A Definitive Guide to Alserkal Art Week 2024

Taking place from Nov.17-25

Alserkal Art Week is back from Nov. 17 to 25, and this year’s theme is “Acts of Presence.” Think of it as a call to come together, to connect, to find those moments of unity in a world that sometimes feels a little scattered.

This year’s program is packed with everything from immersive art installations to open studio sessions where you can get up close and personal with the artists. There’ll be public art that stops you in your tracks, screenings to spark new thoughts, live performances that pull you in, and talks that leave you with a fresh perspective on what it means to belong.

For those in the UAE ready to dive into this celebration of art and community, here’s your rundown of everything worth checking out at Alserkal Art Week this year.

“Made Present: Biographies of Artworks Defying the Ongoing Nakba”

 

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Curated by Faris Shomali and Zaina Zarour, Made Present: Biographies of Artworks Defying the Ongoing Nakba unearths stories of Palestinian artworks preserved against all odds. Through archival materials and field notes, the exhibition charts the survival of over 10 pieces, shedding light on the resilience of artists who defied colonial erasure to keep their work visible. In a landscape often portrayed as one of loss and fragmentation, Made Present offers a powerful counter-narrative, highlighting the tenacity and dedication of creators who risked everything to preserve their heritage.

Public Art 

Dima Srouji. This Is Not Your Grave, 2023-24. Courtesy of Alserkal Arts Foundation

Now in its second iteration, Walk With Me is a series of site-specific public art commissions curated by Zoé Whitley and presented by Alserkal Arts Foundation. Designed to encourage slow looking and spontaneous discovery, the installations blend architectural influences with themes of fragility, resilience, and collective memory.

Palestinian artist Dima Srouji’s This Is Not Your Grave presents an evocative commentary on displacement, transforming architectural fragments—bathtubs, staircases, tunnels—into shelters that offer a moment of sanctuary and reflection. Asma Belhamar’s Thresholds of Perception reimagines balcony spaces in homage to Dubai’s architectural history, merging into warehouse walls through textured illusions that challenge perceptions of space and identity. Abbas Akhavan’s Stock: Variation on a Fountain pays tribute to Al Quoz’s industrial past, assembling marble and stone stockpiles as resting spaces reminiscent of historic fountains. Vikram Divecha’s Roof/Structures explores migration and aspiration through vertical clusters of improvised shelters, constructed from recycled tarps and bamboo, evoking the global allure of Gulf cities.

Majlis Talks

Sohan Qadri Untitled, 2005. Watercolour on paper. Courtesy of 1X1 Art Gallery

Curated by Charlotte Ashamu, this year’s Majlis Talks, titled Acts of Presence: Stories of Africa’s Creative Leaders, brings together artists and visionaries from Ghana, Ethiopia, South Africa, and Côte d’Ivoire who challenge conventional narratives. Highlights include a performance by Ghanaian artist Kwame-Akoto Bamfo, founder of the Nkyinkyim Museum, as well as insights from Meskerem Assegued and Elias Sime on Ethiopia’s eco-conscious Zoma Contemporary Art Centre. Multi-disciplinary artist Thania Petersen discusses her project transforming Cape Town’s minibus taxis into moving galleries, making art accessible to communities often excluded from traditional spaces. Textile artist Johanna Bramble presents her work preserving ancestral weaving traditions, interweaving heritage with contemporary expression.

Galleries

Edgar Orlaineta. ‘(Da)Dandy’, 2024. Wood, wax and acrylic paint on board. Courtesy of CARBON12

Alserkal’s galleries will feature a range of exhibitions during Art Week, with highlights including Navigating Through Nothing by Thaier Helal at Ayyam Gallery, Superficial Transactions by Eman Al Hashemi at Aisha Alabbar Gallery, and What We See of Things is the Things by Edgar Orlaineta at Carbon 12. Additional notable exhibitions include Marc Quinn’s Photosynthetic Forms at Waddington Custot, Astral Space Exploration: The Cosmic Renaissance by Kaikhan Salakhov at Firetti Contemporary, and In Our Bones by Fariba Boroufar at Gallery Isabelle.

Research and Conversations

Ayesha Sultana. Threshold Series, 2013. Courtesy of the artist and Ishara Art Foundation

Domestic Departures: (Im)mobility, Loss, and Resilience in an Uncertain World features research and conversations from Alserkal Arts Foundation’s grantees, delving into themes of ecological destruction and sociopolitical violence. Artists and researchers including Khalda El Jack, Zainab Gaafar, and Maitha AlSuwaidi present diverse practices from experimental cartography to independent zines, opening a dialogue on resilience amid challenging landscapes.

Open Studios and Guest Projects

Visitors are invited to step into the studios of Alserkal’s fall residents, such as Beirut-based sound artist Jad Saliba, Congolese writer Sinzo Aanza, and Mumbai filmmaker Pallavi Paul. Alserkal Art Week will also host two collaborative guest projects: Our Future(s), an immersive installation by Dubai Future Foundation, and Dissuader: Art and Design by Italian designer Franco Perrotti, featuring an allegorical sculpture symbolizing the tension between humanity and its environment.

 

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