Magzoid Magazine - Luxury Magazine in the Creative Space | Feb 2023

ART NEWS
The Jameel Arts Centre show takes you
on a journey into humanity’s relationship with water
It is a seemingly straightforward subject,
but one that An Ocean in Every Drop, the
current international group show at Jameel
Arts Centre, tackles in-depth and in a variety
of ways. The voyage to Jameel Arts Centre
shows that water is far more vital than we
realize, despite the fact that there may not
be a simple solution. It is a timeless, sacred,
and essential component that has shaped and
supported humanity in a variety of fields and
dimensions that interact.
Through the viewpoints of artists and intellectuals
from a wide range of historical periods, the
exhibition invites viewers to reevaluate their
relationships with water, re-enchanting and
recontextualizing the value of a substance that
many people take for granted.
Rumi, a Persian poet who lived in the 13th
century, is quoted as saying, “You are not a drop
in the ocean.” The phrase “You are an ocean in
every drop” refers to both the amount of water in
the globe and the potential for abundance within
each person. In this exhibition, 15 indigenous
artists from 14 different countries investigate
the complex existence of water in all its forms.
“This notion of water has been incredibly
important to us since the beginning,” said
Director of Art Jameel, the creative enterprise
that manages the centre, Antonia Carver.
With the UAE hosting Cop28 in November,
the expo comes at a good moment. The event
builds on the one held in Egypt the year before
by focusing on concerns related to the global
climate catastrophe, such as contaminated
oceans and a lack of clean water in many
regions of the world.
The show investigates water through the
lenses of the environment, mythology, spirituality,
lived experiences, and folk traditions through
already-existing and newly-commissioned
works. Visitors reinterpret water as a crucial
component that ties people to one another
and to the rest of the globe. It is reframed
as an unstoppable force that has influenced
history, society, language, and interpersonal
and spiritual relationships.
Carver continues, “The issue of water also
pertains to sustainability and the environment.
“The exhibition has arrived at a very suitable
time as people worldwide consider our relationship
with water. Additionally, this exhibition sets those
concepts of water in a very large geographic
and thoroughly historical timeline.
During her research on water sites and the
legends they contain, Palestinian artist Jumana
Emil Abboud collected folktales from local
communities in her home country. These tales
served as the inspiration for her evocative and
captivating series of drawings and paintings.
Thao Nguyen Phan, a Vietnamese visual
artist, created the Perpetual Brightness series
of paintings using traditional lacquer painting
methods on silk that are displayed behind a
folding screen. The artwork shows a fractured
map of Vietnam’s Mekong River, often known
as the Nine Dragons River.
Lluvia, a sculpture that stood over seven
metres tall and was made in the UAE out
This notion of
water has been
incredibly
important to
us since the
beginning
of recycled materials, pays homage to the
ingenuity of community-driven infrastructure
and the fortitude of marginalized indigenous
populations worldwide.
The scope of the show includes a variety
of regional perspectives and artistic genres in
addition to a historical timeline. This diversity of
time and space, which includes old manuscripts,
movies, paintings, and sculptures, enables
visitors to consider water from a variety of
perspectives, including its role in both our
past and our present. Jameel Arts Center in
Dubai is currently hosting An Ocean in Every
Drop through April 2.
- news@magzoid.com
www.magzoid.com February 2023
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