection
- Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum
- Berlinale's Forum Expanded
- Academy of the Arts of the World
- New Museum
- e-flux
- Nafas Art
- Mizna Journal
- Ibraaz
- Creative Time
- Camera Austria
- Divan Journal
- Flash Art
Locations
- Abu Dhabi
- United Arab Emirates
- West Asia
- Nile
- Aswan High Dam
- Baghdad
- Berlin Wall
- Gulf
- Dubai
- Amman
- Jordan
- Iraq
- Middle East
- Asia Pacific
- MENA region
- Saadiyat Island
- New York
- United States
- London
- United Kingdom
- Dhaka
- Bangladesh
- Istanbul
- Turkey
- Venice
- Italy
- Gwangju
- South Korea
- Ural
- Russia
- Orléans
- France
- Ljubljana
- Slovenia
- Kaunas
- Lithuania
- Sharjah
- Jeddah
- Saudi Arabia
- Kuwait
- Cologne
- Germany
- Singapore