Jameel Arts Centre's Artist Garden Explores Desert Ecology in Dubai
The Jameel Arts Centre in Dubai, designed by architect Anouk Vogel, features seven courtyards representing distinct desert environments and an Artist Garden with a biennial commission program. The latest intervention, 'Desert is a Forest' by artist duo Sunoj D and Namrata Neog, reimagines the desert as a forest, examining biodiversity, human-nonhuman relations, and food politics through local plants traditionally used by humans and goats. Previous commissions include Asunción Molinos Gordo's 'IN TRANSIT: Botany of a Journey', which promotes agriculture as a cultural agent. The garden includes mineral deposits that attract animals and humans for nutrients, telling the story of UAE's plant ecology and dietary habits.
Key facts
- Jameel Arts Centre is an independent contemporary art space in Dubai.
- Architect Anouk Vogel collaborated on the centre's design with seven gardens.
- The Artist Garden operates on a biennial commission basis.
- Sunoj D and Namrata Neog created 'Desert is a Forest' for the Artist Garden.
- Asunción Molinos Gordo's project 'IN TRANSIT: Botany of a Journey' was a previous commission.
- The garden includes local plants traditionally used by humans and goats.
- Mineral deposits in the garden attract animals, plants, and humans.
- The project explores food politics, domestication, and human-nonhuman relations.
Entities
Artists
- Sunoj D
- Namrata Neog
- Asunción Molinos Gordo
- Claudia Zanfi
- Anouk Vogel
Institutions
- Jameel Arts Centre
- Artribune
Locations
- Dubai
- United Arab Emirates