8 cool art exhibitions to check out in Dubai this January

For your January art fix…

Welcome to 2024 – it never slows down. The new year points to the advent of exciting new things to get stuck in and that includes all things artsy and cultural. If you’re one of those people who can actually stand in front of a contemporary painting and state with solid conviction – I get it – then this list is the one for you. We can say that too but we’d just be lying.

Here are 8 art exhibitions to visit in January.

 ‘No Destination’ by Seth Benzel

Running: From January 12

ME Dubai Hotel’s very first ‘Cultural Connection’ initiative for 2024 features a collaboration with Florida-based artist and art gallery owner Seth Benzel. The showcase, inaugurating the ‘Cultural Connection’ exhibition, draws inspiration from Benzel’s own artistic and creative journey, drawing parallels between that process and life’s continuous development. There is also much of his father’s influence on him, whose background as a painter motivated Benzel’s passion for the arts. His residency at Zaha Hadid’s architectural wonder makes sense for the symbolism it holds for this meeting of the two worlds. Catch his exhibition at the ME Dubai Hotel Level 3 gallery.

@medubaihotel

‘From Monet to Kadinsky’ at Theatre of Digital Art

Running: From January 1 to 31

Theatre of Digital Art presents an exploration of some of the finest works of some of the finest artists of an era, who dared to be different. Featuring the iconic works of names like Van Gogh, Monet, Seurat, Klee, Munch, Cézanne, Delaunay, and Kandinsky, this immersive experience takes visitors through an unraveling of the mysteries behind the art revolution of the XX century. A bit of an unconventional exhibition, this showcase will allow people to step inside the art and understand how it challenged and changed the artistic landscape of the time. What once ignited controversy now invites admiration and you can see why. Don’t miss out.

@todadubai

‘The Black Flags of Medea’ by Philip Mueller

Running: Until January 29

Philip Mueller’s solo exhibition brings back the Black Flamingo Sad Boys, and the Naxos Racing Team, as they search for meaning, reflecting a period of introspection. This exhibition captures an important moment, a fundamental stage in the journey Mueller’s characters undergo. His steady fascination with German Romanticism is consistent throughout the new compositions, and the paintings follow old and new characters as they traverse new terrain in pursuit of something different. Catch the exhibition at Carbon 12, Warehouse 37 at Alserkal Avenue till the end of this month.

@carbon12gallery

‘Reviewing Landscape’ by various artists

Running: Until January 15

This group exhibit is all about exploring landscapes and the art of recreating them. A selection of artworks by an eclectic group of classical, contemporary and modern painters and artists has been put together see how the styles change over time. New ways of portraying geography have been inspired by the techniques previously used by the classical painters and the traditionalists. Witness how painters versed in impressionist and expressionist practices expanded their craft to observing and replicating nature. Catch the exhibition at Elmarsa Gallery, Warehouse 23 at Alserkal Avenue.

@elmarsagallery

‘Lines in Motion’ by Pablo Reinoso

Running: Until January 29

The first solo exhibition of French-Argentinian artist Pablo Reinoso in the region, ‘Lines in Motion’ is a selection of old and brand new works by the artists that together showcase the whimsical world of Reinoso’s sculptures, and create a survey of his sculptural practice. Much of Reinoso’s work follows mundane objects – frames and benches, for example – as they take on a different life after their function as an object is complete. The subjects of his work often take on shapes and dimensions that are beyond the realm of reality for those things. His body of work is mostly inspired by the question of materiality – what are the natural limits of otherwise unimaginative materials like wood, bronze, marble, steel, textile and air and how can they be imagined to be manipulated. Catch this exhibit at the Custot Gallery Dubai, Warehouse 84 at Alserkal Avenue.

@custotdubai

‘Sheher, Prakriti, Devi’ by Gauri Gill

Running: From January 19 to June 1

The first extensive curation by Indian artist and photographer Gauri Gill, ‘Sheher, Prakriti, Devi’ will take you through the works of 12 artists and collectives as they explore the context of urban, rural, domestic, communitarian, public and non-material spaces. The Hindi words sheher, prakirti and devi, stand for city, nature and deity, and the exhibit is inspired by Gill’s ongoing documentation of urban and semi-urban spaces in India. It includes works by Chamba Rumal, Chiara Camoni, Gauri Gill, Ladhki Devi, Mariam Suhail, Meera Mukherjee, Mrinalini Mukherjee, Rashmi Kaleka, Shefalee Jain, Sukanya Ghosh, Vinnie Gill and Yoshiko Crow. Catch the showcase at Ishara Art Foundation, Warehouse 3 at Alserkal Avenue.

@isharaartfoundation

‘A Moment of Peace’ by Ahmed Kasha

Running: From January 13 to February 17

The young Syrian painter’s first exhibition, ‘A Moment of Peace’ showcases Kasha’s works created over a period of five years. Surrounded by art since he was kid, Kasha’s father is renowned Syrian sculptor Jamil Kasha. The works in this collection are inspired by what Kasha witnessed in 2011 – war, bloodshed and havoc in his country. These works represent his longing and hopes for a moment of peace and his silent testimony to what he saw. Catch the exhibition at Fann À Porter located at The Workshop.

@fannaporter

Green Art Gallery x Selma Feriani Gallery

Running: January 10 to February 17

This group exhibition is brought to you by Green Art Gallery in collaboration with Selma Ferriani Gallery to showcase the works of Nazgol Ansarinia, Rossella Biscotti, M’barek Bouhchichi, Hera Büyüktaşcıyan, Elena Damiani, Yazid Oulab and Massinissa Selmani. Selma Ferriani Gallery was established in Tunis, Tunisia, in early 2013 to provide a platform to emerging and mid-career artists from the MENA region and from across the globe.

@greenartgallerydubai

Images: Supplied