Dubai’s Alserkal Art Week is back from this Sunday, 13 April to next Sunday, 20 April, transforming Alserkal Avenue in Al Quoz into a heart of creativity and culture in Dubai. This year’s edition, themed ‘A Wild Stitch’, brings together more than 15 exhibitions, public art installations, talks, and interactive workshops, with free entry for all.
The event highlights artists from the Middle East, South Asia, Africa and Latin America, exploring powerful themes like identity, memory and resilience. The programme offers something for everyone, from serious collectors to casual visitors.
One of the key exhibitions is ‘Vanishing Points’ by renowned Pakistani artist Imran Qureshi, curated by Nada Raza, Director of Alserkal Arts Foundation. Known for his modern twist on traditional miniature painting, Qureshi uses painting, photography and video to explore how personal stories reflect larger truths about distance and time.
Reza Derakshani’s solo show, 'I Paint Your Grace, I Paint Your Pain, I Paint Love', invites visitors on a personal journey through Persian artistic traditions, memory, identity, and socio-political reflection. His never-before-seen works weave colour, texture and narrative into a deeply emotional visual experience.
Maria Magdalena Campos-Pons, an internationally acclaimed Cuban artist, makes her Middle East debut with 'I Am Soil. My Tears Are Water'. Curated by Faridah Folawiyo, this exhibition explores diaspora, belonging and interconnectedness through paintings, sculptures and immersive installations filled with powerful cultural motifs like hibiscus and sugarcane.
Other standout shows include 'The Promise' by Bashir Makhoul, 'Reverie' by Reynier Llanes, and 'A Memorial in Fragments', each tackling themes of resilience, identity and transformation.
Don’t miss the 'Majlis Talks: Crit Club', curated by Stephanie Bailey. This unique format mimics a sports-style tournament where participants debate thought-provoking topics often left unspoken in the UAE art world—creating a space for raw and honest creative discourse.
Outside the galleries, visitors can engage with 'Between a Beach and Slope', a public art commission curated by Fatos Üstek and inspired by Emirati poet Nujoom Alghanem. These installations invite the public to explore belonging and space through a poetic, visual lens.
Alserkal Art Week not only brings the local creative community together but also serves as a global platform for artists and audiences to exchange ideas and perspectives. You can find more details about the events at Alserkal Avenue's website.