[ISEA2014] Curator Statement: Atteqa Ali (Site Curator) – CUADRO Exhibition

Curator Statement

Founded in 2008, Cuadro Gallery, located in the Dubai International Financial Center (DIFC), has quickly become one of the UAE’s premier post-modern and contemporary art venues. Cuadro Gallery maintains four key areas of focus: exhibitions, education, residency and consultation. Cuadro’s curated exhibitions provide audiences with an opportunity to experience diverse approaches to and executions of art. These exhibitions are enhanced by the Education Program at Cuadro, comprised of lectures, workshops and panel discussions that present an academic avenue through which to understand and participate in the evolving art market.

The works at this location bring together nature and technology. These two seemingly opposite streams sit comfortably together in the art on display. In Ana Rewakowicz’s work, humans and technology unite to give life to nature. Mary Tsiongas’s video gives life to an animal that, subsequently, gives humans life. Hasnat Mehmood shows the growth and development of cities through using sand to build them. Sarah Lahti’s videos explore the pristine nature of El Nido in the Philippines; Stephen Hilyard’s waterfall offers just that in a video format; and Ben Bogart offers landscapes in unexpected ways. Meanwhile, Jane Tingley & Michal Seta’s installation is not necessarily about nature, but it evokes natural forms and responds to its environment.