Inloco Talks

The theme of urban semiotics explores how cities and urban environments communicate meaning through signs and symbols present in their environment. It delves into both historical images and modernity, researching how the physical and virtual elements of a city — such as its architecture and history, urban planning and citizens' perceptions, visual imagery and aesthetic landmarks — serve as a complex system of signs that convey cultural and social messages. This perspective examines how urban landscapes are not just physical spaces but also symbolic representations that reflect and shape societal values, identities, and narratives. A parallel program will take place in Inloco Metaverse, focusing on the semiotics of virtual worlds that represent the landscapes and culture of Arab countries. This program will reflect the regional specificity of how creators use signs to construct and depict these landscapes within their virtual environments.

The conference is organized by Inloco Initiative, a brand encompassing projects dedicated to supporting, exploring, and developing urban art since 2014. This includes Inloco Gallery and Nuvo Buro Group, which focuses on public art and urban design.

Installation:
Filippo Minelli,
Calligraphy: Karim Jabbari

The theme of urban semiotics explores how cities and urban environments communicate meaning through signs and symbols present in their environment. It delves into both historical images and modernity, researching how the physical and virtual elements of a city — such as its architecture and history, urban planning and citizens' perceptions, visual imagery and aesthetic landmarks — serve as a complex system of signs that convey cultural and social messages. This perspective examines how urban landscapes are not just physical spaces but also symbolic representations that reflect and shape societal values, identities, and narratives. A parallel program will take place in Inloco Metaverse, focusing on the semiotics of virtual worlds that represent the landscapes and culture of Arab countries. This program will reflect the regional specificity of how creators use signs to construct and depict these landscapes within their virtual environments.

The conference is organized by Inloco Initiative, a brand encompassing projects dedicated to supporting, exploring, and developing urban art since 2014. This includes Inloco Gallery and Nuvo Buro Group, which focuses on public art and urban design.

Inloco MetaTalks 2024

Discover Nuvo Buro

Inloco Talks 2024 Livestream

Program

The conference:
Urban Semiotics: Cityscape as a Sign System in Gulf Countries

10 AM — 11 AM

Coffee Break & Speaker Registration

11 AM — 12:30 PM

Session 1 Visual Codes and Imagery in Arabic Arts & Culture

Art Movements in UAE

Khalil Abdulwahid

Emirati visual artist based in Dubai, specializing in painting and video. He began his artistic journey under the mentorship of the late Hassan Sharif and has since exhibited both regionally and internationally. His works have been showcased at prestigious exhibitions, including FotoFest International “View From Inside” (USA/Abu Dhabi, 2014–2015) and “Portrait of a Nation” at the Abu Dhabi Festival (2016).

Reflecting on rapid changes in cultural landscape of the UAE

Aleksei Afanasiev

Cultural Advisor, a specialist in cultural development and communications in contemporary art. With his 15 years of extensive experience, Aleksei has contributed to the cultural transformations of the Red October Factory in Moscow and the growth of Alserkal Avenue in Dubai, including the Rem Kolhas-designed exhibition hall Concrete. Aleksei has managed the pop-up space of Galleria Continua at the legendary Burj Al Arab Hotel. Through various initiatives, he has collaborated with the Moscow Biennale of Contemporary Art, Cosmoscow, Art Dubai, Abu Dhabi Art, India Art Fair, and Singapore Art Week. Born and raised in Moscow, he lives and works in Dubai since 2010.

The Body as Archive: Languages of Embodiment in Contemporary Art Practice

Nadine Khalil

Dubai-based independent art critic, consultant and curator. She is the former editor of Dubai-based contemporary art magazine, Canvas (2017-2020) and Beirut-based cultural magazines A mag and Bespoke (2010-2016). She advises art institutions and fairs on content development and publications. She was the communications strategist for Ishara Art Foundation (2020-2022), the first UAE-based non-profit organisation dedicated to the contemporary art of South Asia and currently advises the Parisian art fair Asia Now on SWANA galleries and regional discourses. She is an artist mentor at Tashkeel’s Critical Practice Program and leads workshops on art writing for artists.

1 PM — 2:30 PM

Session 2 Arabic Languages, Literature and Typography

The Poetics of the Arabic Script in Public Space

Huda Smitshuijzen AbiFares (Khatt Foundation and Khatt Books)

Founding Director of the Khatt Foundation and Khatt Books publishers in Amsterdam. As a designer, scholar and curator, she specializes in Arabic/multilingual typographic design and Arab design history.

Etched in Stone: Some Graffiti from Abbasid Baghdad

Maurice Pomerantz (NYUAD)

Professor at NYUAD and Executive Director of the NYUAD Institute, overseeing academic events and strategic initiatives. A specialist in Abbasid literature, he earned his Ph.D. from the University of Chicago in 2010 and has taught and conducted research across the Middle East.

