Dubai’s 1×1 Gallery Inaugurates New Space
The gallery, which focuses predominantly on art from the Middle East and India, presented a group show of works by Indian contemporary artists
An established name in Dubai’s art scene, 1×1 gallery is helmed by Malini Gulrajani who has brought some of India’s foremost artists to Dubai. The relocation of the gallery to its new home in Alserkal Avenue was inaugurated on 17 November by H.H. Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Khalifa Al Nahyan and comprises two large exhibition spaces and a viewing room. It also includes Editions 1×1, a permanent edition shop housed within the premises which features an interesting selection of books and limited edition works of art, design and craft that will be curated in accordance with the gallery’s exhibition programme. 1×1 will also host film screenings, workshops and artist talks as well as other cultural activities in conjunction with each exhibition.
For its opening exhibition, 1×1 gallery featured a group show of select works by Indian contemporary artists Anju Dodiya, Bharti Kher, Chittrovanu Mazumdar, Hema Upadhyay, Mithu Sen, Nasreen Mohamedi, Sudarshan Shetty, and Zarina Hashmi. As soon as one enters the main exhibition space they are confronted with Chittrovanu Mazumdar’s large untitled installation made of dozens of aluminium light bulbs providing a warm glow to the surroundings. Aligning the wall is Bharti Kher’s 2013 Memories of an Old Peeling Wall – which features her famous technique of placing bindis on painted board – while positioned in the center of the gallery space is her The Mistress and Master of Grand Ceremonies, a work comprising two large glass cabinets located on top of solid granite blocks. The installation explores Bharti’s fascination with the ritual of the grand tea ceremony in India. Displayed in a group on a nearby wall are Mithu Sen’s I Would Still Commit the Original Sin, mixed media drawings on handmade paper made from 2011-2015 that portray playful drawings with an introspective narrative. — Rebecca Proctor
The exhibition runs until January 2, 2016