“Domesticity” Group Exhibition at Volery Gallery in Dubai, UAE

Volery Gallery, together with curator Sasha Bogojev, will be launching its inaugural exhibition entitled “Domesticity” this coming March in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Domesticity will present a selection of all-new, previously unseen, original works by 17 international artists.

The presentation revolves around the exploration of interior spaces as the fated environment for mankind and will feature works by Ojo Ayotunde; Ana Barriga; Pablo Benzo; Matt Bollinger; Deborah Brown; Mathieu Cherkit; Modou Dieng; Daniel Heidkamp; Yuichi Hirako; Jordy Kerwick; Sally Kindberg; Andrés Lozano; Alexis Ralaivao; Andy Rementer; Fabian Treiber; Ivana De Vivanco and Guy Yanai.

Described by science as intelligent primates, humans are technically a subspecies of terrestrial animals that live predominantly or entirely on land. In such regards, a life restricted to enclosed spaces is not one that humans are programmed to inhabiting. Yet, the past year’s pandemic certainly changed the course of our development, affecting every aspect of human activity, including the “creation of visual, auditory, or performing artefacts”, also known as art. Just as the technical limitations of art materials influenced the bloom of interior and still life paintings centuries ago, the year of quarantines, lockdowns, indoor confinements, and social distancing narrowed the artists’ focus onto their imminent surroundings. Examining the perspectives of their walled-off surrounding, playing with the sunshine rays coming from the outside or the illumination from their lightning, experimenting with patterns, objects, and the correlations of existing elements, the new normal enforced a fresh setup for technical and conceptual exploration. What seemed like limiting circumstances, led towards some groundbreaking concepts and visuals which this exhibition is hoping to introduce.

The exhibition brings together works by artists whose practice has always been revolving around the depiction of their domestic environment, such as Cherkit; Lozano; Ralaivao and Treiber. As well as the works of artists whose interest frequently switches between their outdoor and indoor surroundings, including Brown; Dieng; Heidkamp and Yanai. Also presented are artists whose work results from diverse studio/homebound explorations and that includes Ayotunde; Barriga; Benzo; Kerwick and Kindberg. Domesticity primarily pays tribute to our destined old/new habitat. Depicting different angles of universally recognised domiciliary settings along with details capturing the familiar warmth of home surroundings, the works are also imbued with the thread of tension, anxiety, or even eeriness. With troubling uncertainty awaiting behind the walls of these safe enclosures, the artists are capturing the beauty and cosiness of the abode while suggesting the outside’s gloom.