In the notable text ‘Inside the White Cube’, Brian O’Dohetry describes the modern gallery space as “constructed along laws as rigorous as those for building a medieval church”. In non-art terms, that statement is translated to describe a space that is uninviting, intimidating and set in its ways. However, Green Art Gallery shifts that connotation, and without fail creates an engaging conversation and immersive experience with every exhibition.

When entering a gallery, the first thing I do is walk past the press release and straight into the exhibiting space. This allows a fair critique of the artwork, without the connotation of the curators’ text hazing my opinion and subconsciously guiding me through the exhibition. Following my personal experience, I ask for a guided tour. In this case, I was able to get an elevated tour experience, as one of the exhibiting artists, Gülşah Mursaloğlu, flew to Dubai for the opening.

The group exhibition features three artists. Nasser Al Zayani, Gülşah Mursaloğlu and Majd Abdel Hamid.

Bahraini artist Nasser Al Zayani’s sand sculptures, were both aesthetically captivating and conceptually intriguing, as they highlight the fragility of memory through materiality. The fragility of the artwork is emphasized through its transformation over time, as the sand separates from its rigid and packed structure to poetically imperfect pieces. The concept of transformation was emulated in Gülşah’s artwork that was carefully curated across the hall from Al Zayani’s installation.

Berlin based, Turkish artist Gülşah spoke about how the research process of the artwork began with her fascination of potatoes. Gülşah’s installation consisted of paper made from potatoes that flow over several copper canisters filled with hot water. The intrigue then lies in the papers’ ephemeral disintegration that emulates a performative element to the artwork over the duration of the exhibition.

Majd Abdel Hamid’s artwork aesthetically distinguishes itself from the other two installations. The colorful textile pieces are delicately placed in an acrylic covered white box. The weaving process, that combines aspects of labor and repetition over time, becomes meditative and healing for the artist, who has been directly affected by the political instability in the region.

When I first stepped into the gallery, I noticed the variations of materiality, which initially felt overwhelming. However, once I immersed myself in the exhibition, I noticed the necessity it plays in elevating the concept. From a curatorial perspective, each artwork got its due space to breath and shine as its own entity. However, at the same time, I realized the beautiful dialogue the artworks have with one another.

Green Art Gallery’s current exhibition “The Memory in our Bones” is running until 30 July.