ART EVENT Alserkal Celebrates the Return of Alserkal Art Week 2022

Alserkal will celebrate the importance of contemporary art with the return of Alserkal Art Week, running from 3-13 March 2022. 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 gallery' exhibitions in Alserkal Avenue include artists working across a wide range of mediums and with diverse materials: from digital work such as NFTs, film and photography to sculpture and large-scale artworks. 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.

The public is invited to visit more than 20 ground-breaking and rigorous contemporary art exhibitions, all located within a 150-metre radius within walking distance of each other inside Alserkal Avenue. The exhibitions will open during Alserkal Lates on Tuesday, 8 March, when the galleries will stay open until 10 pm. Visitors will have the opportunity to meet the artists and gallerists and to join artist- and curator-led tours. Beyond the exhibitions, Alserkal has programmed a line-up of thought-provoking talks, guest projects, public realm commissions and open studios throughout Alserkal Art Week to spark dialogue around contemporary issues and provide cultural experiences for local, regional and international communities.

Alserkal Art Week, previous editions / Photo courtesy of Alserkal

Abdelmonem Bin Eisa Alserkal, Founder of Alserkal and its initiatives, said, "For almost 15 years, the UAE has been at the epicentre of the growth of the region's art scene. 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. I invite our audiences to take a moment to pause while they engage with the messages that these artists are sharing with us."

Vilma Jurkute, Executive Director of Alserkal, added: "Alserkal Art Week reinforces the UAE's position at the forefront of the region's cultural scene with Alserkal playing an instrumental role through Alserkal Arts Foundation and a community of homegrown art galleries. This year, the line-up brings together some of the most prominent and influential artists today from the region and internationally, through rigorous and experimental exhibitions and programmes that continue to catalyse critical dialogue with our global and local publics."

Alserkal Art Week, previous editions / Photo courtesy of Alserkal

Highlights of Alserkal Art Week

Alserkal Arts Foundation | A Slightly Curving Place | 3-22 March 2022 | Concrete

A Slightly Curving Place brings an ambisonic sound installation to Dubai for the first time, immersing visitors in an experiential environment for careful and immersive listening. Curated by Nida Ghouse, the exhibition pushes the boundaries of a traditional exhibition and embraces new technologies while remaining sensitive to critical debates. Visitors are invited to spend time listening to the artworks within the exhibition, which will have late-night opening hours until 10 pm from Wednesday to Saturday through the run of the exhibition. It is the first large-scale exhibition in Concrete, the multidisciplinary space designed by the Office for Metropolitan Architects (OMA), since the Mohamed Melehi solo show in September 2020.

The exhibition will open on 3 March at 6.30 pm, with a guided tour by the curator. The exhibition 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 Nida Ghouse and Brooke Holmes, Professor of Post-classicisms at Princeton University, Coming to Know includes conversations, discussions, workshops, performative responses with exhibition collaborators and invited respondents, and exhibitions tours on 5 12, 19 and 22 March.

Alserkal Art Week, previous editions / Photo courtesy of Alserkal

Alserkal Art Week, previous editions / Photo courtesy of Alserkal

Alserkal Lates | New Exhibitions, Majlis Talks, Guest Projects, Open Studios, Collectors' Salon

Alserkal Lates will occur in Alserkal Avenue on Tuesday, 8 March, from 10 am to 10 pm. The opening of more than 20 new exhibitions underscores the importance of the UAE within the region's art scene, with shows focusing on local and regional artists and their multidisciplinary practices. Artist-and-curator-led tours of the galleries and A Slightly Curving Place by Alserkal Arts Foundation will take place during Alserkal Lates. Majlis Talks will explore critical contemporary issues across the cultural realm. This edition of Alserkal Art Week will see conversations between filmmakers and artists Joana Hadjithomas and Khalil Joreige, Michael Sailstorfer, Wim Delvoye and Ian Abell. Janine Gaëlle 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. Majlis Talks will be from 4.30 pm – 7.30 pm in The Yard, Alserkal Avenue. This Alserkal Art Week will also feature a Collectors' Salon within Alserkal Avenue.

Alserkal Arts Foundation's 2022 Spring Cycle Residents are 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 8 March, 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.

Pictet is the Lead Partner of Alserkal Art Week.

Alserkal Art Week, previous editions / Photo courtesy of Alserkal

Alserkal Art Week, previous editions / Photo courtesy of Alserkal

Complete List of Alserkal Art Week Exhibitions

1x1 Art Gallery

Earth Chronicles, Group exhibition featuring Benitha Persical, Chittrovanu Mazumdar, G R Iranna, Rina Banerjee, Sonia Khurana, Sudarshan Shetty, Tallur L N, Vivek Vilasini (8 March - 30 April 2022)

Alserkal Arts Foundation

Ayyam Gallery

Safwan Dahoul (opening on 8 March 2022)

Carbon 12

CHI-KA Space

New perspectives on Hungarian abstraction, a group exhibition featuring Bea Kusovszky, Márton Nemes, Gergő Szinyova (8 March – 14 March 2022)

Custot Gallery Dubai

Group exhibition: Sun Is Coming Up (on view until 20 March 2022)

eL Seed Studio

Open studio during Alserkal Lates

Elmarsa Gallery

Nja Mahdaoui: JAFR. The Alchemy of Signs (8 March 2022 – 7 May 2022)

Firetti Contemporary

Group exhibition Breaking Boundaries (on view until 15 April 2022)

Gallery Isabelle van den Eynde

Vikram Divecha: El Dorado (opening on 8 March 2022)

Green Art Gallery

Nazgol Ansarinia: Lakes Drying, Tides Rising (opening on 8 March 2022)

Grey Noise

Shreyas Karle: Shifting the Center Table (on view until 31 March 2022)

Gulf Photo Plus

Group exhibition Lara Chahine and Reem Falaknaz (8 March - 15 April 2022)

Ishara Art Foundation

Jitish Kallat: Order of Magnitude (on view until 1 July 2022)

Lawrie Shabibi

Hamra Abbas: COLOR | GARDEN (8 March - 7 May 2022)

Leila Heller Gallery

Solo exhibitions: Reza Derakshani, Wim Delvoye, Naeemeh Kazemi (Date TBC)

Mestaria Gallery

Mike Arnold: Odyssey (8 March - 27 March 2022)

Swatch Art Peace Hotel

Group exhibition Celebrating 10 years of Swatch Art Peace Hotel (on view until 31 March 2022)

The Third Line

Solo exhibition Joana Hadjithomas and Khalil Joreige (opening 8 March 2022)

UAE Unlimited

Group exhibition Wamda: A Glimpse (5 March - 13 March 2022)

Volte Art Projects

The Guernica Project: Rahgava KK (on view until 16 April 2022)

Zawyeh Art Gallery

Group exhibition Entangled Branches (8 March - 14 May 2022)