The Arabic Letter as a Street Art Medium

Karim Jabbari

Calligraphy and light artist who blends ancient elements with modern design to bridge cultures through his art. He employs contemporary techniques while honoring classical forms. Jabbari's diverse talents lead him to perform live, create art installations, paint murals, host workshops, and speak at major universities like NYU and Yale. He was a runner-up for the first Islamic Creativity Award in Dubai and is recognized as one of the Top 30 Public Artists globally.

3:30 PM — 5 PM

Session 3 Regional Social & Historical Context

Urban Nostalgia as Belonging and Commodity

Laure Salma Assaf (NYUAD)

Assistant Professor at NYUAD. She is an anthropologist focused on youth, urbanity, and migration in contemporary Emirati society and the Gulf region. She trained at Paris Nanterre University and INALCO and is currently developing a book based on her PhD research on Arab youth in Abu Dhabi. She is also an Associate Researcher at CEFREPA in Kuwait.

Making the Invisible Visible: Searching for Oil in Gulf Cities

Nelida Fuccaro (NYUAD)

Historian and Professor of modern Middle Eastern History at NYUAD with a specialized focus on the history of the Gulf region, Fuccaro is currently working on the social and cultural history of the Middle Eastern oil industry.

Ontologies of the Self in Islamic Theological and Philosophical Thought

Mariam Al-Attar (AUS)

PhD, Arabic and Middle Eastern Studies Department, University of Leeds, United Kingdom. Mariam Al-Attar has taught courses in ethics, Islamic studies, world religions and philosophy at the University of Jordan and at King's Academy in Jordan. At the American University of Sharjah she has taught courses on Arab heritage, introduction to philosophy, and Islamic philosophy. Her main research interests include ethics in medieval Arabo-Islamic thought, modern and contemporary Arab moral thought and women and gender in the Islamic tradition.

5:30 PM — 6:30 PM

Public Talk “Why We Return: Unpacking the Power of Place”

Hessa Alghandi (Hessa Archives)

Designer and artist, Founder of Hessa Archives. A creative by culture, Hessa Alghandi’s passion lies between interior architecture and graphic representation of expression and her Emirati heritage. Graduating with a degree of Interior Design from Zayed University, her aspirations are to intertwine the weaves of her Emirati traditions and culture into the societies of the world. Her creative expressions are most known under her handle of Hessa Archives, where she has collaborated and worked with brands such as Adidas, Ounass, the 52nd Union Day, and Sikka 2024. She is currently working on her research that encapsulates the memories of her grandmother in Shindagha and has brought forth part of that research as an installation for Sikka Art Fair 2024, and continues to do so in various forms soon to be announced.
Abu Dhabi Streets

A cultural initiative led by husband-and-wife visual creatives, dedicated to capturing the beauty and unique character of neighbourhoods across Abu Dhabi and the wider UAE. By focusing on the overlooked details of streets and urban spaces, the project brings to life the essence and vibes of these communities, inviting a deeper connection to the vibrant identity of the Emirates beyond the digital realm.
Aida Balaš (100architects)

Director of Business Development at 100architects, a global design firm recognized for transforming urban spaces into dynamic, interactive environments that challenge conventional urban design. Their design emphasizes bold, eye-catching designs that stimulate curiosity and connection, reshaping how people experience and interact with their surroundings.
Tala Gharagozlou

Architectural designer engaged in both professional practice and interdisciplinary research and academic work. She is currently the project manager for the design of the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi project. She started her career working for Frank Gehry in Los Angeles.

Moderator:

Aleksei Afanasiev

Cultural Advisor, a specialist in cultural development and communications in contemporary art. With his 15 years of extensive experience, Aleksei has contributed to the cultural transformations of the Red October Factory in Moscow and the growth of Alserkal Avenue in Dubai, including the Rem Kolhas-designed exhibition hall Concrete. Aleksei has managed the pop-up space of Galleria Continua at the legendary Burj Al Arab Hotel. Through various initiatives, he has collaborated with the Moscow Biennale of Contemporary Art, Cosmoscow, Art Dubai, Abu Dhabi Art, India Art Fair, and Singapore Art Week. Born and raised in Moscow, he lives and works in Dubai since 2010.

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Academic advisors of the conference

Khaled Alawadi

Associate Professor of Sustainable Urbanism, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Khalifa University, Abu Dhabi
George Katodrytis

Professor of Architecture,
at American University of Sharjah, Sharjah

Inloco Talks 2023

Press about Inloco Talks 2024

Inloco Talks 2024: Exploring Urban Semiotics in the Gulf Region — Magzoid

On November 27, Al Safa Library will host a conference on urban design and heritage elements — Al Bayan

Inloco Talks 2024: Exploring Urban Semiotics and Public Art in the Gulf — Magzoid

Inloco Talks 2024 explored semiotics of the Gulf — Gulf Today

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Curated by Anna Vetoshkina