ART EXHIBITION BY THE MUSEUM OF AMERICAS@ Alliance Française Dubai

(Saju Nair - Dubai) Is there any day in the UAE where events or festivities doesn't produce special moments? The residents in UAE says 'NO' and it is indeed a solid fact. The United Arab Emirates is rich with 200 plus nationalities and the administration and the community always stand hand in hand to respect and rejoice the diverse cultures that forms this great nation, this also gives immense opportunities for the younger generation to learn and admire the various cultures and to spread the message of togetherness and equality which is very relevant in the current world.

On the 8th of March 2020, celebrated as the International Women's Day, UAE has witnessed enormous gatherings in various segments. One such gathering related to art was hosted at the Alliance Française Dubai by The Museum of Americas involving creations from 100 plus artists of different nationalities. Since the display pieces are printed versions of artworks authenticated by MOA, this event is also named as 'Dubai Print Festival' by MOA. In addition to 98 high resolution printed artworks the exhibition also features original artworks of three artists.  

'Introspection' was the title assigned to the series of sculptures displayed by the renowned artist, Ms. Alejandra Palos Ortega, of Mexico. Seven of her elegantly crafted sculptures has enthralled the visitors while Ms. Katya Du Pond of Mexico showcased her splendid collections of paintings under the title 'Captivated by the Seasons' that has adorned the wall of La Galerie which has undoubtedly surprised the visitors who were gathered to experience true art and Ms. Nadra Jacob of Chile ensured her presence in this exhibition with her striking abstract works in vivid mediums titled 'Essence' that has attracted the visitors and the art fraternity. The event also witnessed the launch of the book written by the renowned Venezuelan Artist, Arnoldo Diaz.

"The Museum of the Americas, founded in Miami, Florida, in 1991, has organized many print exhibitions in different countries. The idea of exhibiting this type of shows goes back many years ago when we organized Small Format exhibitions in cities like New York, Miami, Las Vegas, Dallas, Houston, Istanbul, Venice, Dubai, Vienna, Delft, Paris and at our showroom in Doral, Florida.

In this occasion 94 artists are participating representing Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Czech Republic, Ecuador, Germany, Guatemala, Hungary, Israel, Mexico, Morocco, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Romania, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, The Netherlands, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay and Venezuela. The works have been printed by the Museum of the Americas on special paper carrying a gold seal certifying its authenticity and of being a solo print identified as 'Monoprint 1/1' in the size of 8 ½ x 11 inches only. The awards have been granted by an independent jury by judging the original photos sent by the participating artists since original photos allow a correct observation of the original artworks. Same criteria apply to photographs, digital art, sculptures, drawings, collage and other media. 

The Museum of Americas appreciates the great support given by Alliance Française Dubai, our representatives and international art consultants in different nations who have worked so hard in order to make this event possible." Says Dr. Raul M. Oyuela, Director - The Museum of Americas.

IlTelevisionario2 got an opportunity to meet and interact with one of the participating artists, Ajna Soni Dalamal Sabnani, who has flown in to Dubai to attend this exhibition in addition to her participation in 'Art Connects Women', an event organized by ZEE arts. Ms. Ajna who was born in 1954 in Tangier, Morocco, discovered her passion for painting at the age of eight. After dabbling in all mediums, the artist felt that oil was the medium that called out to her, the medium through which she could transfigure her imaginations onto a canvas. During a short interaction with us, the artist says "Oil has a depth and a certain soul which I can't get from other mediums and this aspect allows me to further incorporate my specialized techniques more efficiently and that gives me the freedom to permit the creative flow of my imaginations onto the canvas which gives me a very pleasing sense of satisfaction. The subjects chosen by me are normally based on mythological ventures which are connected to the Egyptian and Greek civilizations, this subject is one that has inspired and fascinated me from my childhood days itself and thus, I find great happiness in creating works that are based on this concept. You can also see that my nature series is very much an ongoing and popular part of my work ie Leaves (dead and alive representing regeneration or immortality) skyscapes, and animals. Even though I studied arts during my early life, I should say that my interest in art has given me the freedom to experiment with different subjects and that has really ignited the passion I possess for art in me. Today, I am happy to say that some of my paintings are a part of private and public collection in Sri Lanka, London, USA, and Europe and I was also fortunate to host multiple solo exhibitions in addition to numerous group exhibitions across the globe. My search to expand my horizons within the realms of art continue as now I am trying to learn more on Islamic geometric patterns that requires much focus and patience as these creations demands minute detailing and precise planning. I have been representing MOA for the past 20 years in England and it is indeed an honor for me to be in this beautiful city of Dubai and to be part of an event organized by MOA."

"My journey with MOA first saw light in a casual gathering where I was fortunate to be introduced to Dr. Raul Oyuela in Houston TEXAS at a mutual friends Art show/ gallery of HANS GELER PAYAN. The time I spent with Dr. Raul was really fruitful and I understood during our discussions that they were also looking to enhance their activities in UAE and Dr. Raul expressed his wish that he was searching for an ideal and capable person to coordinate and represent activities of the MOA in the UAE. MOA was already in its infancy stage in Dubai and the discussions led me to think on the viabilities of associating with MOA. This proved to become a great opportunity for me to utilize my contacts and social relations to promote a medium of my interest 'Art'. Ever since then, I have been assigned as the Coordinator of The Museum of Americas in UAE, I was fortunate to work hand in hand with MOA to organize several art gatherings involving enormously talented artists across the globe. Dubai, being the center of attraction in the current world, found an increase in participation from artists of different nationalities for the events we conduct here. MOA, under the able leadership of Dr. Raul, organizes cultural art events on a yearly basis, providing opportunities for artists to display their actual artwork or high resolution prints of their artworks, which he meticulously took forward with a lot of class and concise consideration. He has been extremely successful for the last 11 years as international travelers are very satisfied and in awe of the progress done at a destination which not so long ago was mere desert. So, by word, trips like these have been in demand which has actually augmented the curiosity of international travelers prompting them to visit our land at least once and the gatherings organized by us is one of the reasons they come to cherish this great nation of ours. I am delighted that my participation as an artist, curator and an office bearer has always been so interesting that it pushes me to test my limits which enables me to thrive and conquer that extra mile and to succeed and be the best I can." Says Sultana Kazim, Representative and Coordinator of The Museum of Americas in UAE.

IlTelevisionario2 extend our sincere gratitude to Ms. Sultana Kazim for inviting us to this event and we congratulate the entire team of MOA for hosting a great show.

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