ab (artBahrain.org) is the first non-profit arts and media organization in the Middle East that articulates an alternative vision for the arts and media from Bahrain and around the world. Founded in 2010 by Bahrain artist and art patron, Rashid Al Khalifa, ab supports the production and dissemination of Contemporary Art in a variety of contexts and channels.
ab organizes art exhibitions in Bahrain at the Waterline Gallery (ab’s physical art space in Bahrain). One of the first exhibitions was the Opera Gallery’s collection of master works, including Dali, Picasso, and Manet. This was followed by group shows by young and emerging artists; a solo exhibition of works by Rashid al Khalifa: Reflection in 2012 and a group show, Dialogue in which al Khalifa was featured with other international artists, including Modhir Ahmed and Walid Siti.
ab serves as a creative think tank for Harbour Projects, a collaborative production lab for new art and ideas, cutting-edge projects, and dialogue within the visual arts alongside the Waterline Gallery.
At the same time, ab participates in international art fairs with exhibitions, and as a media partner.
ab publishes a monthly online newsletter and a biannual print edition, distributed in international art fairs, featuring prominent and promising artists, art events, and museum and gallery exhibitions from around the world, and is supplemented by by the ab online art gallery.
For over three years, ab has become an integral part in redefining the field of arts in the Middle East, keeping pace with the changes and growing breadth and depth of the region’s global arts sector.
