Alserkal Art Week brings Dappled Light: Rana Begum

Alserkal Avenue’s Concrete is taken over by Rana Begum’s magnificent exploration of light and color in March 2023, marking five years of the multidisciplinary space’s existence.

The solo exhibition is the artist’s most extensive one in the region to date, featuring works that haven’t been displayed before. The show’s focus is on Begum’s interplay of light, color, and form in response to Concrete’s minimalist lines, accentuating the building’s architectural conversation with light and form. The exhibition is curated by Dr Cliff Lauson.

Since its inception in 2017, Concrete, the first OMA-designed building in the UAE, has been a host to numerous group exhibitions, featuring diverse programs in partnership with leading arts institutions. To celebrate the art space’s fifth anniversary, Alserkal Avenue has partnered with Rana Begum, known for her use of industrial materials, repeating geometric patterns, and colors that complement the surrounding architecture. The artist has a long-standing connection with the region and is represented by Dubai-based gallery The Third Line, having previously completed a commission for a show at Concrete in November 2019.

The exhibition features an array of spectacular works, including No. 1228 Mesh, a large suspended mesh “cloud,” and No. 1079 Painting Large (MG), an epic ten-meter-wide color-field canvas. Several wall-based works will use different materials and forms to exhibit the interplay of light and space, while others will be site-specific installations, responding to the surrounding architecture. Also included is No. 1080 Forest (MG), the artist’s first video installation, capturing natural light as it filters through the forest canopy. No. 694 Hyetal, the artist’s only work combining artificial illumination and movement in a dynamic interplay, will also be featured. The exhibition also showcases an outdoor commission in the yard, the artist’s latest sculptural composition consisting of colorful tessellated mesh panels.

Begum’s work is inspired by the urban landscape, the precision of geometry, and traditional Islamic art and architecture. Her work is grounded in light as a catalytic element that produces an experience for the viewer that is both temporal and sensorial.

The exhibition features a public program of talks and tours throughout Alserkal Art Week and the exhibition’s duration, accompanied by a comprehensive program of thought-provoking exhibitions from Alserkal Avenue’s contemporary art galleries and curator-led tours.