Etihad Airways has teamed up with UAE-based designers to create art pieces from obsolete aircraft cabin interiors.

Terry Daly, Executive Director Guest Experience, Brand & Marketing said: “End-of-life parts that were destined for landfill have been repurposed into beautiful art instillations by skilled artists who used rare and unwanted aircraft scraps.

“By collaborating with artists from the local community, our goal is to not only showcase talent within the region, but to further encourage sustainable innovation that’s good for the environment”.

Emirati sculptor Azza Al Qubaisi’s first art piece in her Seeking Identity’ sculpture series, used seat floor mounting rails as a building motif to create symmetric geometric formations that can be displayed free standing or suspended from the ceiling.

“After deconstructing some seats, I have a bigger appreciation for the ergonomics and technology that goes into them – there are hundreds of pieces. I’m already working on a second piece of art by melting and casting the scrap materials I didn’t use for my first installation and I can’t wait to share it with the world,” said Azza.

Using aircraft curtains, wall panels, life jackets and cabin interiors, Christine Wilson, an emerging artist from Ireland based in Dubai, designed a multidimensional upcycled art piece to encapsulate a textural zeitgeist of Etihad.

“‘Aintiqal /انتقال’ is a visual reflection of the Abu Dhabi skyline and depicts the incredible landmark achievements of the UAE’s space programme. It represents national pride and reminds us of new beginnings and a new journey,” said Wilson.

Etihad is displaying the art pieces at Etihad Headquarters and hopes to commission similar work in the future.

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