I won’t forget the first time Tin took me to Al Serkal. I heard about it because my Love, Osan, was promoting her boyfriend Cholo’s exhibit at one of the galleries in the Avenue. I wanted to go, however, knowing that I was barely a month old in Dubai, I did not want to risk getting lost.

I thank my lucky stars for Tin : she sends me a message one day and asks me to go with her. Eternally grateful for that, because weeks later, Al Serkal will turn out to be one of my favourite, favourite places not only in Dubai, but on Earth!

I go there for either one of three reasons (cheesy, but so true) :

1.) I want to get lost

2.) I want to be found

3.) I want to get lost and be found (or vice versa)

During my first few months in Dubai, I spent many weekends here wandering by myself, getting lost in the Art, finding myself in the art … I never knew you could understand, learn so much of the World by staring at one photo, and most of the time, realizing how irrelevant my problems are, through the Art. I was not exposed to such an environment back home, although there are a ton of places to go to for this. If you haven’t been to any of them, I encourage you to indulge.

Here are photos during all my visits to Al Serkal in the past 5 months :

Tin, with one of the people behind BYAHE, Rollan Rodriguez

“Insha Allah, Bokra”, yet one of my favorite Arabic phrases!

This resonated with me so much.

We wanted to have dinner here so bad, but it was past 7:00 PM, and they already closed. But you know it just gave us more reasons to come back, hrhrhr

I signed up for one of their Saturday Gallery Tours. It was such an amazing experience because at the time, I was alone in Dubai, and it was the beginning of many firsts (small, but amazing firsts), one is doing a Gallery Tour, which I recommend we all do at one point in our lives, UNACCOMPANIED by friends and family. It was only then I understood how a person could spend an hour (hours) standing in front of an Artwork, whether it be a painting, photo, or a sculpture, even a hand painted dress. By all means, go ahead.

A series of photographs taken by a Palestinian Artist

Artwork commissioned from Syria

One of the Artists I ended up loving was Hassan Sharif, a local, who recently passed away.

Here he is putting pieces of Pubic Hair and Milk in a Jar, because why the heck not.

Took this from the Mirzam Factory, where you can actually see the Chocolate being Processed, Mixed and Packed before they are brought out to be sold in only the prettiest packaging I’ve ever seen for Chocolate.

Taken at one of my favorite Warehouses in Serkal, Chi-ka, where they sell HANDMADE KIMONO -ABAYAS from Japan, and reasonably priced too!

FLEA MARKET!!!! 

Cute art in The Junction’s loos 

The Junction is made and organized by people with immense passion for the arts, and independent theatre. They come up with their own plays (which they would write themselves), some are adaptations from books, and movies. I saw their production of “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest”, which I felt was truly special.

I had to share the experience with one of my few favorite people in Dubai, NILA  Don’t we look cute?

Artwork by by Farah Al-Qasemi

One of Cinema Akil’s free screenings of Indie Films. Drew and I went one night and saw “Hunt for the Wilderpeople”, which we obviously loved. What a precious film. Props to Cinema Akil for bringing all these Indie Films to be shown around Dubai (they set up screenings in Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, among others). So much love to the people behind this Organization. For someone who’s been part of a Film Org in College, and took up Film App (even when it wasn’t in my curriculum), knowing that such people exist at my part of the World, willing to bringing more films to peoples’ awareness, films that actually deserve an audience, films that are made with nothing but love … I just, I can’t. Bless them.

This is how we started Day 2 of the Al Quoz Fest. I had another box of Pinza because Burrata is life. You know we’re doing it right.

Taken at the Leila Heller Gallery

Tried Scoop’s Charcoal-activated Lemon Ice Cream. Not my usual noms, but still noms!

Loved that day so much.

These series of photos made us so emotional. It also makes you hate most humans.

Ramtin Zad is definitely one of my favorite Artists now.

More photos of Art and old Movies showcased during the Al Quoz Art Weekend

 

Photos I took during the many times I’ve dined at Wild and the Moon. Post-workout, Brunch, etc. Kuya is also so gwapo, I can’t.

Definitely one of the reasons I come to Al Serkal!

I can’t wait to spend another weekend there, soaking up on all the art.

If you’d like to find out more about Al Serkal Avenue, click here.
For Cinema Akil, click here.
For The Junction, click here.
For Wild and The Moon, click here.

*will definitely edit this later to enter the artists’ names below some of their work appearing in this post. I noted some of them down