Agenda

Created for Qatar – Indonesia 2023 Year of Culture, the Coffee Exhibition, organized in collaboration with the National Museum of Indonesia, highlights traditional and contemporary coffee cultures in Qatar and Indonesia through interactive and sensory experiences. By approaching practices related to coffee growing, roasting, brewing, serving, and drinking in Qatar and Indonesia, the exhibition explores the world history of coffee trading and drinking, and the social connections it creates. This global approach through local examples makes it the ideal visit for culture enthusiasts and coffee lovers from all over the world.

The Boghossian Foundation presents the exhibition Armenia. Contemplating the sacred, an invitation to travel to millennia-old Armenia, where virtual reality blends with historical vestiges and contemporary works of art.

In partnership with Iconem, immersive videos present visitors with a truly unique experience as they discover endangered historic sites such as the emblematic monasteries of Geghard, Haghpat, Hayravank, Kirants and Arakelots, as well as the sites of Surp Hovannes – Meghri and Deghdznut.

The exhibition also features exceptional items from the Musée Arménien de France. Miniatures, manuscripts, precious liturgical objects never before exhibited to the public, will be shown alongside works by contemporary artists such as Sarkis, Mekhitar Garabedian, Antoine Agoudjian, Jean Boghossian, Aïda Kazarian and Pascal Convert.

Artists
Antoine Agoudjian, Jean Boghossian, Pascal Convert, Mekhitar Garabedia,  Aïda Kazarian, Sarkis.

The Sharjah Architecture Triennial, taking place from 11 November 2023 to 10 March 2024.

The Triennial was established in 2019 as the first major platform for architecture and urbanism from West and South Asia and the African continent. Its aim is to spark new perspectives and reframe on-going conversations about the future of architecture and design within the social, economic, environmental, and cultural context of the region.

Titled The Beauty of Impermanence: An Architecture of Adaptability, the second edition of the Triennial is curated by Lagos-based, Nigerian architect Tosin Oshinowo, and will explore links between scarcity, creativity, and design. With the title and theme, Tosin wants to highlight how architecture should take into account indigenous traditions and collective knowledge born out of daily practice, resilience and ingenious coping mechanisms – ‘contextual’ is one of her favourite words. The Global South should not attempt to ‘catch up’ with the Global North, but rather the reverse, as the rest of the world now faces the same challenges due to the climate crisis. The Global South’s resilience suggests alternative approaches to an ethos of ‘permanence’ in architecture pervasive in the Global North, and these methods – shaped by the rhythms of everyday life, climate, and material availability – offer design solutions for the many challenges facing our populations. In her own practice, she draws on her Yoruba heritage and Àṣẹ philosophy to centre contextual design and culturally relevant architecture.

The Triennial’s 29 participants will shine a spotlight on design solutions that draw from indigenous knowledge (Nifemi Marcus-Bello, Hunnarshala Foundation with Aaabhat and AINA), explore the potential of local contextual material such as mud (Hive Earth Studio, Sandra Poulson, Wallmakers) examine the climate resilience and adaptability of communities around the world (Natura Futura, COLLAB: Henry Glogau & Aleksander Kongshaug), to name a few.

ATHR FOUNDATION is proud to present the opening night of “On Purpose”, the 8th installment of its renowned Young Saudi Artists (YSA) exhibition series and the first under ATHR FOUNDATION’s banner. YSA is making its debut in Riyadh with this edition, and it is also the largest YSA exhibition to take place to date, featuring 25 emerging artists.

Titled “On Purpose”, the exhibition will feature 25 emerging  Saudi and Saudi-based artists exploring their interpretations of purpose through diverse mediums.

Curated by renowned artist Rami Farook and a selection committee composed of Ayman Yossri Daydban, Dur Kattan, Wejdan Reda, Hamza Serafi, and Solafa Rawas. (bios below)

“On Purpose”, aims to highlight the creativity and diversity of our Kingdom’s young artistic talents. Attendees will be among the first to experience how selected emerging artists from across Saudi Arabia have uniquely conceptualized and expressed the theme of purpose through their work.

View the diverse range of artworks, enjoy refreshments, and engage with the curator and participating artists. You won’t want to miss this exciting showcase of the next generation of Saudi and Saudi residents’ creative visionaries.

The exhibition is from November 18th from 6-11 PM at Ethr Residency until March 18th.

As part of an ongoing commitment to bolster the region’s vibrant arts ecosystem, Louvre Abu Dhabi and luxury Swiss watchmaking brand Richard Mille today opened the third edition of the Louvre Abu Dhabi Art Here exhibition, which will be on display until 18 February 2024.

