Alserkal Art Week returns with bouquet of exhibitions and public programming

Muhammad Yusuf, Features Writer

Alserkal will celebrate the importance of contemporary art during the return of Alserkal Art Week (Mar. 3 — 13) with a line-up that includes some of the most important experimental artists of the moment.

The 20+ exhibitions on show in Alserkal Avenue include Dubai’s first ambisonic sound exhibition presented by Alserkal Arts Foundation in Concrete, the multi-disciplinary exhibitions space at Alserkal.

The artworks on show in the galleries in Alserkal Avenue showcase artists working across a wide range of mediums, with diverse materials: from digital work such as NFTs, film and photography, to sculpture and large-scale artworks. Pictet is Lead Partner of Alserkal Art Week.

Highlights include the first West Asian major solo exhibition of Jitish Kallat at Ishara Art Foundation; a large-scale exhibition by Wim Delvoye in Leila Heller Gallery and a multidisciplinary show with filmmakers and artists Joana Hadjithomas and Khalil Joreige in The Third Line’s newly renovated gallery.

All are invited to visit the more than 20 ground-breaking and rigorous contemporary exhibitions, located within a 150-metre radius within walking distance of each other inside Alserkal Avenue.

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The exhibitions will open during Alserkal Lates on March 8, when galleries will stay open until 10pm. Visitors will have the opportunity to meet artists and gallerists, and to join artist- and curator-led tours.

Beyond the exhibitions, Alserkal has programmed a line-up of talks, guest projects, public realm commissions and open studios throughout Alserkal Art Week that aims to spark dialogue around contemporary issues and provide cultural experiences for local, regional and international communities.

Abdelmonem Bin Eisa Alserkal, Founder of Alserkal and its initiatives, said: “As our arts ecosystem collectively emerges post-COVID stronger than ever, it’s heartening to see the calibre of exhibitions and programmes on show across the UAE, including at Art Dubai, Sharjah Art Foundation and Art Jameel.”

Vilma Jurkute, Executive Director of Alserkal, said that “This year, the line-up brings together some of the most prominent and influential artists today from the region and internationally, through experimental exhibitions and programmes that continue to catalyse critical dialogue with our global and local publics.”

Highlights of Alserkal Art Week:

* A Slightly Curving Place, Alserkal Arts Foundation (Mar. 3 — 22) at Concrete, which brings an ambisonic sound installation to Dubai for the first time, immersing visitors in an experiential environment for careful and immersive listening.

 A view from a previous edition of Alserkal Art Week.

Curated by Nida Ghouse, the exhibition pushes the boundaries of a traditional exhibition and embraces new technologies, while remaining sensitive to critical debates.

This is the first large-scale exhibition in Concrete, designed by the Office for Metropolitan Architects (OMA), since the Mohamed Melehi solo show in September 2020. The exhibition opens with a guided tour by the curator.

It will be accompanied by Coming to Know, a series of additional activations unfolding over Alserkal Art Week, in response to A Slightly Curving Place.

Organised by Ghouse and Brooke Holmes, Professor of Post-classicisms at Princeton University, Coming to Know includes conversations, discussions, workshops and performative responses with exhibition collaborators and invited respondents, as well as exhibitions tours on March 5, 12, 19 and 22.

Alserkal Lates’ new exhibitions, Majlis Talks, guest projects, open studios and Collectors’ Salon, takes place in Alserkal Avenue on March 8, 10am to 10pm.

Artist-and-curator-led tours of the galleries and A Slightly Curving Place will take place during Alserkal Lates. Majlis Talks explores critical contemporary issues across the cultural realm.

There will be conversations between filmmakers and artists Joana Hadjithomas and Khalil Joreige, Michael Sailstorfer, Wim Delvoye and Ian Abell, in The Yard, Alserkal Avenue.

Janine Gaelle Dieudji, Curator of the large-scale public artworks that currently adorn Alserkal Avenue, will be in conversation with artist Augustine Paredes, about his latest works currently on show. The Week will also feature a Collectors’ Salon in Alserkal Avenue.

Alserkal Arts Foundation’s 2022 Spring Cycle Residents, a multidisciplinary cohort that includes filmmaker Iram Ghufran, artist Sophie Cundale, researcher Anahi Alviso-Marino and writer Skye Arundhati Thomas, will each have Open Studios during Alserkal Lates on March 8, alongside a public programme, during their time in Dubai.

Guest projects in Alserkal Avenue include Wamda: a Glimpse, a retrospective by UAE Unlimited, on show in warehouse 1 and a showcase from Athr Gallery, based in Jeddah.

Eleven galleries from Alserkal Avenue will also participate in Art Dubai, including Ayyam Gallery, Carbon 12, Custot Gallery Dubai, Elmarsa Gallery, Gallery Isabelle van den Eynde, Green Art Gallery, Leila Heller Gallery, Lawrie Shabibi, The Third Line, Volte Art Projects and Zawyeh Gallery.

Alserkal is a cultural enterprise dedicated to developing sustainable models for homegrown initiatives. Founded in 2007, it is known for its ground-breaking artistic productions and experimental approach.

Alserkal Avenue is a cultural district in the Al Quoz industrial area of Dubai, and is home to a community of over 70 contemporary art galleries, visual and performing arts organisations, designers, home-grown and entrepreneur-led businesses, and community spaces across 500,000 square feet and 90 warehouses.

The Avenue is home to Concrete, which has been conceptualised and programmed by Alserkal, as well as the artist residency programme of Alserkal’s non-profit, Alserkal Arts Foundation.

The Pictet Group is a partnership of eight owner-managers, founded in 1805. It offers wealth management, asset management, alternative investment solutions and related asset services.

Headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, and founded there, Pictet employs over 5000 people in 30 offices worldwide.