Biography
An artist and archivist, Mohamed Al Jneibi has had a varied professional and academic career, as befits the broad curiosity his practice demonstrates. Holding a Bachelor’s in Civil Engineering from the Higher Colleges of Technology in Abu Dhabi and a Master’s in Urban and Regional Planning from Paris-Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi. By day, he works as manager of infrastructure projects at the Municipality of Abu Dhabi City.
He is fascinated by music, culture and history and is deeply embedded in the culture and heritage of his home country; he has completed a diverse number of professional development programmes that demonstrate this dedication, including: Abu Dhabi Music & Arts Foundation’s Cultural Excellence Fellowship (2016); Abu Dhabi Ambassador programme, sponsored by ADACH (2012); and is a long-standing member of Emirates Foundation Takatof Programme (since 2007). He was a volunteer cultural and heritage researcher as part of the Sheikha Salama bint Hamdan Al Nahyan Foundation’s Lest We Forget programme and is a qualified tour guide, with accreditation from Department of Culture & Tourism – Abu Dhabi.
Artist Statement
Mohamed Al Jneibi is an artist of history, mining archives to uncover stories about the past, using them to explore and understand the composition of the present and future. He came to art late, after working in diverse other areas and industries. His practice is eclectic, without easy categorisation into any formal ‘school’ or mode of working.
His current practice ranges across historical archives, collecting artefacts and stories and transforming their ideas into photographic projects, screenplays and installations. He learns new methods in order to realise intriguing encounters with the rich social and cultural history of the UAE and Arab world. His collection processes are meticulous, opening up vast reserves that echo with lost cultural narratives. His subject matter ranges from magazines to objects that detail the history of artistic production in the region. Each piece that accumulates is brought to life vividly by his methods of collection and presentation, making new stories from what was in the past, engaging new generations with the narratives that compose their present.
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