Art Here 2023 features the seven sculptures and installations shortlisted for the 2023 Richard Mille Art Prize, with the works addressing this year’s theme of ‘Transparencies’, exploring the dynamics of transparency as well as its material and perceptual significance. Presented for the first time under the museum’s iconic dome, the exhibition delves into the interplay of shadows, liquid reflections, and flashes of permeating sunlight provided by this location.

Curated by independent art curator and advisor Maya El Khalil, Art Here 2023 spotlights the works of artists from across the region: Saudi curator and artist Alaa Tarabzouni, Kuwaiti multidisciplinary artist Farah Behbhani, Emirati painter Hashel Al Lamki, UAE-based Indian artist Nabla Yahya, Saudi visual and performance artist Sarah Brahim, UAE-based Syrian artist siblings Sawsan and Bahar Al Bahar, and Saudi visual and land artist Zahrah Al Ghamdi.

Translucent Threads of Life is a celebration of nature, identity, and the enduring strength of women. This exhibition unveils the beauty hidden within life’s unconventional and untamed facets, embracing the unique allure born from these innovative forms. With four distinct series of works, we cordially invite you to embark on a journey through translucent layers, where the convergence of science and art beckons you to appreciate the beauty that emerges when boundaries are pushed.

This captivating voyage unfolds through sculptures and installations primarily crafted from transparent resin—a medium chosen for its profound symbolism. This clear, luminous, and untamed material skillfully mirrors the intricate dance of life, capturing the simultaneous peril and beauty of existence. By employing alchemical processes that manipulate temperature and pressure, the artist transforms liquid transparency into solid form, creating sculptures that embody both delicacy and strength—an artistic expression of the resilience shared by nature and women.

Ayyam Gallery is pleased to present Diary, a solo exhibition featuring Tammam Azzam’s recent body of work. Please join us for the vernissage on January 8th from 6 pm – 9 pm, in presence of the artist.

In the exhibition Diary, Tammam Azzam, an artist known for his profound explorations of the destruction and reconstruction of an image or space, showcases works that play with perspective. Horizon lines expand outward and urban vistas are cut into parts, interrupted like the lines of a window frame. In one untitled 2021 painting, the sky is a turquoise sea-blue, which complicates the boundaries of the subject, an earthy terrain referencing the lava fields in the south of Syria, where Azzam is from. The sea-sky’s color marks a tonality he has carried with him, visible in paintings of scenes from parts of Berlin, thus connecting different places in visual moments.

Khawla Art Gallery is thrilled to announce their new exhibition, “Desert Dreams,” featuring the extraordinary works of acclaimed Lebanese artist Chaouki Chamoun.

“Desert Dreams” delves into Chamoun’s intimate relationship with the desert, a connection that took root in Fall 2008. This collection reflects the artist’s yearning to immerse himself in the desert’s timeless allure, capturing the transformative impact it has had on his artistic journey. The exhibition unveils a mesmerizing interplay of stars, sand, and a profound sense of homecoming, providing a glimpse into Chamoun’s deep-seated emotions and experiences during nights spent in the open desert.

The exhibition, scheduled from January 10 to February 1, 2024, will captivate art enthusiasts with Chamoun’s exploration of his profound connection with the desert.

Leila Heller Gallery is delighted to announce the upcoming solo exhibition by Maryam Lamei, titled ‘Symphony of Birds’, opening 23rd January 2024.

The exhibition features a diverse array of paintings that seamlessly blends the rich tradition of Persian miniature painting with a modern sensibility. ‘Symphony of Birds’ draws inspiration from the revered Persian painting genre known as “Negargari,” focusing on the harmonious interplay between flowers and birds. Maryam Lamei elevates this traditional art form, infusing it with a contemporary essence that resonates with the present-day world. In her interpretation, the delicate fusion of flowers and birds transcends mere aesthetics, evolving into a profound dialogue reflecting the ongoing conversation between love and the beloved. The exhibition, both visually captivating and conceptually profound, invites viewers to explore a nuanced dialogue between nature, love, and the human experience

From Palestine with Art is a unique showcase that aims to share the vibrant culture, heritage, and struggles of the Palestinian people through various artistic expressions. The exhibit features a diverse range of talented Palestinian artists and seeks to shed light on their experiences, history, and aspirations.

The first Palestinian museum in the Americas, Palestine Museum US, is excited to announce the re-exhibition of its celebrated exhibit, From Palestine with Art. After its successful showcase as a Collateral Event exhibit at the 59th Venice Biennale Arte 2022, the exhibit will now be showcased at the prestigious P21 Gallery in London, UK. This exhibition will provide an opportunity for audiences in London to experience the rich Palestinian story through the lens of art.

