On view now: “The Beautiful Decay of Flowers in The Vase" by @raminroknihesam (Ramin Haerizadeh, Rokni Haerizadeh, and Hesam Rahmanian) at In Situ - Fabienne Leclerc in Paris, France. This exhibition presents a 'compositionist' vision of the world, incorporating elements of contemporary history and quotes. The structures of Alluvium, made of metal stems and painted floating discs, transform into various positions encouraging viewer engagement, as they move through the installation. Driven by a common approach that is daily coordinated, the practice of the Iranian trio, Ramin, Rokni and Hesam, is in perpetual transformation. Within the artworks, borrowed elements – still images or videos, various accessory objects – that transcend boundaries and reference systems, fostering collaborations that break free from Western-centric perspectives, highlighting messages about the climate crisis, and the interconnectedness of movement and the environment. The narratives in the work of Ramin, Rokni, and Hesam accumulate, forming immersive landscapes that challenge distinctions between noble and ordinary, craftsmanship and fine art. They decontextualize and subvert altered images, extracting them from public space into a gesture of détournement. These representations coexist with iconic figures, revealing the strangeness of the past amidst present contradictions. On view until 15th July, 2023 at In Situ - Fabienne Leclerc, Paris, France. *The exhibition is presented in collaboration with: Vahid Davar, Kiori Kawai, Mandana Mohit, Pirouz Taji. With the participation of: Homa Farley, Lamya Gargash, Nazli Ghassemi, Christopher Lord, Minnie McIntyre, Mohammed Rahis Mollah, Sara Saghari Jaleh Shaditalab, refugees and asylum seekers from the Danish Red Cross project Traveling with Art at the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art. Image credits: © In Situ - Fabienne Leclerc

‘Geographies of Land and Faces in Marwan’s World: Their Deconstruction and Reanimation’ featured Andrée Sfeir-Semler, Azza Munif, and Hala Khayat. The conversation investigated the artistic realm of Marwan Kassab Bachi and the profound impact of his work on the contemporary art scene, in both Eastern and Western contexts. The discussion served as a tribute to Marwan’s influential career, providing insights into his life and artistic journey, told through a survey of his work and stories of personal encounters. Considered as one of the masters of modern art in the Middle East, Marwan restricted himself to the simple and essential theme of the head. This motif has become the quintessential identifying trait of the artist’s oeuvre - by conceiving the head as a world of cosmos, a landscape of the soul and a great orb of the universe, in a myriad of reflections and visual smiles, Marwan meditated profoundly on the basic human condition. Head to the link in bio to learn more about Marwan, and his legacy that lives on. | The Art Dubai Modern Talks programmed in line with the fair’s Modern section, feature critical discussions exploring practices of 20th Century artists from North Africa, the Middle East, and South Asia, and current trends in collecting across the region and the decolonisation of the art-historical canon. This edition, programmed by Mouna Mekouar and Lorenzo Giusti, curators of Art Dubai Modern 2023, featured a series of discussions that provided a comprehensive understanding of modern art in the MENASA region by considering the question of art training, production, and reception of works. Presented in partnership with @thedubaicollection_

On view now: ‘Isthmus’ a solo show by @lamya_gargash at @thethirdlinedxb 
 The show celebrates her exploration of space and recounts diverse human experiences across various geographies, all while omitting the direct presence of the human figure. Through her photography, Gargash captures selected objects, furniture pieces, window details, and wall trimmings, each embodying human qualities, aesthetics from specific decades, socio-economic conditions, and cultures.
 ‘Isthmus’ unveils a new series of works inspired by Gargash's journey from Dubai, UAE, to Atami, Japan, where she photographed Hotel Acao Annex. 
 The title of the exhibition, ‘Isthmus’ is derived from a Latin word, "isthmus" which refers to a narrow strip of land that connects two larger land areas, each surrounded by different seas - in this case representing interiors from her journey - connecting two fundamentally different places that share underlying qualities. 
 A section of ‘Isthmus’ is dedicated to Gargash's previously unseen still-life photography, featuring precious objects symbolizing members of her immediate family, and herself, as the analogue camera positioned amidst all of it.
 On view until July 21st, 2023 at The Third Line, Dubai. Curated by @sophiemayuko

On view now: 'The Return,' an immersive installation by Rayyane Tabet, at @sfeirsemlergallery Beirut.
 The exhibition delves into the journey of a marble sculpture unearthed in Saida in 1967. Told through eight chapters, the installation chronologically reconstructs the sculpture's path, drawing from an array of historical documents.
 The 'Bull's Head,' dating back to 360 B.C., was discovered during the excavation of the temple of Eshmun in Saida. Currently residing in the National Museum in Beirut, the Bull's Head is presented through enlarged photographs, in a surreal blue haze, on free-standing walls within the gallery space. 
 Tabet pieces together the narrative using photographs, inventories, shipping documents, and court papers, unearthing the origins and travels of the sculpture- spanning decades, from Saida to Byblos, Colorado, until ultimately being restituted back to Lebanon.
 'The Return’, on view until June 17, 2023, at Sfeir-Semler, Beirut.

