12 art exhibitions to check out in March

No matter what type of art you fancy, there’s an art exhibition in Dubai to check out…

Dubai is one of those cities where there’s a never-ending supply of things to do. For a bit of culture to shake up your week, you could always soak in some art and pay a visit to these art exhibitions in Dubai.

ArtKōrero Gallery in ME Dubai

When: Until Monday, May 1

Located on the third floor of ME Dubai, artist Natalia Kapchuk will be showcasing her first solo show. All of her works are mixed-media creations that showcase the beauty of our world with the conflicting effects that human activity has had on it. Some of her pieces will also be displayed in the lobby – so make sure not to miss them.

ME Dubai, The Opus by Omniyat, Al A’amal St, Business Bay, Dubai, Tel: (0)4 525 2500, melia.com

Ayyam Gallery

When: Until Monday, May 1

The Houses Behind the Army Canal, is a solo exhibition by Sadik Kwaish Alfraji, which is the second exhibition in a series of three, which focuses on the three generations of migration within his family. The first exhibition depicted his grandfather’s life, with this chapter focusing on his father’s move to Baghdad and how his life unfolded amid poverty and political turmoil in 1958. Utilising a mixture of mediums, Alfraji tries to encapsulate the emotions of his father during this dysfunctional time and the lack of hope and prosperity that engulfed his community.

Ayyam Gallery, Alserkal Avenue, Dubai, Mon to Fri 10am to 6pm, Sat 12pm to 6pm, Sun closed. Tel: (0)4 323 6242, ayyamgallery.com

Carbon.12

When: Until Monday, May 1

British-Indian artist Amba Sayal-Bennett’s exhibition, Architectures of Excess, explores the ways in which methods of abstraction are exclusionary and performative, creating boundaries between the present, the absent and the othered. Her works focus on modernism, and its different forms across the world as well as the movement of bodies, knowledge across the world, highlighting the diasporic experiences, and how postcolonial countries such as India, struggle for modernity.

Carbon 12, Alserkal Avenue, Dubai, Mon to Sat 11.30pm to 7pm, Sun closed, Tel: (0)4 340 6016, carbon12.art

The Efie Gallery

When: Until May 29

Moving away from his usual forte of utilising vibrant colours, Ishaaq Ismail’s exhibition Beyond The Fence, Begins the Sky, features his first collection of monochromatic works that uses multiple hues of blue. By portraying characters with complicated and conflicting feelings against a variety of serene and utopian landscapes, this exhibition seeks to question perceptions about beauty while also taking into account the hardships these individuals must face.

The Efie Gallery, Al Quoz, Dubai, Tel: (0)4 252 4182, efiegallery.com

Fabien Fryns Art Gallery

When: Until Friday, March 31

Charlie Lewis Marffy’s exhibition No Man’s Land is an expression of our human experiences, from living and breathing to failing. His works take the viewers on a journey to a new world, full of contradiction, confusion and ambiguity, through his expressive artistic style. The audience is invited to navigate his paintings like a mental map, much like an orienteer translates the world onto paper.

Fabien Fryns, Alserkal Avenue, Al Quoz Industrial Area 1, Dubai, Mon to Sat 10am to 6pm, Mon closed, Tel: (0)4 343 5050, fabienfryns.com

The Foundry

When: Until Thursday, May 4

This art, culture and co-working space is hosting four world-class artists, who will unveil their newest collections of artworks. Gallery three will showcase Dubai-based painter Sylvia Ong’s exhibition Around the sun all year long, illustrating how the sun remains constant despite the personal turmoil that individuals face. Gallery four will host a group exhibition by four Syrian artists, featuring more than 500 works which aim to preserve and promote art and archives from Syria. Gallery Five will be home to a mixed-media project delivered through direct testimony, memories and visual associations. Gallery eight will see the debut of a long-term project that comprises of works from Iranian artists over multiple generations, portraying their lived experiences throughout history.

The Foundry, Boulevard Crescent, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Blvd, Downtown Dubai, 10am to 10pm daily, Tel: (0)4 367 3696, @foundrydowntown

Inloco Gallery pop up

When: Until Thursday, March 30

Useless Palaces offers viewers a glimpse into the exploration of abandoned spaces in deserts, illustrating the spirit of adventure through philosophical reflection, mind blowing landscapes and artistic humour. This exhibition showcases works from ten international urban artists, brought together by the Inloco gallery group.

Inloco Gallery, Al Khayat Avenue, Al Quoz, Dubai, Tel: (0)50 751 8720, Mon to Sat 10am to 6pm, inlocogallery.com

Ishara Art Foundation

When: Until Saturday, May 20

Exploring philosophical and political dimensions of time, this group exhibition includes the works of over 20 contemporary artists from South Asia and its diasporas. Notations on Time depicts a dialogue between artistic generations, illustrating complexities between the past, present and future. Pushing away from Western notions, Notations on Time highlights different ways of thinking about aesthetics, existence, remembrance and futurity.

Ishara Art Foundation, Alserkal Avenue, Al Quoz, Dubai, Mon to Sat 10am to 7pm, Tel: (0)4 223 3001, ishara.org

Jameel Arts Centre

When: Until Sunday, April 2

Jameel Arts Centre is hosting an extended exhibition which explores the human relationship with water. An Ocean in Every Drop depicts the importance of water in all of our lives, influencing history, culture, language, and social relations. Our understanding of water has consistently evolved, and we now see water in a crisis, being both scarce due to drought and potentially over-abundant due to floods and sea levels. With a curation of international works, guests are invited to explore the topic of water and how it forms from our past to our present.

Jameel Arts Centre, Jaddaf Waterfront, Dubai, Fri 12pm to 8pm, Sat to Thursday 10am to 8pm, closed on Tues, Tel: (0)4 873 9800. jameelartscentre.org

Lawrie Shabibi

When: Until Friday, April 28

Berlin-based Timo Nasseri will be showcasing his first solo exhibition, All Borrow Their Light, comprising of carefully constructed sculptures and paintings from various stages of his practice. His works explore mathematical and geometric models, which reflect his fascination with Islamic architecture, specifically with muqarnas ornamentation – the honeycombing under domes and arches that originated in the 10th and 11th centuries, which is specifically used in Iranian architecture.

Lawrie Shabibi, Al Quoz 1 Al Serkal Avenue, Dubai, Mon to Sat 10pm to 6pm, Sun closed, Tel: (0)4 346 9906, lawrieshabibi.com

The Third Line

When: Until Friday, March 24

Gut Feelings: Part II, the fifth solo exhibition by Los Angeles-based artist Hayv Kahraman, continues her investigation into the effects of trauma on the body and the role of the gut in our healing process. The gut is often referred to as the “second brain” because of its ability to regulate the hormones that control our emotions. Kahraman combines these theories with her own lived experiences to shed light on the mind-body connection. Her works depict exposed and tangled digestive organs as a visual metaphor for the healing process.

The Third Line, Alserkal Avenue, Dubai, Mon to Sat 11am to 7pm, Sun closed, Tel: (0)4 341 1267, thethirdline.com

XVA Gallery

When: Until Friday, March 31

Artist Halim Al Karim explores the hidden orbits of history through his exhibition Enheduanna’s Letter, challenging the disjunction between historical events and the way in which we as a society recall them. Karim challenges conventional conceptual and cultural boundaries of human history by reinterpreting famous works of art.

XVA Gallery, Al Fahidi Neighbourhood, Dubai, 7pm to 10pm daily, Tel: (0)4 353 5383, xvagallery.com

Images: Social