In the context of shifting definitions surrounding the role that the artist plays in nation building and place-making, Stephen Hobbs (Director of Johannesburg’s The Trinity Session) and Laila Binbrek (Coordinating Director of the National Pavilion UAE la Biennale di Venezia) unpack insights that reflect on current trends and possible futures. Moderated by Kevin Jones. **Laila Binbrek** Laila Binbrek is the Coordinating Director of the National Pavilion UAE, which presents the United Arab...

In the context of shifting definitions surrounding the role that the artist plays in nation building and place-making, Stephen Hobbs (Director of Johannesburg’s The Trinity Session) and Laila Binbrek (Coordinating Director of the National Pavilion UAE la Biennale di Venezia) unpack insights that reflect on current trends and possible futures. Moderated by Kevin Jones. Laila Binbrek Laila Binbrek is the Coordinating Director of the National Pavilion UAE, which presents the United Arab...

Since late July, Alserkal Avenue has been hosting its summer programme under the theme Foretold Now. Curated by arts writer Kevin Jones, who describes himself as someone who is obsessed with studying the human desire to speculate, Foretold Now comprises talks, reading groups, and performances that explore the insatiable human appetite for the future — and people’s attempts to predict it. On this episode of the FOLIO podcast, we investigate the obsessive need to soothsay.

Since late July, Alserkal Avenue has been hosting its summer programme under the theme Foretold Now. Curated by arts writer Kevin Jones, who describes himself as someone who is obsessed with studying the human desire to speculate, Foretold Now comprises talks, reading groups, and performances that explore the insatiable human appetite for the future — and people’s attempts to predict it. On this episode of the FOLIO podcast, we investigate the obsessive need to soothsay.

On this episode of the FOLIO podcast, we investigate the obsessive need to soothsay.

Ramadan Kareem. Pause, reflect, and reconnect. As part of [Alserkal’s annual thematic on Maintenance, Ramadan at Alserkal Avenue](http://www.alserkalavenue.ae/en/alserkal-programmes-2018/project/annual-thematic.php) encourages us to shift our focus towards discourses around maintenance, urging us to reconsider our present moment. Throughout the month, our Ramadan programme invites you to Iftar and Suhoor experiences, art and self-care workshops, thought-provoking discussions, exhibition...

Ramadan Kareem. We look forward to welcoming you to Alserkal Avenue during Ramadan for a month of self-reflection, pause, and reconnection. In this episode of Conversations on the Avenue, we catch up with Butheina Kazim from Cinema Akil, Kenza and Patrick Jarjour from Inked, and Lola Boatwright from Gulf Photo Plus to hear about their Ramadan line-up. We are also delighted to continue our Alserkal Lates every Wednesday, and the galleries will open new shows during the 15th May Alserkal...

Fabric(ated) Fractures, a collaboration between Samdani Art Foundation and Alserkal at Concrete, Dubai, ran from 9-30 March 2019. The seminal exhibition featured works by 15 artists from Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Thailand, and Pakistan, who were also part of the foundation’s Dhaka Art Summit initiative. In this two-part series of Conversations on the Avenue, we discover Fabric(ated) Fractures with its curator Diana Campbell Betancourt, and speak to exhibiting artists Reetu Sattar, Ayesha...

The exhibition Fabric(ated) Fractures explored the complexities of sensitive spaces, a testament to human fortitude in the face of violence.

Fabric(ated) Fractures, a collaboration between Samdani Art Foundation and Alserkal at Concrete, Dubai, ran from 9-30 March 2019. The seminal exhibition featured works by 15 artists from Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Thailand, and Pakistan, who were also part of the foundation’s Dhaka Art Summit initiative. In this two-part series of Conversations on the Avenue, we discover Fabric(ated) Fractures with its curator Diana Campbell Betancourt, and speak to exhibiting artists Reetu Sattar, Ayesha...

The exhibition Fabric(ated) Fractures explored the complexities of sensitive spaces, a testament to human fortitude in the face of violence.

‘While We Wait’ is a stunning sculptural installation, constructed by quarried Palestinian stone in a tall, vertical structure of interlocking stone pieces. Crafted via a combination of ancient and cutting-edge technologies, the sculpture is destined to be installed permanently in the landscape that inspired it - the Cremisan Valley close to Bethlehem, Palestine. We talk to the designers and to curator, the V&A;’s Salma Tuqan, about the work and the fascinating story behind it. While We...

‘While We Wait’ is a stunning sculptural installation, constructed by quarried Palestinian stone in a tall, vertical structure of interlocking stone pieces. Crafted via a combination of ancient and cutting-edge technologies, the sculpture is destined to be installed permanently in the landscape that inspired it - the Cremisan Valley close to Bethlehem, Palestine. We talk to the designers and to curator, the V&A’s Salma Tuqan, about the work and the fascinating story behind it. While We...

