If you’ve got a weekend or lunch break to spare, we’ve rounded up a set of compelling galleries for you to visit this month. From politically-charged posters to divisive carpentry, bookmark this article, save the dates, and do what you must to indulge in these local fascinations.

By Désirée Baretto

“Carpets of Eden, Gardens of Fantasy”

Leila Heller Gallery, Al Serkal Avenue

Leila Heller Gallery brings a riveting exhibition, “Carpets of Eden, Gardens of Fantasy,” curated by Behrang Samadzadegan. The rich tapestries and their unique dispositions posit a fantastical pull of inspiration and position carpets as silent narrators. The exhibition provides fresh perspectives on carpet research and uses carpets as a model for understanding art history. 


“Carpets of Eden, Gardens of Fantasy” will run until 20 September 2024.

“Posters for Gaza”

Zawyeh Gallery, Al Serkal Avenue

Zawyeh Gallery unveiled ‘Posters for Gaza’ featuring 26 Palestinian and Arab artists. The exhibition highlights Gaza’s ethnic cleansing, advocating for a cease-fire and recognition of Palestinian rights. Four artists hail from Gaza, infusing personal experience into their work. The artists employed acrylics, inks, charcoal, collage, and mixed media, embracing traditional and digital techniques. This echoes a historical tradition of political posters from the seventies and eighties, promoting the Palestinian cause globally. The exhibition, partnered with Reel Palestine 2024, runs until April 21, 2024.

The posters are available for online purchase, and proceeds go toward medical aid to affected children in Gaza through The Palestine Red Crescent Society.

“Toyworld”

The Third Line, Alserkal Avenue

Khooshboo, n.d.,  Archival Inkjet Print, 20 × 27 in | 50.8 × 68.58 cm,  courtesy of the artist and The Third Line, Dubai

The Third Line proudly presents “Toy World,” Farah Al Qasimi’s fourth solo exhibition, showcasing a collection of still and moving images in black and white and colour. Al Qasimi explores the internet’s hierarchies, emotion, and storytelling complexities through large-scale vinyl imagery, photographic prints, and screens.
This exhibition marks her first venture into black-and-white images, with Al Qasimi noting their inherent historical connotations, allowing for theoretical exploration divorced from personal responsibility. She emphasises the current moment as a prototype for future history.

“The Idealised City”

InLoco Gallery, Al Khayat Avenue

Filippo Minelli’s “The Idealised City” explores post-globalization cultural, urban, and architectural nuances, emphasising permanence in identity and challenging authenticity. The site-specific intervention incorporates outdoor installations, photography, video, paintings, and sculptures, providing an immersive experience both in the gallery and digitally in the metaverse.
Minelli employs diverse mediums to capture the contemporary landscape and translate anthropologic processes, “I’m very interested in the relation between landscape and identity, and human practices within spaces and aesthetics”.

Cover picture/ “Toy World” Farah Al Qasimi