Known as a global art powerhouse, Dubai has one of the Arab world’s most robust gallery scenes, with its greatest concentration of dealers at Alserkal Avenue, an area in the Al Quoz industrial district made up of three streets packed with galleries.
Being an art hub, if you ever travel to Dubai, you need to experience its art world and satiate your artistic curiosity. We curated some of the must-visit art exhibitions you need to hit up across the city.
Landing By Maen Hammad
Using disposable cameras, Palestinian artist Maen Hammad, along with his skateboarding community, snapped candid moments from their day-to-day lives.
Known as ‘Landing,’ this collection of photos depicts the skateboard and the act of skating as both an escape and a radical form of resistance in a landscape dominated by the relentless Israeli occupation of Palestine. On display since December 6, Landing took over Alserkel Avenue’s Gulf Photo Plus.
Diary By Tammy Azzam
Playing with perspective is Syrian artist Tammy Azzam, who places an important lens on concepts like war, violence, and migration by creating artworks that explore the destruction and reconstruction of an image or space.
In the exhibition ‘Diary,’ you’ll encounter art pieces featuring horizon lines that expand outward as well as urban spaces cut into parts. The artwork will be on display until February 20, 2024.
The Weight Of Snow On Her Chest By Zainab
Similar to Hamad and Azzam, Zainab’s The Weight Of Snow On Her Chest serves as a mirror reflecting the struggles of her home in Kashmir, depicting a constant state of violence and sieges.
Her series of photographs portrays her everyday suffocation and anxiety of existing in such a landscape, one where she constantly feels threatened by the colonizing power. To experience her powerful work, head to the Gulf Photo Plus Gallery where her work will be on display until December 6, 2024.
Paradise Forever By Augustine Paredes
Through a multi-layered body of work that combines painting, collage, poetry, and filmmaking, Dubai-based Filipino artist Augustine Paredes takes visitors on a journey through his excavated memories. It includes childhood stories, mental health narratives, migration tales, and the Mother Archetype.
To get a glimpse of his work, visit the Gulf Photo Plus Gallery, where his exhibition will be available until December 6, 2024.
Arabian Transfer By Michele Nastasi
Placing the region at the forefront, Michele Nastasi’s Arabian Transfer is a journey through six cities across the Arabian peninsula. His work came to life after he went through a decade of traveling and researching in Abu Dhabi, Doha, Kuwait City, Manama, and Riyadh.
His work revolves around depicting movement and capturing how these cities are in a constant state of ‘transfer,’ acting as major hubs of global transit through his photographs. Check out his art at the Gulf Photo Plus Gallery where it’ll be on display until December 6, 2024.
These art exhibitions across Dubai stand out from many you’ll find in other art galleries as they take a deep dive into the woven complexities of Arab societies at large. With each visit, you’ll get to educate yourself about modern society through the language of art.