Ala Ebtekar
Nowheresville ‘nä-kōja,-abäd
March 16–April 18, 2015
The Third Line
Al Quoz 3
Dubai
UAE
T+9714 3411 367
www.thethirdline.com
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The Third Line is pleased to open its spring 2015 program with Ala Ebtekar’s Nowheresville ‘nä-kōja,-abäd . Working with ideas of the celestial, home to planetary and spiritual configurations that have fascinated humanity since the beginning of time, the artist combines early 12th-century traditions of Persian cosmic philosophy with modern-day scientific imaging of the heavens. His explorations over the years, into the union of both spectrums, and a search for the portals into imagined futures, culminate in this mystical homage to Light.
Continuing his investigation into traditional and popular depictions of space and time, Ebtekar is presenting a new body of work where the cosmos are used as a metaphor for exploring transcendence. He moves fluidly between mediums—working together with traditional methods such as drawing and painting and new-media platforms such as digital interventions, and sound and light installations—to create a dialogue that is reiterated in the choice of medium and the process itself. Through the visual juxtaposition, Ebtekar interlaces a narrative of the collective histories, theories and archetypes that tie our past in with the visions of the future.
About Ala Ebtekar
Ala Ebtekar was born in Berkeley in 1978 and obtained a Bachelor of Fine Arts from San Francisco Art Institute in 2002 followed by a Masters of Fine Arts from Stanford University in 2006. He is currently a visiting lecturer in the Department of Art & Art History at Stanford University.
Ebtekar’s work has been widely exhibited internationally. His solo shows include those at Gallery Paule Anglim, San Francisco; The Third Line, Dubai; Hampah, Charlie James Gallery, Los Angeles; and Richmond Art Center, Richmond, California. His work has also been featured in numerous group exhibitions, including at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Santa Barbara, California; Maraya Art Centre, Sharjah; Yerba Buena Centre for the Arts, San Francisco; Asian Art Museum, San Francisco; Museum of Contemporary Art, Lorenzstrasse, Germany; Museum of Contemporary Art, Karlsruhe, Germany; Chelsea Art Museum, New York; and Asia Society Museum, New York. Ebtekar’s works are part of several notable public and private collections including the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; Berkeley Art Museum, California; Deutsche Bank, Frankfurt, Germany; de Young Fine Arts Museum, San Francisco; Devi Art Foundation, India; and Farjam Collection, UAE.
Project Space
Abbas Akhavan, Study for a Curtain
Study for a Curtain is a continuation of Abbas Akhavan’s exploration of gardens and domesticated landscapes.
Akhavan’s practice ranges from site-specific ephemeral installations to drawing, video, sculpture and performance. The direction of his research has been deeply influenced by the specificity of the sites where he works: the architectures that house them, the economies that surround them, and the people that frequent them. The domestic sphere, as a forked space between hospitality and hostility, has been an ongoing area of research in his practice. Recent works have shifted focus, wandering onto spaces and species just outside the home—the garden, the backyard, and other domesticated landscapes.
About The Third Line
The Third Line is a Dubai-based art gallery that represents contemporary Middle Eastern artists and also hosts non-profit, alternative programs to increase interest and dialogue in the region. In addition to this, The Third Line publishes books by associated artists from the region.
Represented artists include Abbas Akhavan, Ala Ebtekar, Amir H. Fallah, Arwa Abouon, Babak Golkar, Ebtisam Abdulaziz, Farhad Moshiri, Fouad Elkoury, Golnaz Fathi, Hassan Hajjaj, Hayv Kahraman, Huda Lutfi, Joana Hadjithomas & Khalil Joreige, Laleh Khorramian, Lamya Gargash, Monir Shahroudy Farmanfarmaian, Pouran Jinchi, Rana Begum, Sahand Hesamiyan, Sara Naim, Sherin Guirguis, Shirin Aliabadi, Slavs and Tatars, Sophia Al-Maria, Tarek Al-Ghoussein, Youssef Nabil and Zineb Sedira.
Media contact
Saira Ansari, PR & Media Manager: saira [at] thethirdline.com / T +9714 3411 367