Curated by Faisal Saleh, Founder & Executive Director, Palestine Museum US, 1764 Litchfield Turnpike, Woodbridge, Connecticut 06525, USA

On the occasion of what would have been his 90th birthday, Sfeir-Semler is enormously proud to present an exhibition that brings together early paintings from the 1960s with more recent works. A rare occurrence, this presentation puts in dialogue the various periods of the highly acclaimed artist and covers five decades of his work. Marwan Kassab-Bachi (b. 1934, Damascus, Syria – d. 2016, Berlin, Germany) known simply as MARWAN began his career after studying Arabic literature at the Damascus University. In 1957, he moved to Berlin where he attended the Hochschule für Bildende Künste. He very quickly integrated a group of German expressionist painters, working alongside artists such as Georg Baselitz and Eugen Schönebeck, and spent the rest of his life in Berlin where he became a professor at the Akademie der Künste.

Sabrina Amrani opens a temporary gallery space in AlJadidah Arts District in AlUla, in collaboration with Arts AlUla, to present Manal AlDowayan’s exhibition Their Love is Like All Loves, Their Death is Like All Deaths.

Their Love is Like All Loves, Their Death is Like All Deaths is a chapter in an unceasing story that Manal AlDowayan has forged and unfolded since her solo exhibition And I, Will I Forget? in 2015. This new exhibition is a continuation of the concepts she began to explore then: Reconciliation, self-healing, and understanding the socio-historical processes taking place in her homeland. By doing this in a personal level, she’s also chronicling the sentiment and social change in her home country.

Serpentine is thrilled to present Echoes of the Earth: Living Archive, an exhibition of new and recent works by internationally renowned artist, technologist, and pioneer in artificial intelligence arts, Refik Anadol. The exhibition will be on view at Serpentine North from 16^th February to 7^th April 2024.

Known for his digital works and large-scale public installations that present real-time generative environments, Anadol’s collaborative creative process with AI plays on human perception. Echoes of the Earth: Living Archive will present years-long experimentation with visual data of coral reefs and rainforests.

Serpentine is thrilled to present Echoes of the Earth: Living Archive, an exhibition of new and recent works by internationally renowned artist, technologist, and pioneer in the aesthetics of artificial intelligence arts, Refik Anadol. The exhibition will be on view at Serpentine North from 16^th February to 7^th April 2024.

Known for his digital works and large-scale public installations that present real-time generative environments, Anadol’s collaborative creative process with AI plays on human perception. Echoes of the Earth: Living Archive will present years-long experimentation with visual data of coral reefs and rainforests.

The exhibition will feature Artificial Realities: Coral (2023), an artwork that consists of several chapters culminating in an immersive experience based on the Stable Diffusion model, one of the most advanced technologies of artificial intelligence in image production.

For this artwork, Refik Anadol Studio trained a unique AI model with approximately 5 billion images of corals openly accessible online. Generating abstracted coral images, the AI constructs new visuals and colour combinations based on the dataset. As a multi-channel sound and video experience, Artificial Realities: Coral invites the audience to be immersed in a virtual underwater space.

The 2024 edition of the Diriyah Contemporary Art Biennale takes place in the JAX District in Diriyah, a town adjacent to the capital city of Riyadh and home to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of At-Turaif. The curatorial team of the 2024 Diriyah Contemporary Art Biennale is led by globally renowned curator Ute Meta Bauer as Artistic Director, with Co-Curators: Wejdan Reda (SA), Anca Rujoiu (RO) and Rose Lejeune (UK), and with Adjunct Curator Rahul Gudipudi (IN). Together, they bring experiences and insights from diverse geographic backgrounds, extending the Biennale exhibition with artistic formats such as performance, sound, research-based practices, and digital forms.

Lawrie Shabibi presents A rose is a rose is a rose is a rose, a solo exhibition by Mandy El-Sayegh curated by Sara Raza, scheduled to run from 22 February to 28 March 2024. Mandy El-Sayegh works across diverse media to examine how social, cultural and political orders are formed and deconstructed. In her works she collages disparate fragments of information together, investigating how meaning could emerge from the relationship between these different source materials. The exhibition will encompass large-scale paintings, immersive installations and a performance. This is El-Sayegh’s first solo exhibition in the Middle East.

Battlegrounds is the inaugural exhibition of Lebanese-British artist Aya Haidar at Tabari Artspace now represented by the gallery.
Aya Haidar’s multimedia practice addresses themes related to womanhood, invisible labour, forced displacement, Homeland and territory, social constructs and inequalities. A graduate with a BA in Fine Arts from the Slade School of Fine Art in London and an MSc in NGOs and Development from LSE, Haidar’s diverse yet interconnected experiences contribute to her artistic output in dialogical and overlapping ways. Positioned at the intersection of art, politics, and society, her work explores her web of experiences as a mother, woman, artist, and humanitarian worker.

