#Interference
, an exhibition at The Farjam Foundation, is a collaboration with Curatorial X, a Paris-based agency of curators specialising in the development of interactive exhibitions to launch a cyber dialogue.
What makes this particularly interesting is that the gallery is usually the exhibition space for Farhad Farjam's very traditional Islamic art collection, but this show breaks all such classical stereotypes.
As you walk in, the first thing you see is
Cenotaph for Two
, a giant sculpture by the Syrian artist Diana Hadid. It has a towering presence that is simultaneously ancient and unfinished.
Next to this is a large statement on the wall posing the exhibition's principal question: Why is it vital for creativity to play a central role beyond the realm of art?
By encouraging visitors to tweet their responses,
#Interference
enters the realm of social media, far beyond the traditional limits of art.
The rest of the show is made up of multimedia works. Gregory Scott's video within the frame of a traditional painting plays cleverly with our perceptions and makes for compulsive viewing.
Video paintings by Shoja Azari and Shahram Karami are also mesmerising. The Iranian artists have combined their skills to create the works, which include painted landscapes on canvas, with superimposed video footage on top of the work creating a living painting.
For visitors who want to know more about the works, there is an iPad audio tour to lead you around the exhibits and help you to think outside the box and consider the boundaries of art.
#Interference
is a must-see the next time you are in Dubai International Financial Centre.
• #Interference runs until next month. Visit www.farjamcollection.org for more information
aseaman@thenational.ae
