NIKA Project Space, nestled in Dubai’s industrial Al Quoz district, is a crucible for artistic discourse and experimentation, with a dedicated focus on elevating female artists and curators, and highlighting the work and concepts of artists and curators from the Global South. Now, the gallery is poised to extend its influence beyond Dubai, opening a new space in Paris’ Komunuma art district on Sep. 8, with an inaugural exhibition by Palestinian artist Mirna Bamieh spanning until Oct. 27.
In her pursuit of a Parisian location that echoes the creative spirit of Dubai, founder of NIKA Project Space Veronika Berezina selected Komunuma, the cultural and artistic quarter in Romainville, which is often described as the “Brooklyn of eastern Paris.” Announcing the expansion, Berezina expressed her excitement: “Opening a space in Paris, one of the world’s most important art cities, is a thrilling opportunity to support our artists and programs in Europe. This new gallery will forge a bridge between our Paris and Dubai locations, fostering rich exchanges and dialogues.”
Bamieh will set the tone for the new space with a presentation of both new and recent works from her Sour Things series. Renowned for her socially conscious and engaging approach, the Palestinian artist blends her culinary arts background with storytelling to create powerful, socially engaged art. Through the Palestine Hosting Society, a live art project she founded in 2018, she stages dinner performances and various interventions that draw on food practices and the passage of recipes through generations. The project aims to revitalize traditional Palestinian food cultures that are on the brink of disappearing. Bamieh’s work delves into the politics of disappearance and memory, unpacking the social concerns and limitations faced by Palestinian communities in the midst of contemporary political dilemmas.
The upcoming exhibition, Sour Things, invites art connoisseurs to explore the politics of disappearance and memory. A standout piece, The Pantry (2024), a co-commission between NIKA Project Space and the Het Noordbrabants Museum in the Netherlands, uses the process of fermentation to reflect on themes of displacement, uprooting, and the loss of space. Bamieh creates a liminal space where preservation is possible but fermentation is not, symbolizing both internal and physical dislocation.
Additionally, new works such as Sour Things: The Wall, a sculpture made of citrus ceramic pieces, delve into the stages of grief and preservation, connecting personal sorrow with universal experiences and reflecting on the ongoing Palestinian experience of war and displacement. Another piece, Sour Things: The Staircase, features oversized ceramic sculptures of okra, garlic, chili, and clove spices, glazed with childlike drawings that convey trauma and pain. These sharp ingredients, laden with symbolism, are hung like threads, reminiscent of traditional methods used to preserve vegetables.
“These works grapple with grief, pain, and the processing of the uncontrollable,” says Bamieh. “They invite reflection and create empathetic spaces. The Sour Things series has always been about navigating weighty topics without offering answers, providing internal, psychic spaces of empathy.”
So, if you’re in Paris anytime soon be sure to check the space out.
