While We Wait, a meditative, immersive installation by artists Elias and Yousef Anastas (AAU ANASTAS), commissioned by the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, will be on show in Concrete from 6-18 November 2017.
The installation is comprised of pieces of stone quarried in various regions of Palestine, which fit together to form a large, lattice-like, self-supporting structure.
The weather is much more agreeable these days and the evening at DIFC was very pleasant indeed. It’s been a while since I’ve went down to the art nights and really enjoyed the ambience and intimacy of this area. The lights and music sure added to creating the social atmosphere as the crowds eased in and out of the galleries.
My personal highlight of the evening, apart from meeting long lost friends, was Faisal Samra’s exhibition at Ayyam Gallery called “Distorted Reality”, on until 4 January.
November 5 – January 20, 2018
PREVIEW: Sunday, November 5, 7 PM
TAREK AL-GHOUSSEIN, AL SAWABER
The Third Line is pleased to present Al Sawaber, Tarek Al-Ghoussein’s third solo exhibition in Dubai curated by Salwa Mikdadi. Eponymous of a government-housing complex in Kuwait slated for demolition, Tarek’s new body of work documents forgotten spaces specific to a historical moment in urban development and the vestiges of lives once lived inside it.
While Tarek’s images examine abandoned spaces and objects, the photographs neither aestheticize the decay that results from neglect nor dispassionately document found conditions. At first glance there are similarities between the scenes from Al Sawaber and Robert Polidori’s photographs of the interiors in cities like Beirut, Pripyat, Chernobyl, and New Orleans. The richly textured images of environments where decomposition has been seen in motion by catastrophe or conflict reveal the care taken by Polidori to locate and compose vivid scenes of damage and deterioration. In contrast, rather than focusing on making images that appear as painterly vignettes, Tarek considers the relationship between the non-descript apartment units and the individual expressions intended to provide the security and stability essential for “homeliness”.
– Excerpt from text by Kevin Mitchell
EXHIBITION TOUR: Nov 5, 8PMÂ
Join Salwa Mikdadi, Associate Professor of Art History at NYU Abu Dhabi, for a tour of the exhibition.
In collaboration with the Slovakia Embassy of the UAE, Art Hub likes to highlight the month of October to Slovakian Artists. Three artists have been selected to stay as artists in residence at Abu Dhabi Art Hub and stayed for a month long residency program. Artists are introduced to the culture and heritage of the UAE and created stunning artworks about it.Â
Opening Saturday, 4 November, 7:00pm, at Art Hub Musaffah branch.
4 November is the start of the new season at Alserkal Avenue, a busy month ahead.
Find the full schedule of the programme here:
http://alserkalavenue.ae/en/event/november-in-alserkal-avenue-2017.php
In Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood, House 10
Portable Horizons gathers together recent paintings, fabric works, experimental embroideries, sculpture, and poems. The exhibit mixes genres in order to reinvigorate each: paintings next to quilts, sculpture juxtaposed with embroideries, and so on. She refers to textile works as sculptural and “soft drawings”, and to the figurative works as abstract in that the objects are devoid of context, horizon, and weight. The word-based paintings forefront the ephemeral nature of speech and writing—subject to interpretation, mishearing, translation, and revision.
In Abu Dhabi, where clothing, sidewalks, and architectural patterns are repetitive, modular, and where the daily adhan structures time, Magi has come to a somatic understanding of abstraction not as an art historical notion of “coming after representation.” Rather, she has become interested in “textility”—repetitive patterning and concern with surface instead of focal point, scene, narrative, background and foreground.
Jill Magi has a well-established practice as an experimental poet and her book projects, often described by critics as “documentary,” combine history and lyrical narrative. Portable Horizons breaks with this practice. Borne of repetitive labor, these works do not abide by received notions of temporality and location, and they problematise sentiment and narrative depth in their return, again and again, to surfaces.
ZeeArts Community has brought 42 local and international artists to showcase and explore the theme ‘Happiness’, through diverse technique, emotions and experience.
The concept of this exhibition coincide with the vision of H.H Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE vice-President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai to share Happiness and positivity lifestyle, one of his Government’s commitment.
The participating artists are from 24 countries across 5 continent including Jordan, India, Egypt, Canada, Netherland, Pakistan, Oman, Columbia, Lebanon, Cabo Verte, Germany, Bulgaria, Bosnia, Scotland, USA, Poland, South Africa, Mauritius, Syria, Serbia, Romania-French.
The Retreat Palm Dubai MGallery by Sofitel, the newest addition to Accor Hotel” distinctive MGallery collection of contemporary boutique hotels worldwide, a well being resort, located on the iconic Palm Jumeirah has gracefully team up to host this exhibition for 4 month in the R Gallery.
