Abu Dhabi, January 13, 2020
During this trip, we toured Qasr Al Hosn, the oldest building in the city of Abu Dhabi which belonged to the ruling Al Nahyan family. By walking through the repurposed building we learned about the official history of the country and the different ways in which women feature in that story. We also met with Shamma Al Bastaki, a poet and visual artist who graduated from NYU Abu Dhabi, and who recently joined Qasr Al Hosn. Shamma shared her research on the Dubai creek and reflections on narratives, memory, and place. We also met with Ayesha Khansaheb, a researcher who oversees the collections of Qasr Al Hosn and curates temporary exhibitions. Ayiesha shared her research experience at NYUAD, including a project on the life stories of Emirati women in the creation of national cuisine in the UAE. Through the visit and conversations students engaged with a variety of perspectives on what state feminism is and how it differs from descriptions of the concept in some academic texts.