Qatar Museums today announced the inauguration in 2024 of Design Doha, a biennial showcase for excellence and innovation in the design community in Qatar and the MENA region. Established under the leadership of Qatar Museums’ Chairperson, Her Excellency Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Design Doha will be a new platform for practitioners from across the Arab world, helping to build professional pathways, and engage with the acclaimed design professionals from around the world who will convene at the event.

Opening on February 24th, Design Doha is a landmark biennial dedicated to creative innovation. We are here to foster the design culture of the MENA region, and create a space of design excellence in Qatar.

Design Doha will be an elevating movement, serving as a dedicated platform for fostering creativity and design excellence. It provides creatives and institutions with a space to showcase their designs and ideas. This biennial is committed to offering tangible and authentic solutions, showcasing the richness of MENA culture and creativity, while highlighting the exceptional design environment of Qatar on the global stage.

Ayyam Gallery is pleased to present Immortal Moment – Coping with the Shock, a solo exhibition featuring Faisal Samra’s recent body of work. Please join us for the vernissage on February 27th from 6 pm – 9 pm, in presence of the artist.

This exhibition showcases the second body of work from the Immortal Moment project, in which Faisal Samra creates artworks through the accumulation of instances, pushing the viewer to question the opportunities of a single moment. In the first chapter of this project, Faisal describes the technique as capturing a moment and immortalizing it in time through gestural performances, serving as an expression of emotions. However, now, he defines the outcome as a “shock”. This exhibition will reveal the process of Coping with the Shock.

The Nowair, a beautiful desert flower that loves the sun, blooms in the spring and grows in difficult climatic conditions, is a true national symbol reflecting endless connotations. It resembles the women of this land with their beauty, passion and love of life. On International Women’s Day, the 8th of March, we, the artists of the land of Nowair, present a part of our colourful dreams, derived from our renewed ambition to enrich the Kuwaiti and Arab art scene. We differ in our mediums and processes but agree that women derive their strength from their creativity and proving their existence. A salute to the women of the world on their holiday, and a salute creator wherever they reside.

Celestial Blue celebrates the artist’s 77th year and includes canvas works interspersed with statuesque steel sculptures, in his characteristically figurative forms. The works on canvas are inspired by the nasibs that the 12th-century Sufi mystic and writer, Ibn ‘Arabi, set down in his book of love poems, The Interpreter of Desires (1215).

Born in the Aurès mountains of Algeria, Koraïchi’s creative explorations have employed an impressive range of media, which include paintings on canvas, paper and silk, bronze, wood and steel sculptures, ceramics and textiles. Koraïchi’s abiding fascination with signs of all kinds is the unwavering constant informing his conscious and finely detailed work. The exhibition is open to the public from 7th March – 13th April 2024.

“Food in performance puts food at the intersection of cultural identities, desire, disgust and other social, psychological and physiological modes of excess. An augmentation and bending of everyday life, this performance addresses cultural relationships to food and how they perform culturally, and a critique on technological times.

This proposal is a durational and, at times, interactive performance involving food preparation, and an extension of Dalia’s recent work incorporating her projected, augmented, hyper-realistic digital avatar, in motion. The performance will feature her physical body preparing a large amount/pile of tabbouleh, one of the most emblematic local dishes, in times of crisis.

Tabbouleh (much like hummus), has made an appearance in Guinness World Records with the world’s largest serving, oscillating between self-fetishization and a contested, appropriated culinary symbol. Through the delicate and poignant act of cutting, dicing, chopping, mincing, and ripping, the choreographed body is in labor. The movements, in their simple mechanics, incorporate micro-aggressions, subtle tensions, and a poetic temporal deconstruction that slows and bends time. Each gesture is performative.

In the background, her avatar will also be in labor, reenacting, performing the food preparation process through pre-recorded movements in a more amplified manner. The avatar will resonate different emotional states through movements, like an amplified resonance. This creates the illusion of watching a woman perform her thoughts, transforming an idyllic, stereotypical kitchen into a psychedelic décor.

As the performance progresses, she will alternate between food preparation and synchronized pauses, dance breaks, small naps, and rest periods. When this occurs, she outsources the work to her digital simulation. This examines the outsourcing of cooking practices, the reliance on automated assistance, robot chefs, mechanized food preparation, and kitchens aids.The food prepared will be either distributed for any passerby or audience member, or donated.

Dalia Khalife is a hybrid; an artist, a scenographer, a multidisciplinary designer, and a dancer. She is currently a professor at the Lebanese American University.

She work intuitively, in an interdisciplinary manner, across installation, site-specific interventions, video, objects, painting and performative gestures to produce situations where viewers occupying the same space produce its meaning. Her practice examines psychophysiological happenings as well as elements of spectacle and play within power structures, social events, and rituals, that manifest as primitive moments of ambiguity and shared vulnerability.”

From 7:30-9:30