Canvas

Green Art Gallery, which has been a major player on the regional art scene for over four decades, went from being a primarily Arab Modernist art gallery to a contemporary art space in 2010, the same year that Jhaveri Contemporary was founded. That the two galleries converged in Green Art’s recent show in Dubai (ended 14 March) was more than just a coincidence however. Gallery director Yasmin Atassi said she was interested in experimenting with forms of exhibition-making that moved beyond the art fair circuit. The collaboration was a natural one, she explained: “We are both interested in research-based practices and historical and contemporary artists, as well as the conversation that results in showcasing both together and independently.” The resulting visual exchange between Green Art and Jhaveri Contemporary merged different mediums – from photography to painting and sculpture – and melded the past with the present.