Summer is here and as temperatures rise, so does our desire to completely check out and spend long days lounging at the pool. But summer is actually the perfect time to slip in a little culture. Plus galleries always have the best air conditioning.
From Cairo’s buzzing Townhouse Gallery, to Marrakech’s Dar Bellaj—the region has a lot to offer when it comes to contemporary art. So, if you’re on holiday in one of these cities, or just looking for something to fill up your day, be sure to squeeze in a little time in between your tanning session and check out these exhibitions.
Dubai
Made in Tashkeel
In celebration of their 10th anniversary, Tashkeel is showcasing 35 works by 25 artists from 15 different countries—all of whom have held a relationship with the region and the gallery.
Tashkeel, May 3 – August 30
Al Serkal Avenue Summer Program
The art centre is gathering Dubai’s leading art collectives to host a series of events through the summer—from Cinema Akil, to Gulf Photo Plus.
Al Serkal Avenue, July – September
Amman
Truth is black, write over it with a mirage’s light
Inspired by Mahmoud Darwish’s poem, ‘To a Young Poet’, Darat Al Funun invited artists from within Jordan to create works, using various disciplines that reinvent their narratives in the way Darwish’s poem suggest.
Darat Al Funun, July 3 – October 4
Conversation by Rania Kamal
For her first solo exhibition, Palestinian artist Rania Kamal goes to Amman to display her series ‘Conversation’, a result of a 35-day experiment exploring humanity and truth.
Nabadart Gallery, June 26 – July 25
Cairo
What do you mean, here we are?
Egypt’s prominent art gallery Townhouse, brings together different artist from all over the globe with works centred around cultural production and artistic practice in unstable socio-political climates
Townhouse Gallery, July 6- September 15
London
Modern Masters and Contemporary Culture from the Arab World
For their 10th anniversary, Mosaic Rooms is hosting a series of six exhibitions celebrating the work of Arab and Iranian artists , from the modernist painter Hamed Abdalla, to contemporary artists mona Hatoum and Susan Hefuna.
Mosaic Rooms, March 20 – September 14
Marrakech
Africa is No Island
Bringing together the work of 40 different African artists, MACAAl explores the continent’s diverse bodies of work exploring culture.
Museum of African Contemporary Art Al Maaden, February 27 – August 24
Femme Gravée
Bringing together the work of their resident artists, contemporary art gallery Dar Bellarj celebrating the lost art of tattooing within North Africa’s indigenous populations.
Dar Bellarj, December 16 – October 31