Sensing Prediction - Global Art Forum 16 | Art Dubai 2023
 If our senses are our interfaces with the world, what senses are we losing and gaining in these digitally determined times? 
 The relationship between the past, present and future feels like it’s in a process of redefinition once again. The discussion ‘Sensing Prediction’ hosted by @hansulrichobrist , Artistic Director, @serpentineuk , and @shumonbasar , featuring artist Refik Anadol and smell/researcher Sissel Tolaas, shed light on the immense impact of digital advancements on our sensory experiences, referencing their artistic practices and its evolution.  Refik Anadol’s acclaimed work uses vast data sets and artificial intelligence to paint computational pictures, both familiar and uncanny. Anadol's work prompts us to question the boundaries between human creativity and artificial intelligence, inviting us to explore the new aesthetic possibilities that emerge when the two merge. Sissel Tolaas focuses her research on the non-visible realm of smell. With a scientific, cultural, and political lens, Tolaas spoke on the significance of olfactory experiences and their influence on our understanding of the world - shaping our memories, emotions, and interactions. 
 A glimpse into the future where art, science, and technology converge - head to the link in bio to watch the discussion.
 • For Art Dubai 2023, our flagship talks programme, Global Art Forum, was entitled “Predicting the Present” and asked, if it’s the end of history and the end of the future, what happens next? This edition of the programme, looked at navigation tools for our uncertain times- stories, experiments and speculations about culture, innovation and society that point towards new sources of optimism. Images: - Courtesy of @refikanadol behind-the-scenes of his research for ‘Glacier Dreams’. - Courtesy of @sssl_berlin (Sissel Tolaas) as part of her ongoing research.

Details from ‘Jameel Prize: Poetry to Politics’ at @jameelartscentre The Jameel Prize is an internationally recognized award that celebrates contemporary art and design influenced by Islamic tradition, serving as a platform to explore the connection between modern artistic practices and Islamic culture in the present era. The sixth edition of the Jameel Prize presents a range of artistic practices, including graphic design, fashion, typography, textiles, installation, and activism. The works delve into both personal and political realms, interpreting the past in critical ways.  Ajlan Gharem was announced as the winner in September 2021, for his architectural installation ‘Paradise Has Many Gates’ (2015) (slide 6) The exhibition debuted at the @vamuseum in London, in 2021 and has toured to Centro Cultural La Moneda in Santiago, Chile and El Museo Provincial de Bellas Artes Franklin Rawson in Argentina, before arriving “home” in the UAE. Eight finalists of the sixth edition of the Jameel Prize: @golnar.adili , @hforhungry , @kalloldatta , @farahfayyad , @ajlangharem , @_sofiakarim_ , @jana.traboulsi and @iambushrawaqaskhan - curated by the V&A’s Jameel Curator of Contemporary Art from the Middle East, @racheldedman On view until January 7th, 2024 at Jameel Art Center, Dubai. *The Jameel Prize is a partnership between the V&A and @art_jameel

On view now: 'Cabinet of Curiosities’ is a solo show by London-based Egyptian artist, @nadaelkalaawy , at @taymourgrahneprojects The exhibition highlights a visual dialogue between dolls, statues, and women. Through her paintings, Elkalaawy explores the animating power of inanimate objects and focuses on reviving the art-historical image. The collection of fictitious characters and meticulously crafted scenes invite reflection on desire, intimacy, and the blurred boundaries between reality and illusion. “Elkalaawy also uses the motif of putti - a cherubic figure seen in paintings of the Renaissance and Baroque period - to explore the personification of emotion, of making the ethereal visible. ” (excerpt from an introduction by @roisintapponi ) This body of work is an act of preserving memories, drawing inspiration from sources such as family albums, vintage daguerreotypes, and social media, highlighting the human and the non-human, the living and the non-living. ‘Cabinet of Curiosities’ is on view at Taymour Grahne Projects until the 17th of June, 2023.

