Barjeel Art Foundation unveils plans for Sharjah museum

Welcome back to AL-MONITOR Dubai.

This week, we’re highlighting the announcement of the Barjeel Art Foundation’s forthcoming museum in Sharjah, as well as the updated gallery list and projects for Art Dubai’s upcoming “Special Edition” in mid-May, now delayed by one month due to the US–Israel war with Iran. We’re also excited about the return of the 21st edition of DIFC Art Nights next week, along with a group show at Lawrie Shabibi in Dubai.

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Happy reading,

Rebecca

P.S. Have feedback or tips on Dubai's culture scene? Send them my way at contactus@al-monitor.com.

1. Leading the week: Barjeel Art Foundation announces new museum

Ibrahim Salahi, “The Last Sound,” 1964. (Courtesy of Barjeel Art Foundation)

Barjeel Art Foundation, an arts organization in Sharjah founded by Sultan Sooud Al Qassemi and dedicated to modern and contemporary Arab art, will open a dedicated museum in the emirate. It is slated to open in January 2028. Al Qassemi announced the news on Instagram on April 12, alongside a photograph from a recent visit to the 38,750-square-foot site on Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road, on land granted by Sheikh Sultan bin Muhammad Al-Qasimi, the current (and 11th) ruler of Sharjah.

The structure is designed by Abdelmoneam Essa, an architect at Architecture Corner Consultants (A.C.C.), a multidisciplinary firm with offices in Dubai, Sharjah, and Egypt. According to Al Qassemi, the design is based on sketches he produced, along with photographs of a modern house in Sharjah’s Al Rigga neighborhood.

Founded in 2010, the Barjeel Art Foundation was established to manage, preserve, and exhibit modern and contemporary Arab art. Since its inception, it has promoted Arab art history globally through exhibitions, publications, and loans to international, regional, and local institutions. The collection spans the 20th and 21st centuries, featuring works from Algeria, Egypt, Iraq, Lebanon, Palestine, Sudan, the GCC, and beyond.

Key exhibitions include a 2019 show at the Yale University Art Gallery, presenting modern paintings and sculptures from the collection; The Sea Suspended (2016) at the Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art (TMOCA)—the first exhibition of modern Arab art in Iran; and Taking Shape: Abstraction from the Arab World, 1950s to 1980s, a major touring exhibition (2020–2023) featuring nearly 90 works. The latter traveled to venues including the Grey Art Gallery (NYU) in New York, the McMullen Museum of Art (Boston College), the Tampa Museum of Art, and the Mary and Leigh Block Museum of Art (Northwestern University).

Find more information here 

2. Word on the street: Siena

A view of the interior of Siena in Dubai Marina. (Courtesy of Siena Restaurant)

Siena, a new Italian restaurant with a Tuscan flair, opened last week in Dubai. By day, diners can unwind in an upscale yet laid-back ambiance, perfect for a casual meal or business lunch; by night, the venue transforms into a vibrant setting, accentuated by bespoke chandeliers and velvet seating areas.

On the menu, be sure to try the linguine all’astice (linguine with lobster), the rich and creamy carbonara, pizzas with crispy, charred crusts, and the Siena rigatoni, served with the restaurant’s signature spicy sauce, fresh parmesan, and basil. And of course, for dessert, there’s tiramisu.

Location: Grosvenor House, Dubai Marina

Find more information here 

3. Dubai diary

Art Dubai, the Middle East’s leading international art fair, opened its 2025 edition at Madinat Jumeirah. (Photo by Cedric Ribeiro/Getty Images for Art Dubai)

• Art Dubai announces details of Special Edition 

This week Art Dubai announced further details regarding its upcoming Special Edition that has been postponed by one month due to the US-Israel war in Iran. The fair will now present 50 regional and international galleries in its usual venue at the Madinat Jumeirah, down from around 75 galleries due to attend but that have canceled due to the ongoing conflict. This year’s fair commemorates Art Dubai’s 20th edition and a number of new partnerships and special projects will also take place. 

“The mix of participants is now 60% regional and 40% international,” Benedetta Ghione, the executive director of the fair, told Al-Monitor. “This is pretty much the percentage split we normally have.”

Some galleries had already shipped artworks to Dubai before the war which made it easier for them to participate, she said. Nearly all major UAE galleries will be showing in the Special Edition, including The Third Line, Gallery Isabelle and Lawrie Shabibi. There are also galleries coming from further afield, including Galerie Atis Dakar from Dakar, Senegal; Pinksummer from Genoa, Italy; Saleh Barakat Gallery from Beirut, Lebanon and Labor from Mexico City, among others. 

Dates: May 15-17

Location: Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai

Find more information here

• DIFC Art Nights returns for 21st edition

Downtown Dubai’s much-loved event celebrating culture, art and entertainment is returning next week for its 21st edition. Supported by partners Dubai Culture, Opera Gallery, Dubai International Art Centre and hospitality partner L’Atelier Robuchon, DIFC Art Nights transforms DIFC’s Gate Village once again into a vibrant celebration of art, culture and live experiences. This year’s program expands beyond visual art to include cinematic moments featuring film clips by Emirati filmmaker Nawaf Janahi alongside works by Emirati artists, including Shahd Al Mutawa and contemporary ceramics by Huda Al Rais, among other local and international artists. The program also features interactive, sculptural and ceramic works by regional and international artists, alongside panel discussions, art exhibitions, complimentary 3D art workshops by Dubai International Art Centre and culinary art activations.

Dates: April 23-26

Location: Dubai International Financial Center (DIFC)

Find more information here

• ‘Unfixed Ground’

This upcoming group exhibition aims to approach the idea of ground as something that is produced yet also fractured and engraved, held in tension between ideas of erasure and persistence. Participating artists include Mandy El Sayegh, Mohamed Ahmed Ibrahim, Omar El Gurg, Rand Abdul Jabbar, Dima Srouji and Asad Faulwell. The exhibition takes place across two spaces, each exploring different ways in which meaning takes form but also transforms and endures over time.

Dates: April 18 to May 9

Location: Lawrie Shabibi, Alserkal Avenue

Find more information here