YOSUKE KOYACHI, THERE IS NO PLACE, JUST LIKE THIS PLACE, 2017-19. Courtesy Einstein Studio Tokyo / Copyright the artist.
Due to the spread of Covid-19 worldwide, the art world is just one of the many industries that has had to adapt and respond to the sudden and unprecedented changes. Galleries and institutions haven’t shied away from responding to the crisis in innovative ways—where possible many have implemented immersive digital exhibitions in the place of IRl experiences (the most high profile of these has been Art Basel Hong Kong’s pivot to online viewing rooms).
Elsewhere, Dubai’s Alserkal Avenue—a celebrated cultural quarter in the city’s Al Quoz district, comprised of art galleries, non profits and local businesses—is following suit in order to ensure the health and safety of punters. Rather than cancelling Alserkal Art Week, due to run from 23 to 28 March, the cultural district has launched a new digital platform, Alserkal Online, where audiences can explore art exhibitions via immersive 360-views, all from the safety of your computer screen.
Here, viewers can escape to virtual exhibitions held by 17 galleries within the district, complete with zoom-in technology to get a closer look at art works as well as informative video interviews with gallerists and curators. Don’t miss an exhibition of emerging Japanese photographers at Chi-Ka gallery, or the chance to immerse yourself in mesmerising geometric op art pieces by a multi generational group of artists at Lawrie Shabibi. Elsewhere, Gulf Photo Plus, are putting on a group exhibition, All What I Want is Life, featuring photographs, videos, and writings by artists who have experienced the recent wave of protests in the Middle East. The Third Line are hosting There Is Fiction In The Space Between, a group exhibition celebrating the gallery’s 15th anniversary, presenting the work of 22 artists, including Sophia Al-Maria, Youssef Nabil, Amir H. Fallah, Slavs and Tartars and Farah Al-Qasimi.