Ishara Art Association opens its first exhibition in Dubai of works by Shilpa Gupta and Zarina

Ishara Art Association opens its doors on March 18, 2019 and presents exhibitions and events centered on contemporary art by South Asian artists. The association organizes an exhibitiona Titled “A Reformed Legacy: Homes Are Strange” (between March 18th and June 23rd), it serves as an intergenerational dialogue between Shilpa Gupta and Zarina. exhibition from Coordinate Nada Raza, Artistic Director of the Ishara Art Association.

Signature offers two floors of galleries and serves as a platform for contemporary art thanks to its dynamic programming around the shared history and continued presence and cultural contribution of the Gulf from voices from South Asia. The signal is considered the first independent associationة in West AsiaDedicated to consolidate theknowledge andtheUnderstanding لContemporary Art and Artists from South Asia.

Smita Prabhakar, Founder and President of Ishara Art Association said, “This project stemmed from my desire to expose a wider audience to the wonderful work of South Asian artists. I hope that these artists and their work will be welcomed by the diverse Emirati community, thanks to the permanent exhibition space and related programmes, allowing cultural voices to be heard that help us understand each other better.”

It is worth noting that Ishara Art Association is a non-profit organization headed by Abdel Moneim Al Serkal, Honorary Chairman of its Board of Trustees يIt included well-known local figures from the world of art and business such as Mirna Ayyad, Hoda Barakat, Mustafa Hashmi, Abdel Hamid Gomaa and Colm McCullough.كLin Samer Saifi, Rajan Sehgal and Abdel Fattah Sharaf.

Abdul Rahman said Bin Issa Al-Sarkal, founder of Al-Sarkal Avenue, for his part "Undoubtedly, a long and rich history combines the United Arab Emirates with South Asia أن Contemporary art emanating from it deserves to have a home in the Emirates. We are proud of our partnership with جtogether A reference to art that aims to create a space dedicated to supporting South Asian artists".

The team is supported by an advisory board chaired by Richard Armstrong, trustees Maya Allison and Sandhini Poddar and acclaimed artists Bharti Kher and Chitrovano Mazumdar, all of whom contribute.With professional guidance from the international and regional art world.

Richard Armstrong, Director of the Solomon R. Guggenheim says "Ishara Art Association will be a strong voice in the contemporary art scene in Dubai and the UAE. The Guggenheim has always been committed to the UAE and South Asia as sources of great artistic achievement. We are pleased to see this growing interest and appreciation for South Asian artists and artists from that region, and we look forward to the ideas exchanged that will enrich the conversation.".

As for the inaugural exhibition at the association, entitled “The Modified Legacy: The House Has Become Strange,” it explores the concepts of belonging and borders in poetic terms and personal overtones. With its different folds On the impact of displacement on daily life. Journey begins on border South Asia is conscious of migration and mobility as experiences that have resonated globally in our times.

The exhibition design was inspired by the maps of Zarina's house where she grew up in Aligarh, and is frequently featured in the artist's work. Thus the outer courtyard and the six rooms create an intimate space for the works of Shilpa Gupta and Zarina, displayed in perfect formal and conceptual harmony, sparking a dialogue through individual practices. The exhibition presents works from the XNUMXsAqrFrom the past until today, consider the distance that borders make which drawn by theسThe pain of displacement, especially after the partition of India in 1947, and how anaphylactic individuals are with This situation. Gupta and Zarina have similar visual strategies and share a keen interest in cartography, language and poetry.

The exhibition is entitled “The Modified Legacy: DrيR has become strange” is formed from the main artworks in the Prabhakar collection that echoes South Asia in the Gulf, in the house and elsewhere. Zarina quotes Fayez Ahmed Fayez's poetry in a work on the horizons in Santa Cruz and Bay of MoonتYerai, where she lived and taught: “The heart cannot help but be heartbroken” and at work theLast exhibition by Silpa Gupta in a painting entitled Speaking Wall (The Wall That Speaks, 2009-2010), a poetic dialogue with an elusive person allows the audience to experience pain Separation.

On Monday, March 18, during Art Week at Alserkal Avenue, Nada Raza will moderate a dialogue between artists Jitesh Kalat, Shomo Bazar and Catherine David at the Majlis at Alserkal Avenue at 5pm. wiتAfter the session, the exhibition will officially open at 6 pm with a tour of Shilpa Gupta and art historian Shanini Poddar at Ishara Art Association at XNUMX pm.