Inject some culture into February with 17 cool exhibitions in Dubai
So many galleries to visit…
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 month, soak up the creativity at these exhibitions in Dubai. From resin to AI and NFT’s, here are 17 exhibitions in Dubai to check out in February.
Al Safa Art and Design Library
Photo credit: Yoshio Kawashima and Sankei Shimbun
When: Until March 17
Love photography? Head to Al Safa Art and Design Library to see a rare collection of black and white photographs of Dubai by Japanese photojournalist Yoshio Kawashima and journalist Hiroshi Kato. The Dubai in the Year 1962 collection includes photos of the former Ruler of Dubai, His Highness Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum meeting residents at his majlis; Old Dubai souqs; local residential areas and more. The exhibition is held under the patronage of Dubai Culture and Dubai Public Libraries, in collaboration with the Consulate General of Japan in Dubai.
Al Safa Art and Design Library, Jumeirah 3, Dubai, open Sun to Thur 8am to 8pm, Fri 8am to 12pm, closed on Sat. Tel: (800) 33222. @dubaiculture
Bedia Gallery
When: Ongoing
This is one of the most recent galleries to enter the Dubai art scene, and it is owned by Kemal Yazici, the first Turkish gallery owner and artist in Dubai. Born in Turkey and raised in Germany, Kemal Yazici creates contemporary abstract art by utilising geometrical and organic elements. Yazici creates his masterpieces by overlapping layers, combining flowing textures and using bespoke tools to depict the vibrant dynamic world we live in. Bedia Gallery houses Kemal’s unique work as well as his art studio on the first floor.
Bedia Gallery, Warehouse 10, Al Khayat Avenue, Al Quoz, Dubai, Tues to Sun 10am 7pm, Mon closed, Tel: (0)4 335 9133, bediagallery.com
BOCCARA
When: Until Saturday February 28
Catch Ukrainian artist Maria Lys’ Lunar exhibition until February 28. It features a variety of perspectives of the sun and moon, depicting complex emotions, harmonised energy, and well-being. Maria utilises traditional painting techniques, fluid art methods, epoxy resin, as well as gold and silver leaves. The artist sometimes integrates semi-precious stones and minerals to create mystery in her work, using her craft as a means to display her most intimate feelings and experiences.
BOCCARA, South Zone, Gate Avenue, Trade Centre, DIFC, Mon to Fri 10am to 6pm, Sat & Sun closed, @boccaragalleryofficial
Carbon.12
When: Wednesday January 11 to Monday February 20
À Rebours is Gil Heitor Cortesão’s fifth solo exhibition with Carbon 12, using his signature technique of reverse painting on plexiglass. The artist utilises layering which creates a sense of illusion, distorting what the viewer can see and what they believe may exists within these layers. Gil Heitor Cortesão’s work takes inspiration from 1960’s and 70’s architecture, creating a fusion of familiarity and utopia.
Carbon.12, Alserkal Avenue, Dubai, Mon to Sat 11.30 to 7pm, Tel: (0)4 340 6016, carbon12.art
The Efie Gallery
When: Thursday January 12 to February Tuesday 24
In an exhibition titled The Art of Advocacy, one of our favorite African art galleries is showcasing the work of Ethiopian photographer, Aïda Muluneh. The collection will include a diverse range of works that demonstrate the artist’s ability to use art as a tool for change, with some of her works even being commissioned for the Nobel Peace Prize. Muluneh’s new venture of exploring mixed media through hand-painting acrylic onto photographs will be featured in this exhibition. Muluneh is best known for her powerful portraits of women in surreal settings, with advocacy playing an important role in her work, focusing on human rights, conflict, colonialism, and health.
The Efie Gallery, Al Quoz, Dubai, Tel: (0)4 252 4182, efiegallery.com
Foundry
When: Until Thursday February 23
The Foundry is hosting four exhibitions with NFT’s, photography, graphic design and more. This includes a global NFT show comprising of works from 3,000 artists, representing a variety of styles and mediums. In gallery four, there will be a private collection of fine art prints curated by Thibault Cadro, showcasing how the technical and innovative craft of printmaking has evolved. Gallery eight sees Antonio Saba, an Italian photographer, explore time and beauty through his surrealist images, creating work that exudes a poetic flare. Finally, gallery five will be merging the real and the fantastical, showcasing a new world through a colourful and graphic collection.
Foundry, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Blvd, Downtown Dubai, 10am to 10pm daily. Tel: (0)4 367 3696, @foundrydowntown
Galloire
When: Until Friday February 24
With his new solo show, Loose Threads, Daniel Canogar explores the textile dimension of technology. Using fabrics and textiles, Canogar illustrates how screens have replaced fabrics, now weaving information together to facilitate our fast-paced world. Canogar uses textiles to visualise the vast amount of data and shapes which inhabit our faced paced world.
