Routes to Roots draws on James Clifford's concept that understanding one's cultural roots often requires embarking on new journeys or routes. This idea serves as the foundation for Tabari Artspace's multi-artist exhibition at Abu Dhabi Art, curated by Maliha Tabari. The exhibition features a multidisciplinary presentation where artists from different generations and diverse contexts within the Levant and its diaspora engage with themes of land, belonging, cultural identity, and connection, tracing historiographic narratives rooted in the Levant across space and time.
The exhibition will also present works from the Tabari collection by renowned painter Sliman Mansour, a key figure in the Palestinian art movement since the 1970s. Known for his evocative portrayal of Palestinian life, Mansour’s art both highlights the community’s struggles and celebrates its cultural heritage and landscapes. This is the first public display of these significant works.
The exhibition also brings together Artists Hazem Harb, Samah Shihadi, Michael Halak, as diasporic voices exploring layered narratives of identity and place. Harb’s collages stitch together fragments of Palestinian embroidery, weaving a unified vision from diverse traditions, while Shihadi and Halak's hyperrealistic works reflect on themes of land, nostalgia, and displacement.
Tagreed Darghouth, Randa Maddah, Chafa Ghaddar, and Aya Haidar contribute perspectives rooted in the Levant, from Lebanon’s symbolic pine trees to intimate landscapes of body and memory, connecting personal and cultural histories across time and borders.
