Philip Cheung

The Edge, is a contemporary look at the evolving coastal landscape of the United Arab Emirates. The cultural and social identity of the UAE is particularly tied to its coastline, which played a deciding role in the development of the nation. The coastline provides an income resource and a connection between the Emirates and the rest of the world; first through shipping trade, fishing, pearling, and currently through the exploration of the oil industry and coast-based tourism. This changing relationship between the traditional and modern usage of the coastal landscape creates the space that I explore. Since the discovery of oil off the coast of Abu Dhabi over 50 years ago, the UAE’s 1,300km coastline, along with its cities and towns, has undergone considerable changes. The country, nestled in a pocket of financial security is growing diverse in form and function, with industry, tourism, and recreation shifting the scale and rhythm of the natural and the built environment. The landscape of the Emirates is aesthetically influenced by decades of substantial development, migratory movement, and lifestyles of the people who build, support and engineer the country. The Edge, seeks to survey the way the coastal landscape reflects present day socioeconomic realities of the Emirates.