On 24th of October I wrote my final exam for my Bachelor of Visual Arts. After 6 years of studies, I decided to treat myself with a little trip. I came across Tasara Weaving Centre in Fibre Arts Magazine. They offer occasional textile and weaving workshops, generally on a one month duration. I opted for the 7 days package to test the waters.
My first venture to India, I was not sure what to expect. Hearing tales from other travelers with such mixed reviews, I just armed myself with mosquito repellent, Imodium and bottled water. The Imodium was not necessary (thank goodness) but the little critters where everywhere. Our accommodation was basic, clean and very spacious. The meals prepared by the family were delicious and we never would want for anything. Three generous meals and tea breaks with delicious treats made for a very happy Stef.
I arrived the evening of Friday 31st, which basically just meant a cup of chai and bed. The workshop kicked off on Saturday 1st November, with myself and Cate (all the way from the US). We started with a tour of the place, the workshop and the ‘shop’ to see all the textiles created at Tasara. We then started our education with batik. I guess at this point I would explain that I have not done any of the textile arts and crafts that we were shown/ taught. My ‘textile’ art thus far consisted of hand stitching and some machine stitching and hand embroidery.
Our first batik was created by painting with pigments and oil-based binders on to cotton first, then adding the hot wax (mixture of paraffin and beeswax) after drying. This was then rinsed in water and vat dyed.
First batik:
We also got to make our own batik /wax application brushes from bamboo sticks and coconut hair. This allowed for more wax absorption and keeping the flow more steady due to being heated all the way through:
The Sunday, more ladies arrived: Alison, Sandra and Louise from the UK. Keeping them awake, we went straight in to the next batik project. This time, we applied wax before applying the paint to see the difference. I really loved my batik before dyeing, but happy with the result. It was a first again, to try and figure out how long the cloth need to soak in the dye!
I had a bit more time, so I attempted another batik…just a mixture of the two techniques above. I wanted to experiment with creating gradients of colours in the paints and the dyes. I painted the black, red and orange, then waxed in certain areas. I then vat dyed it in yellow, but we later added more brown to the mix to make the edges of the cloth darker. I particularly was amazed at how the colour changes with the oxidation. The yellow dye is at first purple (which gave me a fright!), then reds.. browns.. until it fades to yellow. Spectacular!
The Monday and Tuesday we did felting with merino wool. Monday we made felted handbags. I thought mine was never going to fix to itself. What a mission! I then tie-dyed it in a pot of boiling natural dye. Its not the best attempt but I am happy with it as it was a first (and maybe a last!). I will see what it looks like after I attack it with more threads,beads and sequence!
Tuesday we made nuno felted cloths/ scarfs. It was again a massive process of wetting, soaping, the never ending rubbing and massaging, then rolling and kneading…my word! what a work out! It came out beautifully though. I still need to embellish it a bit more now… I love the colour the others created with what started as purple…
Wednesday it was Cate’s turn to run a workshop in Shibori. It is a Japanese textile resist technique which involves stitching, tying or clamping. We stitched and it was lovely to sit down for two days getting to know each other better, stitching and chatting away… First, we drew designs on our silk scarfs, then hand stitch the designs. You then have to wet and pull all the threads as tight as possible, before soaking in soap water, then clean water… before dyeing in natural dyes.
We also had another participant join us, Veronik from the US via Mexico.
Then, my last day arrived. Even before breakfast Vasu had me start my weaving project. We did not know how I will fare but I did not do too badly! In the few hours of the day, between meals and tea breaks, and the final dyeing projects (yellow batik and the felts and shibori) I managed to complete myself a cute little carpet. I am well proud of this accomplishment. I did have Santha help me with tying it up at the end as I had to go pack my stuff for my trip to the airport.
And so my week ended. I did a lot more work than I expected. I definitely learned a few new techniques, made some amazing new friends and found new inspiration for things to come. I wish I had more time but the Pandora’s box of textiles has now been opened… can’t wait to explore more!
Here are the final images of me trying to wear almost all my creations at once (I even batik and dyed my t-shirt!) and my Tasara family. Thank you to Vasu and Santha especially, and also BalaKrishnan and Chando Spiderman and the rest of the family for being so informative, hospitable and welcoming.
I had cut my trip to India short to visit Abu Dhabi Art Fair. Was it worth it? I am still debating. I am glad I went but I can honestly say I was not overwhelmed or excited by much of what I had seen. I did love the greater display of sculptures; I did love the Ghada Amer’s (again). But I think that’s were the positives end for me. This year, there was only one hall filled with work; a lot of the work had been shown/seen before; local galleries displayed much of what have been shown in recent months; the outside courtyard was boring; I didn’t care a whole lot for the Guggenheim’s display of lights….
Maybe I was just tired, or jet-lagged after my 3 hour flight the night before (ha!). Maybe I just couldn’t be bothered this year.
Here are some photos of my friend and I making our own fun….. and then a few of my faves first, followed by more work that I deem worth a mention or second look…..
Art&About 