Jordan’s Jamal Abdul Rahim or paintings
by modern Arab art pioneer Dia Al-Azzawi
from Iraq.carbon 12 Gallery
Map p216 (%050-464 4392; http://www.carbon12
dubai.com; Warehouse D37, St 8, al-Serkal ave, off
Sheikh Zayed rd; h11.30am-7pm Sat-Thu) This
edgy gallery represents paintings, sculp-
ture, photographs and media created by
newly discovered (as well as internation-
ally established) artists, all of them hand-
picked. The clear lines and minimalist vibe
of the white-cube space offers a perfect
setting for both large-scale and smaller
pieces.courTyard Gallery
Map p216 (%04-347 5050; http://www.courtyard-uae
.com; off Sheikh Zayed rd, btwn interchange nos 3
& 4; h10am-6pm Sat-Thu) This cultural com-
plex wraps around its eponymous court-
yard, flanked by an eccentric hodgepodge
of buildings that makes it look like a min-
iature movie-studio backdrop: here an Arab
fort, there a Moorish facade or an Egyptian
tomb. It’s the brainchild of Iranian expat
artist Dariush Zandi, who also runs the bi-
level gallery Total Arts at The Courtyard,
specialising in Middle Eastern art. Other
spaces are occupied by a cafe, artists’ stu-
dios and various creative businesses.carToon arT Gallery Gallery
Map p216 (%04-346 6467; http://www.cartoonartgal
lery.org; 4b St, off Sheikh Zayed rd; h10am-6pm
Sat-Thu) Located a couple of doors away
from Courtyard (and a branch of Lime Tree
Cafe), this is the first gallery in the Middle
East that’s dedicated to cartoons. Typical
temporary exhibitions are artwork and
posters illustrating the world of Tintin, as
well as animated cartoons by such illustri-
ous names as Japanese Hayao Miyazaki.1 Financial District
Anchored by the iconic twin Jumeirah
Emirates Towers, the Financial District is
largely the domain of the business brigade.
If you’re into art, however, there are several
important galleries you need to check out in
Gate Village, which is a modernist cluster of
10 mid-rise stone-clad towers built around
walkways and small piazzas and linked
to Dubai International Financial Centre
by two wooden bridges. If possible, try toattend one of Gate Village’s monthly Art
Nights with food, drink, entertainment and
speakers from the art world. Check www
.difc.ae for dates. If you’re riding the metro,
get off at Emirates Towers.cuadro Gallery
Map p216 (%04-425 0400; http://www.cuadroart.com;
bldg 10, Gate Village; hnoon-6pm Sat, 10am-9pm
Sun-Thu) In a fabulous space taking up the
entire ground floor of Gate Village’s Bldg
10, this highly regarded gallery presents
exciting contemporary artists and sculp-
tors from both the West and Middle East,
as well as screening art-house films and or-
ganising workshops.opera Gallery Gallery
Map p216 (%04-323 0820; http://www.operagallery
.com; bldg 3, Gate Village; h10am-8pm Sun-Thu)
For big spenders, this gallery has a small
‘black room’ with works by such masters
as Picasso, Miró and Chagall. Otherwise
the work is typically large canvases by Mid-
dle Eastern contemporary artists, as well
as sculptures, furniture and photography.
It also organises major art events such as
a Salvador Dalí exhibition of sculptures
(which took place in Dubai Mall in Novem-
ber 2011).arT saWa Gallery
Map p216 (%04-340 8660; http://www.artsawa.com;
bldg 8, Gate Village; h9am-8pm Sat-Thu, 3-9pm
Fri) This is one of the Village’s smaller gal-
leries, and typically has cutting-edge in-
stallations and exhibitions by celebrated
contemporary artists of the Middle Eastern
and Arab worlds.eMpTy quarTer Gallery
Map p216 (%04-323 1210; http://www.theempty
quarter.com; bldg 2, Gate Village; h9am-10pm
Sat-Thu, 3-10pm Fri) This sleek gallery is de-
voted exclusively to fine-art photography,
generally with an evocative or political
theme; recent themes include a focus on
urban overcrowding, with some harrowing
photos of the homeless.XVa Gallery
Map p216 (%04-358 5117; http://www.xvagallery.com;
bldg 7, Gate Village) This gallery exhibits a
diverse selection of work, with an empha-
sis on Iran and the Arab world. Formerly
located in the XVA Hotel (p139), the large
airy gallery is overseen by curator Mona
Hauser, who established the Bastakia Arts
heikh Zayed
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