Dreamlands at Centre Pompidou
Dreamlands is an exhibition currently showing at Centre Pompidou in Paris. It questions how World's Fairs, international exhibitions, theme parks and kindred institutions have influenced ideas about the city and the way it is used.
Duplicating and reduplicating reality through the creation of replicas, embracing an aesthetic of accumulation and collage that is often close to kitsch, these self-enclosed parallel worlds have frequently afforded inspiration to the artistic, architectural and urban practices of the 20th century, and may even be said to have served as models for certain contemporary constructions.
The exhibition brings together more than 300 works: modern and contemporary art, architecture, films and documents drawn from numerous public and private collections.
It includes Reem Al Ghaith from Dubai and her Held Back series of large photographs showing herself in today's Dubai confronting the world of tradition within large-scale urbanisation and modernisation. It represents a figure held back by traditions, trapped and contemplating from outside the rapid expansion of the city symbolised by the skyscrapers on the horizon.
Held Back by Reem Al Ghaith
I'm so glad Reem is part of this exhibition. I've seen her Held Back series in Dubai, but would love to see it in the context of this exhibition and more importantly, in another city. Dreamlands is running till 9th August, so if you are in Paris during this time, please go and let me know what you think of it. For now, I will settle for this short clip.
Exhibition dates: On till 9th August 2010