Gallerina

Hop-Skip-Jump-ART. That's what the street signs in Al Quoz should say. One of my pet-peculiarisms about my town is that the hardcore industrial area and the art district of the city breed right next to each other in one beautifully dusty brown part of town called Al Quoz. Rows of humungous warehouses sharing walls and parking spaces in giant lots, showcasing everything from German timbre to Syrian art. One such treasure trove is Al Serkal Avenue, where I recently checked out the 'I am a teenager again' exhibit at Ayyam Gallery by Syrian artist Kais Salman and 'Rabbit in Wonderland' at Isabelle van den Eynde Gallery by Iraqi artist Farideh Lashai. 

I am a Teenager Again - Kais Salman 

On a very immediate level, the pieces in this show are vivid and arresting but upon closer inspection, it is the 'ugly' in the work that pulls you in and keeps you standing still while your eyes and mind do all the traveling. The intentional disproportion of the female form, reminiscent of ancient greek sculpture and drawings, contrasted by magnified, yet almost harmless looking faces, the kinds that are just a shadow of themselves alludes to a world of walking mannequins, wearing their consumerist pursuits, and are defined by the same. But the brilliant palette of these pieces colour in the abject with a true beauty, furthermore by the details in every piece - a designer watch, expensive modern clothing, bold bright lips, a bleeding leather glove, or the simple yet very clever act of sticking on a price tag label on some of the paintings - that unlock the themes that tie the whole show together. 

Rabbit in Wonderland - Farideh Lashai


This show is a lot of things, but in one word, it is pure artistry. A show with many layers, much like a dream, the worlds of history, politics, fantasy and tradition in themes and technique collide to create an alternate visceral realm that celebrates the "idea" as the hero. Explicitly referring to Lewis Carol's Alice in Wonderland, the rabbit takes on the role of Alice in this exhibit, symbolizing youth and his foray into wonderland and what unravels hence. But what makes this interesting is that the wonderland signifies Iran and the sequence of the show unravels the history of Iran. But the reason this show has me gushing, is because of the immense creativity with which this story is told. You see, the bunny, the cheshire cat, the raven and all other characters in the story, are all software-generated animations projected on to the canvas that move around within the canvas, augmented by other elements of animation like snow flakes in the forest, and a play on perspectives on roads. Mind-blown yet? This experience is further heightened by sound design and music to fit every piece, one after the other. The sheer experimentalism is held together by the comfort of a familiar fable, yet maintained by the notion of a painting coming to life. I had the fortune of meeting the artist and her daughter at the gallery and the 66-year old Farideh Lashai is an assuming, genteel-looking woman, with incredible artistic vision that blends old traditional painting techniques with new-age technology that amalgamates into one trip of a show.