On the occasion of its 20th anniversary, Gallery Isabelle invites prominent figures from the local art scene; artists who were present from the very beginning, who helped build the ecosystem alongside us, and who have grown, persisted, and moved forwardtogether overtime.
Shaped through years of shared commitment, this gathering reflects an accumulated history of stories, relationships, and artistic development. The project emerged from an ongoing conversation with Alexie Glass-Kantor, Curatorial Director at Art Dubai Group, around the notion of accumulation, as both a curatorial method and a lived experience.
Accumulation here speaks to first encounters and decisive turning points, to emblematic works that shifted narratives, to new introductions, neighbors, and the wider community that has enabled the gallery to remain present, relevant, responsive, and adaptable across two decades.
The exhibition will unfold over a period of 20 days, beginning on March 23, with one work revealed each day. Writers, collectors, and curators are invited to engage closely with a selected work, contributing a short text—whether a quote, reflection, or personal anecdote—that responds to their encounter with it. The 20 days will culminate in a reception at the gallery, where all works are exhibited simultaneously, marking a collective celebration of thescene we have built, sustained, and continue to shape together.
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ARTIST NAME
Several sculptures, 2002
Grass, paper, glue, clay -
Quote from selected writer
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Mohammed Kazem
Tongue, 1994Mohammed Kazem (born 1969, Dubai) lives and works in Dubai. He has developed an artistic practice that encompasses video, photography and performance to find new ways of apprehending his environment and experiences. The foundations of his work are informed by his training as a musician, and Kazem is deeply engaged with developing processes that can render transient phenomena, such as sound and light, in tangible terms. Kazem was a member of the Emirates Fine Arts Society early in his career and is acknowledged as one of the 'Five', an informal group of Emirati artists – including Hassan Sharif, Abdullah Al Saadi, Mohammed Ahmed Ibrahim and Hussain Sharif – at the vanguard of conceptual and interdisciplinary art practice.