Manal AlDowayan is one of Saudi Arabia’s most significant artists. Her impressive body of photography, sculpture, and video works is often on show on the other side of the world, while she is in situ elsewhere. AlDowayan’s keen sense of perspective makes for bold, exploratory pieces that speak of a woman’s lot in today’s world. At Alserkal Avenue, for example, AlDowayan exhibited a landmark multi-video installation (I Had No Wings, 2015), commissioned by Rolls Royce, that examined the (then)...

Manal AlDowayan is one of Saudi Arabia’s most significant artists. Her impressive body of photography, sculpture, and video works is often on show on the other side of the world, while she is in situ elsewhere. AlDowayan’s keen sense of perspective makes for bold, exploratory pieces that speak of a woman’s lot in today’s world. At Alserkal Avenue, for example, AlDowayan exhibited a landmark multi-video installation (I Had No Wings, 2015), commissioned by Rolls Royce, that examined the...

In the second of our special two-part series celebrating the first 10 years of Alserkal Avenue, we meet the founder of the Avenue himself, Abdelmonem Bin Eisa Alserkal, to hear of his vision and ambitions in creating the biggest arts community in the region. He's joined by the director, Vilma Jurkute, and together, they reflect, discuss, and look ahead to the future of Alserkal Avenue.

In the second of our special two-part series celebrating the first 10 years of Alserkal Avenue, we meet the founder of the Avenue himself, Abdelmonem Bin Eisa Alserkal, to hear of his vision and ambitions in creating the biggest arts community in the region. He's joined by the director, Vilma Jurkute, and together, they reflect, discuss, and look ahead to the future of Alserkal Avenue.

Join us in a celebration of Alserkal Avenue's first decade as we meet some of the people who have made the first ten years of Alserkal Avenue a unique success story. In this special two-part edition of Conversations on the Avenue, we meet with some of the creative visionaries and cultural entrepreneurs who have partnered with Alserkal Avenue over the past decade. Exploring the history of the neighbourhood, reflecting on its astonishing growth and looking forward to the future, we meet...

Join us in a celebration of Alserkal Avenue's first decade as we meet some of the people who have made the first ten years of Alserkal Avenue a unique success story. In this special two-part edition of Conversations on the Avenue, we meet with some of the creative visionaries and cultural entrepreneurs who have partnered with Alserkal Avenue over the past decade. Exploring the history of the neighbourhood, reflecting on its astonishing growth and looking forward to the future, we meet...

From spooky foxes, to street-crawling museums, Communist icons to futuristic ghost cities. ADAPT TO SURVIVE: NOTES FROM THE FUTURE takes the unique visions of seven international artists to create a kaleidoscope of thrilling possibilities, surreal suggestions and esoteric explanations on how the future might yet evolve for us. Having exhibited in London’s Hayward Gallery, in its HENI Project Space under the auspices of curator Dr Cliff Lauson, the show is now running at Alserkal Avenue’s...

From spooky foxes, to street-crawling museums, Communist icons to futuristic ghost cities. ADAPT TO SURVIVE: NOTES FROM THE FUTURE takes the unique visions of seven international artists to create a kaleidoscope of thrilling possibilities, surreal suggestions and esoteric explanations on how the future might yet evolve for us. Having exhibited in London’s Hayward Gallery, in its HENI Project Space under the auspices of curator Dr Cliff Lauson, the show is now running at Alserkal Avenue’s...

Ali Banisadr makes big, crunchy paintings that reverberate with a mighty energy. Diffused into diverse colour schemes, he hovers in between abstraction and figuration, compositions focused and organised, yet dramatically chaotic. They echo the satiric panoramas of Bosch and Brueghel, as well as the influence of Persian narratives in Safavid-era art. In this podcast, COTA speaks to Ali about his practise, ahead of a new exhibition of work at Berlin's Blain Southern gallery in which we delve...

Iranian-born Rokni Haerizadeh, Ramin Haerizadeh and Hesam Rahmanian have been delighting, confounding, shocking and provoking us for well over a decade, with their multimedia assaults on conformity, dogma, lassitude and conventionality. In their new exhibition, at Turin’s Officine Grandi Riparazioni, entitled Forgive me, distant wars, for bringing flowers home, the artists present a series of large scale works that reflect their practice of collaboration, commentary, humour, dark satire and a...

Conversations on the Avenue meets the legendary artist Nicky Nodjoumi, whose new solo show at The Third Line reveals a dramatic kaleidoscope of scenes that burn with satire and surrealism.