Work by Palestinian artist to open NIKA Project Space’s Paris gallery
- 28 Aug 2024
Muhammad Yusuf, Features Writer
NIKA Project Space, Dubai, is expanding its reach with the opening of its Paris gallery in the vibrant Komunuma art district, with an inaugural exhibition by Palestinian artist Mirna Bamieh titled “Sour Things” (Sept. 8 – Oct. 27). The exhibition showcases a new body of work by Bamieh, exploring the politics of disappearance and memory. The gallery will also present a solo booth of the artist’s work at Asia NOW – Paris Asian Art Fair (October 17 – 20), at the Monnaie de Paris. Founded in 2023 by Veronika Berezina, NIKA Project Space serves as a platform for artistic discourse and experimentation and champions the work of female artists and curators, especially art practitioners from the Global South. It hosts exhibitions which focus on conceptualisation, abstraction and philosophical inquiry, and promotes contemporaneity and dialogue through talks, performances and educational initiatives.
The gallery also has a research programme, inviting artists to create new works that are research-based and have experimental creative processes. It also holds off-site projects across the Dubai. Its parent space is located in Al Khayat Avenue in Dubai’s art district Al Quoz, in a space designed by award-wining international practice T.ZED Architects. NIKA Project Space’s second gallery in Paris, announced by Berezina, marks a significant step in the gallery’s growth. In her search to find a Paris location that aligns with the centre in Dubai, she chose Komunuma, the cultural and artistic quarter in Romainville, for its similar creative atmosphere.
Berezina said: “I am delighted to be opening a space in Paris, one of the most important cities in the world for art, to support our artists and programmes in Europe. This new gallery brings us closer to key relationships and will create a bridge between Paris and Dubai initiatives, facilitating rich exchanges and dialogue.” Bamieh is renowned for her socially engaged work; she explores the politics of disappearance and memory production by unpacking the social concerns and limitations of Palestinian communities amid contemporary political dilemmas.
Since 2019, she has been reflecting on the process of fermentation through text, ceramics and video works incorporated into site-specific interactive installations. She melds food and storytelling to develop socially engaged work through Palestine Hosting Society, a live art project she founded in 2018. Staging dinner performances and various interventions that draw from food practices as well as the passage of recipes through generations, the project aims to revitalise traditional Palestinian food cultures, on the verge of disappearing.
Her recent works in the upcoming NIKA exhibition include “The Pantry” (2024), a co-commission between NIKA Project Space and the Het Noordbrabants Museum in the Netherlands. In the installation, Bamieh uses fermentation to reflect on displacement, uprooting, and the loss of space. She creates a zone where preservation is possible, but fermentation is not, symbolising both internal and physical dislocation. New works also include “Sour Things: The Wall”, a sculpture of citrus ceramic pieces that explores the stages of grieving and preservation, connecting personal grief with universal experiences, reflecting on the ongoing Palestinian experience of war and displacement.
“Sour Things: The Staircase” is composed of oversized ceramic sculptures of okra, garlic, chili, and clove spice, glazed in childlike drawings, expressing trauma and pain. The pungent ingredients are imbued with symbolism and are hung like threads, reminiscent of traditional dehydration methods used to preserve vegetables. “These works deal with grief, pain, and processing the uncontrollable,” says Bamieh. “They invite reflection and create empathetic spaces. The ‘Sour Things’ series has always been about processing big topics without providing answers, offering internal, psychic spaces of empathy.”
Berezina emphasises the gallery’s ongoing commitment to highlighting the work of female artists and artistic and curatorial concepts from the Global South. “NIKA will continue to champion female practitioners and facilitate research from across the region, extending these efforts across both of its locations,” she says. Gallery artists include Adrian Pepe, Nika Neelova, Alexander Ugay, Polina Kanis, and Katya Muromtseva. Berezina has worked with international practitioners, looking at artists and curators from the Global South. She is currently building a rigorous roster of artists, concentrating on expanding the gallery’s research programme and publishing arm.
Born in St. Petersburg, she formerly held a career as a lawyer. In 2022, she relocated to Dubai to pursue her goal of opening a gallery. NIKA Project Space evolved from over a decade of private collecting and patronage. Bamieh (b.1983) has participated in various international exhibitions and festivals, including Biennial Gherdeina, Dolomites/Italy, 2023; Sharjah Biennial 15/Sharjah, 2023; Museum of Fine Arts, Japan (2017); International Film Festival Rotterdam (2017) and Casa Árabe, Madrid (2015), among others. Her grants and awards include Dr. Georg and Josi Guggenheim Foundation Award, Zurich (2022); CEC ArtsLink International Fellowship, New York (2020) and A.M Qattan Foundation Artist of the Year Award 2012.
She obtained a BA in Psychology from Birzeit University, Ramallah (2002-2006), an MFA in Fine Arts from Bezalel Academy for Arts and Design, Jerusalem (2010-2013), Ashkal Alwan Homeworks Study program, Beirut (2013-2014), and Culinary Arts, Kitchenclub Academy, Ramallah (2016). The Asia NOW - Paris Asian Art Fair, celebrates its 10th edition in October. Its mission is to act as a bridge between Asia and Europe. The fair’s scope covers 45 countries from Central Asia to the Asia Pacific, across West Asia, East Asia, South Asia, and Southeast Asia. Held during the bustle of Paris Art Week, Asia NOW attracts a global crowd of high-net-worth collectors, VIPs and art professionals.