“From the earth’s crust and its waters to the scorching heat of its fire and the harshness of reality—this is the eternal story of clay’s birth and its shaping by the hands of the earliest humans, who made the vast expanse of the earth their home, with clay as their tool for facing the battle of life. From here began the tale of this human-clay adaptability, forging shared characteristics between them—transformations and changes that grant clay a fragile strength, a rebellious obedience, and an ability to evolve. The deeper life’s furrows cut and the more its flames rise, the more it transforms—just as humans do in their eternal journey of adaptation.”
- Samer Yamani
”Adaptability” presents the journey of clay and how this fundamental material has continuously evolved, seamlessly integrating with the most advanced production techniques while preserving its deep-rooted heritage. This exhibition highlights not only the technical development of clay, pottery, and ceramics in art and design but also their symbolic connection to the human capacity for adaptation.
The exhibition features eleven artworks by Arab artists from five different countries, ranging from traditional hand-molding to digital fabrication and robotic-assisted craftsmanship. These works reveal the extraordinary adaptability of clay, reflecting human ingenuity, resilience, and the ability to reinvent across civilizations.
The exhibition’s scenography design mirrors the paths and whirlwinds of life. It begins at the innermost circle, closest to human emotions and sentiments, where the artworks reflect the artists’ deepest thoughts and existential questions —belonging, society, suffering. It then expands to the circle of daily life, exploring its details and struggles between past and present. Ultimately, it leads us to the outermost circle, representing the wider world around us—our cities, heritage, and geography.