Art Week highlights: openings, commission, pop-up projects, open studios, talks
March 19–24, 2018
Art Week at Alserkal Avenue returns from March 19–24, 2018 with a public intervention by Hale Tenger—her first in almost a decade—guest curated by Mari Spirito. In addition to the commission, Alserkal Avenue will host a number of pop-ups with highlights including a curatorial performance by Fereydoun Ave, a reimagining of Serendipity Arts Foundation’s barge show, The Ground Beneath My Feet, and a solo show by Abdulrahman Gazzaz. The commission and pop-ups will be complemented by 23 new exhibitions opening across the Avenue, and a rich series of talks, workshops and launches, including the launch of MoMA’s book Modern Art in the Arab World: Primary Documents. Visitors can join daily tours of the Avenue at 12pm. Curator-led tours of Ishara: Signs, Symbols & Shared Languages will take place at 4pm daily.
Alserkal Programming Commission
Under
March 19–May 31
The form of Hale Tenger’s work follows the material vernacular of Alserkal Avenue’s existing buildings as a free-standing structure that visitors are invited to enter. Under originates from the artist’s memory of a fictional narrative that describes an ancient hunting ploy used by aristocrats. Nets were set in the woods much earlier than the hunting date, stretching low throughout the forest so that the birds became accustomed to living under the net, adapting by only flying low. Once the nets were removed the birds would no longer fly high, as if they had forgotten that the sky has no limits, thus becoming easy prey for the noble hunting parties. Hale Tenger asks, “How have we adapted to the conditions of our time?” and “If birds can forget to fly high in the sky, what have we humans forgotten?”
A press preview will be held at 9:30am on March 19.
Hale Tenger will be in conversation with Mari Spirito on March 21 at 11am in The Yard Majlis.
Galleries Night
March 19, 6–10pm
Collectors and enthusiasts are invited to explore the commission, open studios, and the new exhibitions opening across the Avenue.
Alserkal Residency open studios
March 19, 11am–8pm
Spring 2018 residents Kosmas Nikolaou, Michael John Whelan and Suzy Halajian, and will open the doors to their studios and present their work to the public. Visitors are welcome to speak with the residents about their public programmes for Alserkal Residency, their ongoing practices and their research in Dubai.
Majlis Talks
A series of public talks will be held at Alserkal Avenue during Art Week
–Serendipity Arts Foundation talk: “Simulations and the Sea”: Vishal K. Dar and Kabir Ahmed Masum Chisty in conversation with Sabih Ahmed, March 21, 2:30pm
–Artist talk: Jean Boghossian, “Artist and Alchemist,” March 21, 4:30pm
–Zak Ové in conversation with William Lawrie, March 22, 11:30am
–Saba Qizilbash, Flounder Lee, and Dina Khorchid in conversation with Ishara curator Karim Sultan, March 22, 5pm
–One or two things, about residencies… Basmah Felemban and Poonam Jain in conversation, March 23, 11am
–Aga Khan Award for Architecture winner Marina Tabassum on designing the Bait Ur Rouf Mosque, March 23, 10:30am
Pop-up projects
Alserkal Avenue will host a number of pop-up projects during Art Week, including:
1101: A Social Experiment by Abdulrahman Gazzaz—Warehouse 61
1101 is a participatory social experiment based around contemporary value systems in the art world.
IRAN/AFRICA—Warehouse 46
An exhibition of Iranian and African Contemporary artworks from the Bakhtiar Collection curated by Fereydoun Ave, installed as a performance over the week
Fully Booked—Warehouse 82
The only art book fair in the UAE returns, featuring an exhibition of Typography in Middle Eastern Graphic Design
Serendipity Arts Foundation: Reclamation Ground—Warehouse 59
Reclamation Ground is a carryover of The Ground Beneath My Feet (December 2017) and brings together new iterations of four works of art that went into the making of the exhibition in Goa.
Shaghaf Group: Authentic Marks—Nadi Al Quoz
Shaghaf Group’s second international miniature printmaking exhibition features works from around the world.
Cultural Narratives—Warehouse 47
This extensive collection of artworks by established and emerging talents from the region provides a breathtaking visual map of the Arab and Persian art worlds.
Exhibitions
The contemporary art galleries and art spaces within Alserkal Avenue will open their latest exhibitions
1x1 Gallery
Vivek Vilasini: Between One Shore and Several Others
Group exhibition: The Progressives
Ayyam Gallery
Jean Boghossian: Unpredictable Horizons
Brownbook
Al Falaj: Water systems of the Gulf’s oases
Carbon 12
Gil Heitor Cortesão: Umbra
Concrete
Group exhibition: Ishara: Signs, Symbols & Shared Languages
Custot Gallery Dubai
Group exhibition: Art & Jewelry
d.Academy
Marina Tabassum: Bait Ur Rouf Mosque
Elmarsa Gallery
Ali Tnani, Unknown program
Gallery Isabelle Van Den Eynde
Haleh Redjaian, Rhythm and Trace
Green Art Gallery
Nazgol Ansarinia: Demolishing Buildings, Buying Waste
Grey Noise
Group exhibition: Losers Club
Gulf Photo Plus
Laura El-Tantawy: Beyond Here is Nothing
Jean-Paul Najar Foundation
Jene Highstein: Space and Place
La Galerie Nationale
Tahar Ben Jelloun: Cultural Crossroads
Lawrie Shabibi
Zak Ové: Star Liner
Leila Heller Gallery
Kenny Scharf
Philip Taaffe
Project Space Art Jameel
Ala Younis: Plan for Feminist Greater Baghdad
Salsali Private Museum
Group exhibition: ++VIDEO++
Showcase Gallery
Mike Arnold: Chasing The Light
The Third Line
Farhad Moshiri: Close-up
Abbas Akhavan: Recently
Press enquiries: Charlotte York, charlotte [at] alserkalavenue.ae / T +971 56 418 7999
