XVA Gallery inaugurated its new DIFC location this past Tuesday with a special exhibition “Between the Lines” featuring a group show of work by Middle Eastern, Pakistani, and Western artists.
Dubai’s art community filled the new 2,500 square foot art gallery while feasting their eyes on work by Simeen Farhat, Mahmoud Hamadani, Morteza Zahedi, Mohsen Ahmadvand, and Al Braithwaite. Through often witty and playful creations, the artists comment on the state of contemporary existence especially in the Middle East.
Born in Karachi, Pakistan, Simeen Farhat’s sculptures and installations include a text from revolutionary poems taken from famous farsi and urdu poets such as Rumi, Saadi, Ghalib and Faiz Ahmed Faiz. Her works take on a new found visual energy through the collaboration between the power of the written word and sculptural form.
The physical force of Farhat’s sculptures are juxtaposed with the simple minimalist haikus of Mahmoud Hamadani which seemingly revert into Mondrian-inspired architectural grids.
Iranian Morteza Zahedi’s playful sculptural work revert to his work as a children’s illustrator. He pairs toys with other miniature forms in often witty and ironic ensembles.
Similarly amusing caricature drawings of Moshen Ahmadvand’s often present figures and incidents from his native Iran in playful and humorous reinterpretations.
The only European artist in the show, Al Braithwaite’s artwork captures current perceptions of contemporary culture in the East and the West with works such as “Museum No. 1: Hizbollah’s Caviar” which is a hand-crafted limited edition book with a clamshell box.
Full of commentary on often difficult contemporary subject matter, the artists in this inaugural exhibition render difficult subject matter in often humorous and at times sarcastic visual images. The works’ seemingly innocent and playful nature make such normally challenging topics a bit more accessible– and lighthearted to all.
XVA Gallery, DIFC
Gate Village, Building # 7
056 103 2766
TOH PR was responsible for the organization of XVA Gallery’s inauguration
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