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The Art of Looking

Art Dubai and the Sharjah Biennial

Bharti Lalwani
Eyeline 78/79
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Part 1

As I gather my thoughts on the 2013 Art Dubai and the Sharjah Biennial, I am aware that I am writing after visiting the Kochi Biennale in December, Art Stage Singapore in January, the India Art Fair in February and roughly a month before Art Basel Hong Kong, from which point many will depart to the Venice Biennale—all in different geographic locations in quick succession with my recollections of artworks blurring and becoming indistinguishable from one another. Art Dubai is yet another event on the international art calendar.

Where Art Stage Singapore included one hundred and thirteen galleries, the India Art Fair had one hundred and five galleries showing around one thousand artists and was exciting as well as overwhelming: was Art Dubai’s seventh edition any different? Well, yes. With only seventy-five galleries from thirty-two countries, where artists on show were from North Africa, the Middle East and South Asia, the scale was intimate and there were interesting works to discover alongside the usual blockbuster booths. There was also the occasional cliché such as New York artist Rachel Lee Hovnanian’s three abstract canvases at Leila Heller Gallery, produced in 24 carat gold, especially made for Art Dubai, and a bejewelled assault rifle by artist Laila Shawa.

As for the blockbuster booths, the night before the fair, Arndt Gallery Director told me to look out for ‘the big red booth’. He wasn’t kidding. A solo booth with red floor and walls showcased sculptures of Wim Delvoye within the setting of an early 19th century Aleppo Salon inspired by his recent show at the Louvre. Not to be outdone, first time participant Victoria Miro also put on a solo show... The rest of this article is available to subscribers of Eyeline

Thilo Frank, Infinite Rock, 2013

Thilo Frank, Infinite Rock, 2013. Steel, aluminium, fabric, glass mirrors, wood, rope, light, swing, 13.4 x 9.1 x 6.5m. Courtesy of the artist. Commissioned by Sharjah Art Foundation. 

Otobong Nkanga, Taste of a Stone: Itiat Esa Ufok, 2013

Otobong Nkanga, Taste of a Stone: Itiat Esa Ufok, 2013. Installation and performance with gravel, rocks, epihytes, inkjet prints on Galala limestone, dimensions variable. Commissioned by Sharjah Art Foundation.