"Luxury Retail and Art” moderated by Amit Gupta, featured Thierry Wasser, Master Perfumer, @guerlain ; Lucia Boscaini, Curator of @bulgari and Caroline Bourgeois, Senior Curator, Pinault Collection (@boursedecommerce ). Aimed at deconstructing the language between art and luxury retail, the panel took a closer look at the realms of perfume, design, and art, and how art navigates the tapestry of both timeless traditions and avant-garde innovations.  Head to the link in bio to watch the discussion.  | The Art Dubai Collector Talks is a series of conversations with collectors playing key roles in nurturing and driving the development of art scenes across the Global South (and beyond) and supporting the redistribution of cultural centers across the world. The sessions focused on emerging trends in both traditional and digital collecting across the region, and what it means to be an arts patron in a place that is developing and implementing new institutional models. Presented in partnership with @thedubaicollection_

On view now: ‘Four AM’ featuring works by @grabuschnigg_monika and @nourmalas_ at @carbon12gallery The exhibition, ‘Four AM’, delves into the depths of existence, touching upon themes of mortality, melancholy, and the intricate emotions that bind us all. Monika Grabuschnigg’s sculptures and installations embody her unique understanding of the tragic core of human life with ceramic fridge doors as her canvas. These works serve as a preservation of our fleeting lives, offering a glimpse into our shared fragility, as everyday utensils transform into sculptures. Produced during a period of grief and celebration, Malas’s artworks navigate the space between these opposing emotional states. Through her expressive approach to painting, she unveils puzzling emotional landscapes—maps of placelessness and nonlinear orders, revealing the abundance of loss. Grabuschnigg and Malas share a resonance in their artistic expressions, revealing the inner impulses that resonate within us all. ‘Four AM’ is on view until 7th September, 2023 at Carbon 12, Dubai.

A closer look at ‘Breadwinner’ by Thukral and Tagra, a Delhi-based artist duo comprising Jiten Thukral (b. 1976, Jalandhar, Punjab) and Sumir Tagra (b. 1979, New Delhi), as part of the Art Dubai Commission 2023 titled ‘Chaupal: A journey Through South Asia’ - a series of performances and activations that explored the power of food, ritual and gather as community builders. Driven by the artistic methodologies of painting, gaming, archiving, and publishing, their multifaceted studio practice reflects the scope of engagement in the cultural and political landscape of India and the world. While their early career work dealt with the intricacies of consumer culture globally, their recent interest in ecology and climate change is a revisiting of their family histories of migration and farming in the Indian state of Punjab. Video: A snippet from a feature film about the project, produced by @stir_world - head to the link in bio to watch the full length film.

"Abstraction and Figuration: Looking to Shapes," featured Dr. Nada Shabout, Salwa Mikdadi, and Ridha Moumni. The conversation focused on the history of abstract art in the mid-20th century and its connection to the broader realm of modern art.  The discussion bridged gaps between the past and present, highlighting the significance of the collective cultural experience within the MENASA region. Dr. Nada Shabout, a leading expert in the field, opened with the statement- “The making of abstract visual forms is a near-universal human activity across time and cultures." - emphasizing the timeless and universal nature of abstract art, transcending geographical boundaries and cultural contexts. Head to the link in bio to watch the discussion.  | The Art Dubai Modern Talks programmed in line with the fair’s Modern section, feature critical discussions exploring practices of 20th Century artists from North Africa, the Middle East, and South Asia, and current trends in collecting across the region and the decolonisation of the art-historical canon. This edition, programmed by Mouna Mekouar and Lorenzo Giusti, curators of Art Dubai Modern 2023, featured a series of discussions that provided a comprehensive understanding of modern art in the MENASA region by considering the question of art training, production, and reception of works. Presented in partnership with @thedubaicollection_ Image: Samir Salameh, Malula, Syria. Courtesy of @galleryoneramallah as part of Art Dubai Modern 2023.

On view now: ‘Strange Fruit’, a solo show by @dorsasadi at @greenartgallerydubai Tehran-based Asadi, works across a variety of media, including, ceramic sculpture, painting, drawing and embroidery; material is as important as image to her. She combines local references such as colorful Iranian paintings and tiles with contemporary subjects like gender, identity and environmental issues, creating surrealist scenes. In ‘Strange Fruit’ Asadi narrates the emotional experience of living through recent unrest in Iran, depicted through a three parts inspired by Dante’s Divine Comedy- Inferno, Purgatory and Paradiso. The main characters are Elle and Belle, recurring figures in Asadi’s work, symbolizing the changing dynamics of society led by Gen Z, and exploring the generational rebellion against patriarchal and capitalist forces, supported by religion, which seek to control women’s bodies and nature. Dorsa Asadi was a part of Green Art Gallery’s presentation at Art Dubai 2023. ‘Strange Fruit’ is on view until 29th July, 2023 at Green Art Gallery, Dubai.