What’s On previews art galleries in Dubai and their art exhibitions in October featuring The Other Hundred, galleries in DIFC, Al Serkal Avenue in Al Quoz.

More…
– Dhs50m Al Quoz boost
– Meet the artist: Madz
– Design District Dubai
– Middle East street culture
– Graffiti special

From the swish streets of Gate Village in DIFC to the rough ‘n’ ready Al Quoz district, Dubai has plenty of art to keep you inspired. Here are the five best exhibitions to see right now, whether you’re a casual observer or the next Charles Saatchi.

THE OTHER HUNDRED
We’re all familiar with the annual rich lists compiled to give a pat on the back to the 100 most wealthy people on the planet. A new photography exhibition applauds a very different list of people, none of whom have been selected because of their bank balance.

The Other Hundred - art exhibitions in Dubai

The Other Hundred features 100 photographs of people from 91 countries, all of whom have a story to tell, and aims to act as a counterpoint to the public’s fascination with rich lists. The exhibition is based on a book and has been shown around the world before arriving in the UAE.

Curated by award-winning photographer Stefen Chow, the photos have been submitted by both amateur and professional photographers who are reminding us of the enormous diversity of financial backgrounds experienced by people around the world. You can bet your bottom dollar there are no millionaires on this list.

Until October 15
East Wing Gallery, Limestone House Building, DIFC, Dubai, Sat to Thur 10am to 3pm and 5pm to 8pm. Tel: (050) 5533879. Metro: Financial Centre. east-wing.org

The Other Hundred - art exhibitions in Dubai

#IN_TER_FER_EN_CE
Yes, that hashtag and those underscores are for real. The Farjam Foundation’s latest exhibition – a selection of video installations from the renowned Farjam Collection – is more than simply a gallery show. Paris-based ‘curatorial agency’ Curatorial X, which specialises in developing interactive museum exhibitions, has been commissioned to develop a Twitter-based dialogue in the cybersphere to play alongside the exhibition itself. Which, in brief, means an international panel of experts will be debating and discussing the show live. Better still, you get to join in by following #interference.

Until October 20
The Farjam Foundation, Gate Village 4, DIFC, Dubai, free. Tel: (04) 3230303. Metro: Emirates Towers. farjamfoundation.org

#In_ter_fer_en_ce at Gate Village - art exhibitions in Dubai

WORKS ON PAPER: HIKAYAT
The simple act of storytelling is the thread that binds this group show of more than 50 works on paper by modern Arab artists at Green Art Gallery in Al Quoz. From representations of scenes from ancient myths to depictions of political and social upheaval in more recent decades, the exhibition sets out to do more than simply showcase an impressive selection of work – it aims to explore the idea of storytelling itself as an essential part of Arab culture. It is, as a result, much more than the sum of its parts and well worth a look.

Until October 26
Green Art Gallery, Unit 28, Street 8, Al Serkal Avenue, Al Quoz 1, Dubai, free. Tel: (04) 3469395. Taxi: Al Serkal Avenue. gagallery.com

Works On Paper - art exhibitions in Dubai

/SECONDS
This exhibition celebrates ten years of online arts journal /seconds, with a retrospective of what curator Peter Lewis calls ‘key contributions’ to the project over the past decade. It reveals the rich diversity and talent that has been showcased over the years, with work in almost every medium, including installation, interactive performance, photography and video – along with the odd painting or two.

October 11 to December 12
Sharjah Art Foundation, Building 1, Sharjah, free. Tel: (06) 5685050. Taxi: Sharjah Art Foundation. sharjahart.org

seconds - Works On Paper - art exhibitions in Dubai and Sharjah

MAJORITY WORLD
Gulf Photo Plus’ mission to promote photography as an art form in and of itself continues apace. This exhibition of work by photographers represented by the eponymous Majority World agency has it all: landscape, portraiture, photojournalism and carefully contrived studio work are all represented here in the work of six artists from Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Middle East. Great stuff.

Until October 25
Gulf Photo Plus, D36, Al Serkal Avenue, Al Quoz, Dubai, free. Tel: (04) 3808545. Taxi: Al Serkal Avenue. gulfphotoplus.com

Majority World - art exhibitions in Dubai

I HATE MY FRIENDS
The words ‘conceptual art’ may conjure up images of a line of bricks or a single light bulb flashing on and off, but at its best it really does challenge the viewer to dig deeper into what they’re seeing to understand the ‘why’ of what’s before them. The five artists behind this group show (all recent graduates of NYU Abu Dhabi) have clearly put a lot of thought into the concepts behind their work, but the viewer gets a break too, because what’s on the walls is, for the most part, visually arresting and interesting in and of itself. And all from locally nurtured talent.

Until October 8
XVA Gallery, Al Fahidi, Bur Dubai, Dubai, free. Tel: (04) 3535383. Metro: Al Fahidi. xvagallery.com