Art Dubai Commissions

Art Dubai Commissions is a curated programme of new site-specific works both at the fair and in the city-at-large.
The 2015 Art Dubai Commissions programme, as well as the A.i.R Dubai residency and projects programme, is curated by Lara Khaldi, an independent curator based between Ramallah and Amsterdam.

The 2015 Programme includes Jumana Emil Abboud, Maria Thereza Alves,Fari Bradley & Chris Weaver, Mehreen Murtaza, and the collective Umashankar and the Earchaeologists.

All five commissions are developed with local and international partner organisations: the collaborative model is designed to extend the life and influence of the project beyond the fair in March.

Jumana Emil Abboud, currently in-residence at Delfina Foundation, is developing ideas for an interactive installation and performance work for Art Dubai, thanks to the support of Maraya Art Centre, Sharjah.

Fari Bradley and Chris Weaver return to Art Dubai in 2015 with a major new sound installation and performance based on their research in the UAE, where they have been based as artists-in-residence at Tashkeel for the past year. This work is developed for Art Dubai Commissions in partnership with Tashkeel.

Umashankar and the Earchaeologists, a collective comprised of Lawrence Abu Hamdan, Nida Ghouse and Umashankar Manthravadi, embarks on a two-year ‘acoustic archaeology’ commission with Art Dubai, looking at how sound can influence our understanding of ancient—and contemporary—sites. The project, supported by the British Council, will manifest through an audio essay in 2015, building up to a multifaceted project at Art Dubai 2016.

In 2015, Art Dubai Commissions also presents works outside the fair’s home at Madinat Jumeirah. In collaboration with Alserkal Avenue, the programme includes a garden, developed through the year from reclaimed dormant seeds in the UAE by renowned Brazilian artist Maria Thereza Alves.

Lahore-based artist Mehreen Murtaza is creating an interactive installation that references narratives of science-fiction, among other themes. Both artists are working with the industrial environment of the existing Alserkal Avenue neighbourhood and the new-build expansion.