With so much happening in the UAE over the next month, it is easy to keep our focus within our shores. But we musn’t forget that the Armory Show this year has a special focus on the Middle East, North Africa nad the Mediterranean. Curated by Omar Kholeif, galleries from all over the region will be displaying some of our star artists at the fair, which takes place every year on two piers on Manhattan Island. Some top picks for me would be Susan Hefuna, showing some works on paper with Pi Artworks from Istanbul and then Mona Hatoum’s reimagining of Turbulence, her wonderful glass marble installation, this time in black exhibited by Alexander and Bonin from New York. I also love Dia Azzawi’s Blue Bird, this time being shown with Claude Lemand in Paris but the Iraqi artist is also represented by Dubai’s Meem Gallery, who will be showing a solo show of Marwan’s work at Armory.
Finally Kalfayan Galleries from Athens will be bringing Raed Yassin’s Ruins in Space to the show, which with the iconic portrait of Umm Kulthum altered to match his practice, will be popular with international crowds.
What is also interesting is the Open Forum running alongside the fair. With fascinating events such as In Conversation: Parviz Tanavoli and Lynn Gumpert, Director, Grey Art Gallery, New York University and Art Jameel and Edge of Arabia's event CULTURUNNERS: Journeys and Collaborations, the fair certainly has a fully packed roster dedicated to art from the region.
aseaman@thenational.ae
