Art Critique in the UAE
Slide from Art Critique in the UAE presentation by Kevn Jones. Photo by Khalid Mezaina.
A panel talk titled Art Critique in the UAE took place on September 10 at Tashkeel. It was led by Kevin Jones, arts writer, UAE Desk Editor for ArtAsiaPacific and founder of Juniper Mind.
He invited the following to be part of a panel talk and discussion about the various existing and non-existing forms of art criticism in the UAE.
Afra Al Dhaheri (artist and one of the founders of BAIT 15, an artist run studio and exhibition space in Abu Dhabi)
Rania Jishi (artist and founder of NAQD, artist-run critique sessions focused on contemporary art practices)
Umer Butt (founder and co-director of Grey Noise Gallery)
Hind Mezaina (I was there as an artist but also representing this blog and Tea with Culture podcast)
The discussion addressed the “presumed barriers to critique in the UAE arts ecosystem” and the opportunities to cultivate critique. The discussion also looked into examples of critique amongst artists to the complex feedback loop of the artist/gallerist tandem. We also tried to address the critical landscape today in the UAE.
The talk was has been added to the Tea with Culture podcast and you can listen to it by clicking on the play button below. (I apologize for not having the resource to transcribe the podcast for those with hearing disabilities, but it’s something I hope to fix in the future.)
As I was preparing this post, an article titled The UAE's arts scene is as vibrant as ever – but we need more critique by Rupert Hawksley was shared on Twitter by Bill Bragin from NYUAD Arts Center.
The article states the UAE now has a robust art scene and illustrated this by listing recent events across the UAE (Sharjah Architecture Triennial, Exhibitions in Al Serkal Avenue, Dubai Opera, performances at NYUAD Arts Centre to name a few), and how we have many options to choose from when it comes to cultural events, but, there is a lack of art criticism.
”It is important, however, that the blossoming of the arts scene in the UAE synchronises with a greater appreciation of the need for criticism – by which I mean honest evaluation, both positive and negative. A robust ecosystem needs to be judged by robust standards.
There are three reasons for this. The first is that, with more options available to them, the public deserves an objective appraisal of what is happening in their cities. Tickets are often expensive. A family of four may only be able to afford to attend one show every six months. People should have as much information as possible available to them before they are asked to part with their money. Newspapers and magazines have a responsibility to provide this insight.
The article ends with,
There will be hits and misses and each of us has a responsibility not to shy away from highlighting the latter. But I have every confidence that, as more and more artists from here and abroad show off their ideas across the UAE, soon the word “robust” will no longer be adequate to describe the arts ecosystem. You will need a much stronger adjective than that.
It is all tremendously exciting – just don’t forget that you have a role to play, too.
I find it ironic to read an article in a UAE newspaper saying 'we need more critique' when the newspaper itself and the media ecosystem within the UAE does not contribute enough critical writing or dialogue with its readers.
What is the article trying to say, and who is supposed to do the critiquing?
Is the average reader supposed to be more active when it comes to art criticism? I certainly don’t expect the average reader or museum/gallery visitor to have an art degree or have enough historical, academic, theoretical knowledge to critique the work they see with an artist.
Additionally, there are many people outside the art bubble that just want to have a nice afternoon/evening out, at a museum, theatre, the cinema, or a performance venue. Many can only do so once or twice a month (unlike the regular ‘art crowd’ who attend most things), so if there are enough reliable publications that can guide them on what’s happening and to write why it’s worth attending, that would be a great public service. But what we mostly have are listings and even then, some of the most interesting events are not included. The culture sections in our local publications don’t have enough authoritative writers, who can make or break an exhibition or a film or a performance or a restaurant with a review or an opinion piece.
The discussion about the lack of meaningful art criticism in the region has existed for a long time, and this discussion is mainly within the art bubble. The blame mostly lies on the local and regional publications (mainstream or specialised), and media across the board.
The article in The National made me remember this clipping from Khaleej Times from 1984 that I found in the Hassan Sharif Retrospective in Sharjah Art Foundation two years go.
Newspaper clip from Khaleej Times, found in the Hassan Sharif Retrospective at Sharjah Arts Foundation in 2017. Photo by Hind Mezaina.
Many publishers and readers here equate art critique to something negative, instead of a detailed analysis and assessment of the work. There’s an ingrained system of just reporting and praising cultural events. There’s hardly any critique, something that can engage readers, whether it’s the art enthusiast or the art community, not even when something is of low standards. (There will be the occasional reporting of badly organized concerts, but even something like that wouldn’t address the issues deep enough.)
When I read or listen to reviews and critiques of art or film, I want it to expand my view of the work, to get a deeper insight, to understand its cultural and historical context. And I’m not talking about just describing the work, or writing an essay that’s full of art speak. It doesn’t matter if I am a fan of the work or not. The point is to seek expert writings or discussions on the radio/podcast/TV on things you like or interested in, or to try to understand why I didn’t like something. Some would say these discussions do take place in smaller circles, and perhaps that is what suits us here, but will it help grow and develop critical thinking within the arts?
I am very much aware of the social, cultural and political reasons why something that could be deemed negative or offensive will not get published. There is a ‘let’s not rock the boat’ attitude, which is understandable because there have been cases where people have lost their jobs, sponsorships pulled, people not allowed to enter the country because something was written or said that wasn’t aligned with an official stance.
I think it is this fear of taking the risk to write something that goes beyond the basic reporting of cultural events that hinders the development of cultural critique in the country.
Whilst there are cultural spaces within the UAE that actively engage with artists and the public to have deeper discussions about the arts, what we urgently need is the mainstream media asking itself how it can improve its role in art writing and critique. Until then, the debate will continue within the art bubble.