It’s a relatively new concept for Dubai galleries to hand the curatorial reins of some of their shows to an outside specialist. And while it is refreshing for the gallerist to see how someone else interprets and communicates an exhibition, the change is also stimulating for visitors familiar with that gallery’s programming.
One of the first to recruit a curator and regularly present such shows is Yasmin Atassi of Dubai's Green Art Gallery. In 2010 she invited Berlin-based Charlotte Bank, who put together Borderlines, Deconstructing Exile, a group show concerned with issues of identity and displacement by Palestinian artists.
“It’s always been important to invite curators to do group shows as they add a language to the programme. This keeps me excited, interested and it prevents monotony,” says Atassi. “The audience is very receptive to such shows and appreciate a good story and varied works.” Since 2012, Green Art Gallery has enlisted several curators, including Ipek Ulusoy Akgül, Jane Neal and Lantian Xie. It has even assigned its own artists – Kamrooz Aram and Alessandro Balteo Yazbeck – to the task of curating exhibitions.
Isabelle van den Eynde, founder of her eponymous gallery, has also relied on the expertise of her artists Rokni and Ramin Haerizadeh to present exhibitions.
"Artists have a certain dialogue with their own peers," says Atassi. This "dialogue" led her to discover Nazgol Ansarinia, who is now part of the gallery roster, and whose work was included by Green Art Gallery artist Aram when he curated the 2012 show A Permanent Record for Future Investigation.
“Another layer of reading is very interesting. It gives a fresh voice to my stable of artists and it brings a challenge,” says van den Eynde, whose gallery staged a solo exhibition for French artist Abdelkader Benchamma, curated by Athens-based Yasmina Reggad in March. “These curators take us out of our comfort zones and the whole experience offers us a break from our routines and opens new doors, dialogues and collaborations.”
Reggad, who also curated Art Dubai Projects this year, believes it is an enriching experience for everyone involved.
“I think our input lies in the relationship between artists and curator and the kind of confidence a curator can give to an artist,” she says. “Our relationship also grows beyond the walls of the gallery; it travels to other institutions and venues, as well as in writing.”
Benchamma's show was the second time van den Eynde had appointed a curator – the first being White Cube…Literally, which was staged in January, curated by Amanda Abi Khalil and included works by 27 artists and collectives. Based in Beirut, Abi Khalil's highly stimulating White Cube…Literally was the Lebanese curator's pitch as well as her debut project with Gallery Isabelle van den Eynde.
“I enjoyed it because the gallerist was genuinely interested in the exhibition’s statement and its educational ramifications beyond solely a commercial value,” says Abi Khalil. “She [van den Eynde] supported the commissioning of new works to young and established artists, and even included pieces that were not for sale for the iconic contributions they had to the theme and statement of the exhibition.”
The show mixed genres, styles, media and nationalities to explore what constitutes the proverbial “white cube” gallery concept. In doing so, not only were some of the gallery’s artists included, but also new names were introduced through works consigned from 20 galleries. Thus, liaisons with other galleries were made, offering such initiatives broader dialogues.
Group exhibitions that include non-gallery artists are pricey, because of shipping and insurance, but they also carry an element of risk. “These shows are not always commercial viable because you’re pushing for works that the audience has never seen and which don’t have a market per se in Dubai,” says Atassi.
As far as finding curators is concerned, the Delfina Foundation has been very resourceful, and Dubai’s positioning as the region’s cultural hub, has helped attract a greater number of independent curators from all over the world. “In Dubai, the absence or scarcity of non-commercial contemporary art spaces emphasises the need of purely discursive exhibitions,” says Abi Khalil. “And I guess that by inviting curators, galleries are also building a culture and a history of exhibitions in the region.”
Budget cuts in the non-profit realm have translated into a greater number of autonomous cultural protagonists, which in turn has exposed these curators to new artists, regions and media. “I like people who are willing to go beyond what they know,” says van den Eynde.
As Dubai galleries continue to push the limits of their programming and participate in international art fairs and exhibit their artists’ works in biennales and museum shows, there is no doubt the interest in presenting avant-garde approaches will increase. And this points to a healthy and progressive cultural ecosystem.
artslife@thenational.ae
