5 Dubai Art Galleries Not To Miss

Dubai is the heart and soul of the art scene in the Middle East, and there are dozens of art galleries to choose from. Here are five of the finest Dubai art galleries: Ayyam Gallery, Carbon 12, The Third Line, The Mojo Gallery, and Artspace.

Ayyam Gallery

Photo Credit: Ayyam Gallery

Ayyam Gallery has been around since 2006 and carries pieces by both established and emerging artists from throughout the Arab world. The gallery has multiple locations, including one in the Dubai International Financial Centre and another at Alserkal Avenue. Ayyam also has locations in Beirut and London.

Currently in Dubai, Ayyam is hosting a graduation exhibition for Noor Bahjat, the first winner of the gallery’s Young Artist in Residency program. The artist graduated at the top of her class from the University of Damascus and specializes in focusing on figurative subjects using an expressionist style using self-portraits and sketches. The exhibition runs through Sept. 15 with a special viewing on Alserkal Avenue’s Galleries Night on Sept. 14.

Artspace

Photo Credit: Artspace

Artspace is another one of the Dubai art galleries which has locations outside of the city as well. The gallery also has a location in London, another city with a fabulous art scene. The Dubai location doesn’t currently have an exhibition in progress, but Artspace typically hosts modern and contemporary Middle Eastern and Iranian artists.

The Mojo Gallery

Photo Credit: The Mojo Gallery

Alserkal Avenue has quite a collection of fabulous Dubai art galleries now, so it’s certainly worth a visit as you’ll be able to hit up multiple exhibitions at the same time. The Mojo Gallery is one of the galleries at Alserkal. Currently the gallery is hosting a show entitled Facets featuring six artists all from different parts of Africa. The six artists are Mohamed Abou Elnaga, Joel Mpah Dooh, Alex da Silva, Misheck Masamvu, Viye Diba, and Safa Erruas. They’re all part of the African contemporary art scene.

The Third Line

Photo Credit: The Third Line / Nikolaus Steglich, Starnberg

The Third Line relocated to Alserkal Avenue after being located in Al Quoz for 10 years. The gallery features work by 27 artists and most recently hosted an exhibition by Abbas Akhavan entitled Study for a Monument. The installation featured bronze casts of plants from that are native to the area between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers.

Carbon 12

Photo Credit: Carbon 12

Carbon 12 just wrapped up its last exhibition in mid-July and is now preparing for its next starting on Sept. 14. The gallery will be hosting a solo exhibition by media artist James Clar entitled Double Rainbow all the Way through Nov. 7. It’s his second solo exhibition at Carbon 12, and in it, he explores media and technology.