What's the Future of Dubai Art?

ART DUBAI

Five of Dubai’s hottest artistic talents paint a portrait of a city that is full of opportunity, but faced with numerous challenges NASIR NASRALLAH From

Sharjah, UAE

SPECIALITY: Painting and collage nasir.ae; @retrokite

HIND MEZAINA FROM Dubai, UAE

AREZU From

Tehran, Iran

SPECIALITY: Photography; my work is done on negatives in the dark room

SPECIALITY: Lo-fi photographer and online blogger theculturalist.com; hindmezaina.com; @hindmezaina

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“We have built an enormously impressive city, and now it is up to us to fill it with art” Michael Cooper

KHALID MEZAINA From

Dubai, UAE

SPECIALITY: Illustrator and graphic designer khalidmezaina. blogspot.com; @kmezaina

MICHAEL COOPER From

Wigan, UK

SPECIALITY: Ceramics, glassblowing, painting and printing @mickycoops

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ART DUBAI

TALKING POINTS

Nasir Nasrallah

Hind Mezaina

Arezu

EDUCATION

Khalid Mezaina

Michael Cooper

THE ART SCENE What impact have the multiple gallery openings in places such as DIFC and Al Quoz in recent years had on the art scene?

AREZU: Back in 2003 the art scene was very raw, but now there is a lot of competition, which can only be a good thing. People are more interested in and educated about art.

MICHAEL COOPER: Each area offers different things. DIFC is a forum that entices high-end artists, where as the galleries in Al Quoz tend to take a few more risks – displaying artists that aren’t the top earners, and promoting education initiatives.

NASIR NASRALLAH: DIFC is very much a public gallery space that is open for anyone to walk around and see the exhibitions, whereas in Al Quoz the galleries are harder to get to and, therefore, more for people who know what they are looking for. It’s great to see the contrast that people have now.

HIND MEZAINA: These days there are more moneymaking opportunities in the art scene than there used to be. But this has created a separate issue, one where the primary focus has shifted from creating art to profiting from it.

How can we avoid that problem?

KHALID MEZAINA: Because art buying can be such a lucrative business, the scene needs to make sure that it keeps encouraging people to keep produce fresh and unique art works, rather than

“People are starting to get a much clearer idea of what art is. It has become more to them than just a painting on the wall”

becoming stale and replicating the pieces that have sold before.

NASIR NASRALLAH: You have to remember that the scene is still very young – the country is only 40 years old and everything is

How important is art education?

AREZU: It’s very important, but there are still things missing here.

Whether you are a painter or photographer, you have to know about so much more than just your craft.

HIND MEZAINA: It is very important, and it is completely missing in government high schools. The galleries should work to bring schools to visit them, feed the interest of the next generation, and show them what can be done.

KHALID MEZAINA: When I was at school, art was something that you had to do as an extracurricular activity. I’m currently working on a project that involves taking art into government schools.

MICHAEL COOPER: Because the art scene is so young and fresh, when I teach in school I try to show more than just what you see in books, and more about the impact that shape, size, texture and variation can have. Not everything can be learnt in the classroom.

THE FUTURE

So, what is the future of the Dubai scene and how can things be improved?

MICHAEL COOPER: Dubai is a place where you can earn good exposure as an artist. We have built an enormously impressive city, and now it is up to us to fill it with art.

HIND MEZAINA: I want to see galleries where people go during the week rather than just on opening night.

Nasir Nasrallah KHALID MEZAINA: I’d like more design-focused shows, happening at such a quick speed. printmaking shows and pop-up galleries.

Trends will develop and fade – it AREZU: With the larger is all part of a learning curve.

MICHAEL COOPER: There is no international galleries, it would denying that there are big budgets be great to see things such as residency exchanges. here – it’s hard to get away from NASIR NASRALLAH: For me, I that. But I still think that there would like to see more galleries are plenty of people who come collaborating with schools and to galleries to see the art and not universities, perhaps offering just for the social aspect. their spaces for lessons. While HIND MEZAINA: I’d like to see there are some galleries here art in places where you don’t that are in it for the art, there are expect it. I want to see pop-up others that are here just to sell galleries that are not confined to pieces and make a profit. the same spaces.

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