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Art Dubai 2011: Works to watch out for
Middle East’s leading contemporary art fair opens its doors with an array of global talent
‘Edge of Critical Density’ by Diana Al-HadidnSee it at: The stand of Marianne Boesky Gallery, New YorknSyrian-born, New York-based artist Diana Al-Hadid builds large, imposing architectural sculptures: this one is 8ft tall, crafted from fibreglass, polymer, gypsum, steel, wood and paint, and looks even more gravity-defying in the flesh.
‘Homonymes 3’ by Isabelle CornaronSee it at: The stand of Galerie Balice Hertling, ParisnThis French artist’s sculpture is a generic grey plaster cast of a table piled with mostly mass-produced items. The works are named ‘Homonymes’ (words that are identical in spelling or pronunciation, yet differ in meaning), highlighting the idea of subverting the value system given to objects.
‘Big Oak, Homage to the Shawnee’ by Samia HalabynSee it at: Stand A37, Ayyam Gallery, Dubai/Damascus/BeirutnNew York-based Palestinian artist Samia Halaby remains cutting-edge at 74: this piece typifies her abstract works, which, she argues, are as connected to nature and its forms as representational works.
‘Guilty’ by Nadai AyarinSee it at: The stand of Etemad Gallery, Dubai/TehrannThis Tunisian/American artist’s works were produced more than a year ago, but their handling of corruption in Tunisia (albeit with a light, painterly imagination) is particularly topical.
‘Black Sun’ by Shezad DawoodnSee it at: Stand A39, The Third Line, DubainThis work from the British/Pakistani/Indian artist measures 110cm in diameter, and the highly conceptual, simple shape provokes complex thoughts through multiple representation – an eclipse, St John of the Cross, evolution and the Kali Mudra.
‘Cabaret Crusades: The Horror Show File’ by Wael ShawkynSee it at: stand B29, Galerie Sfeir-Semler, Hamburg/BeirutnRetrospectives of the work of Egyptian artist Wael Shawky will be the highlight of Bidoun Projects programme this year, but before you head there, see this first. The film project traces the Crusades of 1096 to 1099, highlighting the impact that the period had on relations today. This is a shot of a 200-year-old marionette from the Lupi collection in Turin that was used in the film.
‘Free art, free art’ by Patricia TrikinSee it at: stand A8, Galerie El Marsa, TunisianGalerie is a Tunisian, Paris-based artist, known for her snaps of landscapes and figures that are saturated with pop colours. This one is more muted, but still contains her signature colour injection and distortion of shape.
‘Spoons and Cable’ by Hassan SharifnSee it at: stand A46, Salwa Zeidan Gallery, Abu DhabinThe founding father of the contemporary UAE art scene, Hassan Sharif is an accomplished painter as well as sculptor. He’s been creating for UAE audiences since the ’70s and often takes common objects and strips them of their original use, turning their function into just ‘being seen’.n
