{"id":5501,"date":"2021-01-27T17:16:39","date_gmt":"2021-01-27T13:16:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mbrsc.aud.edu\/MBRSCPost\/?p=5501"},"modified":"2021-01-28T16:12:45","modified_gmt":"2021-01-28T12:12:45","slug":"art-goes-on-in-dubai-despite-the-pandemic","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mbrsc.aud.edu\/MBRSCPost\/art-goes-on-in-dubai-despite-the-pandemic\/","title":{"rendered":"Art Goes On In Dubai Despite the Pandemic"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Despite the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, Dubai’s arts district Alserkal Avenue managed to survive by continuing to hold exhibitions, some online and even a few on-site events while respecting sanitization measures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the most famous galleries at Alserkal Avenue is \u201c1X1 Art Gallery,\u201d first launched in 1996. What distinguishes it from the other galleries in the district is that it showcases works from both Asian and Middle Eastern artists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“1X1 signifies a limitless area, it has many possibilities, for a gallery, it’s a space where anything can happen,” Malini Gulrajani, the gallery’s founder, said in an interview over the phone. Last Wednesday, the gallerist held its first opening of the year, with a solo show by Pakistani artist Ghulam Mohammad under the theme “UQDA,” meaning “UNPUZZLED” in Arabic. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The exhibition showcased 13 pieces of the artist’s work and will run until February 28.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What\u00a0distinguishes\u00a0Mohammad<\/strong>\u2019s artwork from others?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mohammad cuts out letters and words from second-hand\u00a0books and translates texts into a language of art. His work is lyrical in its exploration, it is “very delicate and intimate, with its identity that his text had before he cut it out, and after he works with it, it has a\u00a0new identity that relates to him and his experience in life,\u201d said Gulrajani.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Gulam Mohammad’s artwork. Photo by Nourma Elian, Dubai, January 2021.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

“I felt there was a niche here, a requirement for people who live here and do not have access to go all the way to get good art from Pakistan,\u00a0and so I decided to bring Ghulam’s valued art to Dubai despite the limitations Covid – 19 had posed on us,” said the\u00a0gallerist.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gulrajani’s gallery “usually shifts works\u00a0from different countries like India and Pakistan, and that certainly has been affected by the pandemic.”\u00a0said Mark\u00a0Jabay, the gallery administrator.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To maintain the safety of everyone, the exhibition organizers have set out precautions and guidelines that dictate that only “15 to 20 people are allowed inside the gallery, while they maintain 2 meters of social distance,” Jabay told the MBRSC Post.\u00a0\u00a0

Is it difficult to collect art during this time?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Art is universal, and sadly, the past few months have been slow for the entire gallery in this avenue, but Dubai remains a great land for all the cultures, and so I bring to it what my eye finds beautiful,\u201d\u00a0said Gulrajani.

\u201cDuring the pandemic, we had to resort to online viewing rooms and extensive communication with clients that can’t visit the gallery or travel,\u201d\u00a0explained Zeina Abedrabo, assistant of the Isabelle Van Den Eynde Gallery.

How did the pandemic affect other galleries\u2019\u00a0openings at Alserkal Avenue?
<\/strong>
Alternative mechanisms to share exhibitions through online viewing rooms and 360 virtual tours has become more present in museums, galleries and art fairs. However,\u00a0\u201cthe galleries\u2019\u00a0sales have been definitely affected by the pandemic, and\u00a0they are certainly not similar to how they were in 2019, they have decreased recognizably,\u201d\u00a0said\u00a0Marilize Van Niekerk, the Executive Assistant at Alserkal Avenue.\u00a0

Van Niekerk said that some shows were put on hold for months, like the opening of the Mohamed Melehi show,\u00a0\u201cThe New Wave,\u201d\u00a0which was delayed since last March until September because of the lockdown.\u00a0\u201cUnfortunately, Melehi passed away from Covid-19 last October.\u201d

At the “1×1 Art Gallery,” visitors walked around the spcae, exploring the significance of Ghulam Mohammad’s artworks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n