Résurrection des Mannequins: Dubai’s Latest Art Charity Project

Dubai’s latest charity project is in the form of a creative collaboration between artists and art lovers. Locally based Turkish  photographer Sertac Tasdelen (seen above) created Résurrection des Mannequins, named after Man Ray’s 1938 exhibition where surrealist artists became real-life mannequins, as a way to bring together the art community by having each attendee imprint their own identity onto one of his photographs. The project shows that the Dubai art world is very much alive.

Exhibiting 15 photographs along with 15 collaborative works, Tasdelen first revealed the concept between his photographs which included two female models and two mannequins and how they were to represent the multiple faces of one’s o identity. Each photograph was then given to a collaborating artist: noteworthy intellectuals, artists, and art professionals in Dubai,  who in turn added their personal interpretations. The results were a marvel of creativity.

A management consultant by day and a photographer by night, 26-year Tasdelen hopes to raise social awareness with this project. “Art comes from experience. I am a businessman and an artist: these are all personas I wear, and that’s not deceptive. Interacting with the different psychologies of yourself enriches you. Moving to Dubai is like jumping into an ocean of identities: these works remind you to be yourself and be happy with the mask you wear, but they also criticize people who wear one all the time,” said the artist in a recent interview.

All proceeds go to the charity of the collaborator’s choice most of which are local causes. Lateefa Bint Maktoum’s proceeds will go to the Al Noor Association for the Blind. A perfect exercise for multi-cultural Dubai, such artistic collaboration brings people together to work for a larger cause all through the wonderful common ground of artistic exploration.

Résurrection des Mannequins is on at the Portfolio Gallery through May 31st