A new art house taking shape in Dubai’s Al Quoz district, Basement gallery, aims to raise the regional and international profile of emerging Iranian artists in its opening exhibition which is scheduled for June 16.

Basement gallery, created by a consortium of architects, art collectors and entrepreneurs, will showcase the works of five Iranian artists, all of whom are under the age of 40 and the majority of whom have not exhibited their works previously outside Iran.

“One of the concepts behind the gallery name is to create a platform for bringing these artists and their works out of the ‘basements’ where art is sometimes stored and forgotten into a growing regional and global marketplace,” said Baharak Raoufi, one of the founders of the Basement gallery.

Another key objective is to underscore the fundamental value of art, the role of art in daily life, and the concept of the UAE and wider region as one large and open ‘studio’ environment in which art can be found almost everywhere,” she added.

Basement’s opening exhibition is themed around the concept of ‘contemporary living,’ with large canvases that incorporate abstract themes, vibrant colour, and elements of Iranian calligraphy.
 
This initial event will run until July 7, and Basement plans to contrast the new with the old in its second exhibition by an Iranian master, which will open mid-July, she noted.

“The growth of the Middle East’s art market and the specific demand for works by Iranian artists have prompted us to develop the Basement gallery. We are focused on offering a mix of artists and pieces previously unseen in Dubai as well as highlighting works by more established names in the Middle East’s arts community,” said Narges Hamzianpour, another co-founder of the Basement gallery.

Basement’s launch comes at a time when international auction houses are achieving record prices for contemporary Iranian artworks, and galleries from Europe and Asia are increasingly exhibiting works by Iranian artists.-TradeArabia News Service