The Arts in Dubai

Generally Dubai is not famous for its local culture scene.

People interested in what the region produces in terms of arts will usually be better served in Abu Dhabi, or in Sharjah city - the latter excplicitly aiming to establish itself as a cultural center, with a range of museums and events such as the Biennal, a one-month program of exhibitions, performances, and workshops.

However, if you look a bit closer, there are a few goodies in Dubai, too.

I'm not merely speaking about the big events such as the relatively new International Festival of Literature, Dubai International Film Festival or visits from world-class acts such as the amazing and totally enchanting Cirque du Soleil.

But rather I mean a series of sometimes tiny, in many cases one-room-only art galleries mainly located in an industrial area off Sheikh Zayed Road, not too far from Mall of the Emirates (that's the one with the indoor sky slope).

Along a dusty road leading through a phalanx of one-storey plate-and-concrete warehouses and hidden behind rows of parked trucks, there are such gems as The Third Line, which features a changing collection of contemporary Middle Eastern Art.

When I went there the past weekend (after a lazy hour in a coffee shop), they showed paintings by an artist "humorously investigating the precarious and complicated nature of memory and monument." The surrealistic compositions and the strong colours made a welcome change to sand and skyscrapers.

Then there are other places such as B21. Currently, this small gallery presents photographs by a regional artist who restages situations of disputes in the Middle East with amateur actors in totally different settings such as a modern apartment or a state house. Somewhat unsettling and chilling, but definitely not failing to leave an impression and reminding of some of the conflicts we have often come to accept as a daily item in international news coverage.

Another place just a few buildings away is The Courtyard, which unites a series of shops, studies and galleries grouped around a tranquil courtyard.

One of these galleries, Total Arts, currently houses the sculpture and installation exhibition "Scraps". The artist couple Dariush Zandi and Shaqayeq Arabi took bits and pieces of leftovers from an explosion and huge fire in a Dubai warehouse and turned them into a rare example of such installations in Dubai, evoking the shock and tragedy of the 2008 event.

Contrary to the lighting in the picture to the left (which shows scissors fused into a solid sculpture by the fire), the whole exhibition was set in a darkened room, and the exhibits - which include a half-molten plate roof - dominate the whole space. The exhibition creates a whole atmosphere of gloom, including sounds reminding of war, and even tampering with the scent of the air.

Even though the exhibitions came in more homeopathic dosage than in other places, I enjoyed exploring these galleries. Also, I had a few interesting conversations - for example with a Total Arts curator.

Apart from illuminating the story behing Scraps for me, she told me about an Iranian couple - apparently, there are many impulses coming from Iran - partly because of this country's long history and tradition. They had been expelled from the country as they had hidden political statements in their work, only about three weeks ago. Or a picture that had to be removed from a fair shortly before officials visited, even though the work had been on display in a gallery for months. All in all, art, though, appears to be able to live its ways as long as you don't openly go against key values of the country.

Another conversation was with an advertising photographer from London, whom I met inside his workshop, and who told a story of how he came to Dubai which you hear in a number of variations quite often from expats. In his case, he had been invited to be a jury member of a photo competition in Dubai at short notice. He kept coming for that competition for a few years, and then decided to try living here. The challenge for him was to build a network and to develop the infrastructure needed for his work - which just did not exist when he came.

After that, it was time for a dose of purely low-brow entertainment - which I treated myself to at the Mall of the Emirates: A Hollywood movie in the resident cinema's Gold class.

Think cloud-like reclining leather armchairs almost putting you to sleep before the movie starts, and at-the-seat service...