6 amazing art exhibitions in Dubai to check out in February

There’s so much art in this city…

With a new month comes plenty of brand new art events to check out, and culture vultures, there’s plenty to go scope out in the city to keep you busy this February.

Here are 6 awesome art exhibitions in Dubai to check out this February.

Emerge V: Don’t Walk Between Columns

Where: The Foundry at Downtown Dubai
When: Until February 7

These exhibitions are the works of art by seven students from Zayed University and are inspired by a week-long study trip to Venice in 2019. The artists journeyed through the city taking note of the architectural details of palaces and decorative motifs and then combined them with local Emirati culture in addition to a modern touch that aligns with their generation. This exhibition is a must-see if you want to help support the city’s budding artists.

If you’re curious as to the name of the exhibition. Well, the story goes to the myth of two columns, San Marco and San Teodoro, which stand as the official gateway to the city from the Lagoon into St. Mark’s Square walking into Venice, where the Venetians believed for centuries that walking between the columns brings bad luck.

The Foundry, Downtown Dubai, Dubai. Tel: (0)4 367 3696. @foundrydowntown

The World Is Too Much With Us

Where: Alliance Francaise Dubai
When: From February 22 to March 7

Named after a famous William Wordsworth poem, this exhibition brings together six artists who express concerns for our planet and our collective consciousness. These artists champion the natural world, speak out against climate change and call for activism. The show is curated by independent art writer and curator Anna Seaman.

La Galerie, Alliance Francaise, Dubai. Tel: (0)4 335 8712. afdubai.org

Split Ends

Where: Green Art Gallery
When: Until March 4

Split ends. No one likes them, but you’ll find it presented in unique ways at this exhibition by Afra Al Dhaheri. Rope is used to represent hair here and one of the highlights at the exhibiton is titled Fil Al Shaa which has ropes hanging from the ceiling shows a playful liberation of hair. Creating an opposing scenario, the One at a Time exhibiti displays the rope (hair) tied down and straightened by external means showing how external factors can impose change. The artist also introduces a third possibility where time is expansive and limited allowing space for destruction and construction to coexist.

Green Art Gallery, Al Quoz 1, Street 8, Alserkal Avenue, Unit 28, Dubai. Tel: (0)4 346 9305. @greenartgallery

The Lace Maker

Where: Lawrie Shabibi
When: Until March 4

This exhibition by Farhad Ahrarnia comprises of images from a diverse range of sources and media – the internet, printed or painted material, and composed with embroidery, painted metalwork and grooming items giving insight into the artist’s intriguing eclectic practice. Working with a team of commercial painters, he uses Soviet social realist and 19th-century European style paintings as the basis of his compositions. To this, he adds in objects acquired from the bazaar directly onto the artwork implying a notion of cultural mimicry which never feels authentic, which runs deep in many aspects of our cross-cultural multiple realities, and our state of selecting and editing images, and to some degree, reinforcing our status, interests and ambitions.

Lawrie Shabibi, Alserkal Avenue, Unit 21, Al Quoz, Dubai. Tel (0)4 346 9906. @lawrieshabibi

Terra Un(firma)

Where: Tabari Artspace
When: From February 16 to March 15

This is a dual exhibition by Haifa-based hyperrealists (a genre of painting and sculpture resembling a high-resolution photograph) Samah Shihadi and Michael Halak. Shihadi has produced work which is divided into two segments – The Living and The Land which takes the artist personal narratives and feminist outlook as a starting point from which to explore issues faced by women, across cultures, in the contemporary moment.

While Shihadi’s work is rooted in the past, Halak’s work is fixed firmly upon the current moment. His work follows western traditions of realist, illusory painting, but diverges in content which combines local and global realities. There will be multiple ways to read his work, but he urges the viewer to consider more closely the contents with which they are presented.

Tabari Artspace, The Gate Village Building 3, Level 2, DIFC, Dubai. Tel (0)4 323 0820. @tabari_artspace 

The Art of Explosion

Where: Oblong Contemporary Art Gallery
When: Until March 7

Barcelona- born artist Manu Algueró developed a fascination for explosions at a very young age and as he grew up pursued his interest and began exploring the concept of the Big Bang. The artist instilled the concept in his artwork and through trial and error created a process wherein he shares his inner feelings be it happy or sorrowful. Many may see his art as destructive, but the artist points out that in order to start something new, you need to get rid of old ways.

Oblong Contemporary Art Gallery, Bluewaters Island, Dubai. Tel: (0)4 232 2071. @oblongcontemporary 

Images: Supplied