Galloire, London Street, City Walk, Dubai, Tel: (0)58 575 9444, galloire.com
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, mindblowing 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: Wednesday January 18 till 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 May 14
Daniele Genadry’s Blind Light investigates how distance, light, and movement affect visual experiences, especially in nature. Through photography and painting, her medium of choice allows her to explore how images can create their own temporality through light, as well as how mediated fields of vision can sensitize our perception. The exhibition features works that are based on Daniele’s recent research in La Rochelle and Cassis, France and the Grand Canyon, USA.
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
Kanvas
When: Until Friday February 20
All art fanatics are invited to experience a fully immersive A.I-driven exhibition, Revival of Aesthetics 2.0. The extraordinary artworks are the brainchild of the talented Orkhan Maddadov, who utilised visual effects and virtual realities to illuminate cultural history and heritage in the modern world. Revival of Aesthetics 2.0. illustrates the ancient skill of carpet weaving through the over 150,000 digitalised carpet compositions, compiling motifs, patterns, sketches and calligraphic shapes. These virtual rugs are projected across walls to create a fully immersive and interactive exhibition which pays homage to this time-honoured craft.
Kanvas, Unit 1, Al Khayat Art Avenue, Al Quoz 1, Dubai, Mon to Fri 9.30am to 6pm, Sat and Sun closed. Tel: (0)52 188 4980, kanvasglobal.com00
Lawrie Shabibi
When: Until Friday February 17
Kickstarting the new year, Lawrie Shabibi is hosting Larry Amponsah’s first solo exhibition in the UAE titled, The Soil From Which We Came. Amponsah’s works evoke a deeper understanding and connectivity to contemporary black culture, identity, politics and history, through the artist’s creative tone of reconfiguring and modifying imagery through collage and painting. This exhibition will bring out your inner romantic, with the pieces exploring connections from person to person, inhabitant and the inhabited as well as the relationship between things and people. The Soil From Which We Came, challenges and plays with the parameters to which artists can utilise painting and mixed media. This exhibition is not to be missed.
Lawrie Shabibi, Al Quoz 1 Al Serkal Avenue, Dubai, Mon to Sat 10pm to 6pm, Sun closed, Tel: (0)4 346 9906, lawrieshabibi.com
ME Dubai
When: Until Friday February 17
The ME Dubai is located in an architectural masterpiece created by the late Dame Zaha Hadid. The hotel has a long-standing commitment to supporting the arts and creating memorable experiences for guests through the promotion of local and upcoming talents. Their most recent artistic endeavour is the exhibition of local artist Kristel Bechara, which explores the theme of ‘Wise Women,’ a modern-day interpretation of an ancient Japanese proverb. Her seven resulting artworks derive from this proverb, ‘think no evil, do no evil, post no evil’, displaying women in dramatic poses, evoking a philosophical curiosity within the viewer.
ME Dubai, The Opus by Omniyat, Al A’amal St, Business Bay, Dubai, Tel: (0)4 525 2500, melia.com
Mestaria Gallery
When: Until Tuesday February 17
Showcasing nine Zimbabwean artists, The Shona Collective exhibits sculptors that are created in the Shona art style, a powerful art form which highlights Zimabean history and culture. Using tricky elements, the sculptors work with materials such as Springstone, fruit serpentine and leopard rocks, that portray vibrant greens, and yellows as well as strong browns and blacks. All works are truly rustic and authentic, literally being carved from the earth into a unique creation.
Mestaria Gallery, Alserkal Avenue, Al Quoz, Dubai, Tel: (0)4 379 0940, mestaria.art
THAT Concept Store
When: Thursday February 2 to Tuesday March 7
In a Middle East-first, THAT Concept Store is bringing the extraordinary artwork of French artist and fashion photographer Guy Bourdin to the region. Guy Bourdin started taking photos in the 1940s and his first exhibition took place in 1952, back then his photos were considered technically impossible in the pre-digital era of retouching. Between his use of plot and perspective, meticulous compositions, hyper colour and contrast, the legacy of his irrefutable artistic style still influences the top art and fashion photographers today. Exhibited around some of the top museums around the world, you can now explore the iconic pieces which include 17 large-format hand-printed and framed photographs at the exclusive exhibition taking place from February 2 to March 7.
THAT Concept Store, Mall of the Emirates, Dubai. thatconceptstore.com
The Third Line
All images are courtesy of the artist and The Third Line, Dubai
When: From Monday February 6 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 Monday March 6
Solimar Miller depicts the relationship between humans and nature in the past, present, and future through drawings, painting, photography, and silkscreen artworks. Miller is both interested and concerned about nature, with her grief over how humans have come to cause irreversible environmental damage through farming and deforestation, inspiring her exhibition Witnessing Us. This exhibition emphasizes the value of nature and how fleeting its beauty will be if not protected. The artist believes that caring for the earth is which is both a privilege and a necessity of the human race.
XVA Gallery, Al Fahidi Neighbourhood, Dubai, 7pm to 10pm daily, Tel: (0)4 353 5383, xvagallery.com
Images: Provided and social
