Art Dubai 2023: A Gateway and a Bridge In conversation with the curator Vipash Purichanont

As the front-running international art fair in the Middle East, Art Dubai 2023 provides a global perspective that thoughtfully challenges and moves outside of the mainstream Western perspective and approach. It successfully implements this strategy by not only showcasing art from MENASA countries (the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia) such as Brazil, India, Indonesia, Iran, Kenya, Morocco, Nepal, the Philippines, and the UAE, but also by challenging our collective perceptions of what art forms receive the most attention and are deemed the most innovative in contemporary art today. Within Art Dubai’s section entitled ‘Bawwaba: Against Disappearance’, it seeks to elevate highly skilled areas of craftsmanship and artistry that are not usually included under the category of 21st century art forms (and oftentimes were erased, minimised, or appropriated during colonisation) as the digitalization of the art world evolves. I had the opportunity to discuss this fascinating section of Art Dubai with curator Vipash Purichanont as well as learn more about his work, approach, and process:

Joanna Pottle: Can you briefly describe your curatorial process while curating Art Dubai’s exhibition?

Vipash Purichanont: My section is called Bawwaba, which means ‘gateway’ in Arabic. It is a special section in Art Dubai that invited a curator to curate solo presentations from artists in the Global South. This is the third edition. The selection is done through an open call where galleries from around the globe submitted their proposal to the fair. During the open call, I also have the opportunity to invite galleries I am interested in to submit as well. After reviewing proposals, I make a selection with advice from the fair’s selection committee. I then worked with the successful applicants toward the final presentation at the fair.

JP: Your role in Art Dubai as a curator of a group show of 11 artists from so-called Global South (from Brazil, India, Indonesia, Iran, Kenya, Morocco, Nepal, the Philippines, and the UAE) is a unique and fascinating opportunity. How would you define the role of the curator in a contemporary decolonial context? 

VP: Indeed, it is a fascinating opportunity to review over 50 applications. Although we are focusing on artists from the Global South, the applications come from around the world geologically speaking. For example, Gunjan Kumar and Youdhisthir Maharjan, two artists, are originally from South Asia, but they are based in the United States. Achraf Touloub, a Moroccan artist, lives and works in Paris. I included them based on their outstanding artistic practice. But clearly, there is a legacy of colonization to be aware of. I think it is important for a curator in a contemporary decolonial context to understand the effect that historical colonization has had on our worldview and to be aware that there might be other forms of colonialism that come underway. To curate is to be open-minded and embrace all the baggage that coloniality gives. Nonetheless, it is important to see that artists study, move, live, and take root like everybody else, and it is not necessary to put labels on everything. 

JP: Can you elaborate on the process of selecting the title and work of “Bawwaba: Against Disappearance” for the Art Dubai Art Fair (expanding on what was said via the Art Dubai description: https://www.artdubai.ae/blog/bawwaba-2023/). How do the various perspectives of the artists from the Global South speak to this theme? 

VP: One challenge for me in curating the Bawwaba section is the theme itself, as the selection is based on the open call. To begin with, a central theme feels like a restriction for me. Metaphorically, Bawwaba is a gateway for the curator as well. I would rather see what came into the gate. I take a risk and it is rewarding. “Bawwaba: Against Disappearance” is a nickname for the selection that I came up with later in the essay as a common thread arose during the curatorial process and in conversation with artists. I found artists in the section who were working against disappearance, in repetition, patience, and endurance as major parts of artistic practice. When robotic process automation and artificial intelligence are commonly adopted into art-making, those qualities are disappearing from the work of art. Therefore, I want to give the stage to their “hands” that has been downplayed in contemporary art. It doesn’t mean that the artists are not conceptual enough. On the contrary, I think all of them have both skill and concept. 

JP: You work both as an independent curator and cofounder of ‘Waiting You Curator Lab’, a curatorial collective based in Chiang Mai. Can you tell us about how you navigate curatorial projects individually vs collectively as well as describe your process of collaborating with artists on exhibitions?

VP: Prior to Bawwaba, I worked as one of curators for three biennales. It is a contradiction that ‘collaboration’ is a big part of my practice as an ‘independent’ curator. Collaboration also informed “Waiting You Curator Lab,” which began as a skill-sharing experiment for curators in Thailand. Around 10 years ago, we were in a situation where we needed to lean on each other as a resource because there was no infrastructure. But I always curate solo exhibitions for artists in Southeast Asia along the way. I found curating a solo exhibition rewarding because it gives me time to cultivate relationships and a deep understanding of artists’ practice. In fact, Bawwaba is a perfect scenario. I am curating 11 solo presentations and one exhibition at the same time. 

JP: What do you find to be the greatest challenges in curatorial work for ART DUBAI FAIR as well as most surprising and rewarding? 

VP: This is the first time that I have curated something for an art fair, and it is taking place in a region that I am not familiar with. Therefore, my first greatest challenge is that I don’t know my audiences. My second greatest challenge is I don’t know the energy of an art fair. Therefore, I took a fair amount of time to study the first two editions and ask questions to the Art Dubai team. The feedback from the artistic director, the selection committee, and the team were very crucial in the strategic placement of each solo presentation. It was difficult to try to achieve a result where the section is woven as a single unit, yet each solo presentation has its own place and time to shine. The most surprising and rewarding is the response from the audiences. It was overwhelming.

JP: What, in your opinion, is special about Art Dubai, how the fair differentiates from the others and what are its unique qualities for you? 

VP: I might not be the right person to answer this question because this is my first art fair involvement. However, I like the geographical location of the fair, which is literally in the middle between the East and the West. Rather than focusing on the region, they are working hard to reach out to new frontiers, which will create more variety in the future. They also have curated sections such as Modern, Bawwaba and Digital, which the audience can look forward to seeing every year. Art Dubai has the urge to be unique, and I think it has the capacity to do so.

Learn more about Art Dubai 2023

---

Bawwaba 2023 participating galleries and artists:

• Blueprint12, New Delhi // Youdhisthir Maharjan (Nepal, 1984)

• Circle Art Gallery, Nairobi // Dickens Otieno (Kenya, 1979)

• Exhibit 320, New Delhi // Gunjan Kumar (India, 1980)

• Hestia, Belgrade // Domingos Octaviano (Brazil, 1985)

• Navahi Projects, Tehran // Siamak Filizadeh (Iran, 1970)

• PARLIAMENT, Paris // Achraf Touloub (Morocco, 1986)

• SARAI Gallery (SARADIPOUR), Mahshahr/London // M. Smart (Iran, 1998)

• Silverlens Galleries, Manila/New York // Gregory Halili (Philippines, 1975)

• Yavuz Gallery, Singapore/Sydney // Zico Albaiquni (Indonesia, 1987)

• Yeo Workshop, Singapore // Maryanto (Indonesia, 1977)

• Hunna Art Gallery, Abu Dhabi/Sharjah // Performance by Moza Almatrooshi (UAE, 1990)