In the bustling heart of Bastakiya that so wonderfully captures the mood of a bygone era stands the Majlis Art Gallery. Housed in a traditional wind tower home, the art gallery has been tirelessly honing and nurturing the artistic aspirations of the UAE's community for 20 years.
The result of a passionate art aficionado's commitment to create a haven of art in Dubai, Majlis has evolved as a mirror that consistently and brilliantly reflects the talent of a wide spectrum of artists. From the famous to the lesser-known, from international to local, the gallery has showcased endless riches of imagination and earned itself an enviable reputation in the process. It would be no exaggeration to say it has in many ways shaped the art movement in Dubai.
It was on November 2, 1989, that the beautiful wind tower house was officially inaugurated as the Majlis Art Gallery. This year the gallery completed 20 glorious years and to mark the occasion it has launched The Majlis Collection, a unique selection of signed limited edition prints. The collection represents artists who played an important role in the journey of Majlis. There are 20 works in the collection.
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Though I've been to the Majlis Art Gallery on many occasions in the past, the visit this time feels special even though everything is as picture-postcard-perfect as ever. If anything the patina of time lends it more charm. The courtyard, with its tall henna tree festooned with glass art works, its signature touch, still makes me gasp. The compact, sun-brushed rooms all leading off from the central courtyard still hold delightful surprises and always make me lose track of time as I enter and exit them at will.
Much after you have visited all the rooms and taken in the artworks, you still linger. Finding a chair and settling in the balmy sunshine in the courtyard seems just the thing to do. The bustle and rush of the city outside needs to be held at bay for some time. Like a weary traveller savouring the calm of an oasis, the Majlis Art Gallery smoothes the frayed edges of your senses with its art as much as with its very presence.
In a city that is packed with art galleries, Majlis still retains a charm that is to be experienced rather than laboured to be defined.
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Dubai was still a modest trading hamlet when Alison Collins arrived 30 years ago from the UK with her husband, a veterinary doctor. She instantly fell in love with the energy and spirit of Bastakiya. She then joined a British company as a design consultant and her passion and deep love for art pushed her to consider the idea of setting up a gallery that would provide space for artists to display their talent. The city at the time didn't have much scope for such displays.
Recalling the glorious days of the mid-1970s, Collins says: "In those days the Maktoum bridge was just a one-lane road. Bur Dubai ended at Bastakiya, the tarmac road ended at Al Diyafa and I was working in Deira across the creek and found it convenient to live here and hop across to office on an abra."
To begin with, Majlis was her first home in Dubai. She would often invite people for a viewing of her personal collection of art works. Her three children grew up weaving in and out of the courtyard home and frolicking through the narrow lanes of the Bastakiya. "Those days if you wanted something to happen, you had to initiate it yourself. I loved art and began to have informal get-togethers. I would send out hand-written invitations and ask people to bring in their friends. I had four to five exhibitions in a year in the middle room that was the majlis (a living room). That is how the gallery eventually got its name."
However, this wonderful stage of evolution was nipped in the bud when the authorities announced in the early 1980s that the Bastakiya district would be demolished. Collins was compelled to give up her home and move to another neighbourhood. "I was sad, but had to move out. However, four months later, the landlord told me I could move back as the decision [for demolition] was revoked."
That set Collins thinking and she decided to ask her friend and art enthusiast, Minoti Shah, to lend a hand in setting up the Majlis Art Gallery as an LLC company which was finally inaugurated on November 2, 1989. Both partners wanted Majlis to be a casual meeting place for art lovers where they could enjoy displays and also sit and chat about trends and artists. Thus Collins brought art into the living rooms of Dubai. "We created an art gallery which was a pleasure for an art lover to visit, a place to relax and unwind." The ethos of Majlis paved the way for numerous other galleries in the years to come. Today in Bastakiya alone there are five art galleries and at least one person who runs another gallery once worked at Majlis and gained valuable experience.
Of the many charms of Bastakiya, Majlis is indisputably one. Such is its attraction that many people not particularly inclined to art also wind their way to Majlis simply to enjoy the sheer old world charm of the place. In the process, falling in love with art has not been unheard of.
With time, the success story of the Majlis Art Gallery came to be reported in many feasibility studies as a model for commercial start-up ventures in the district.
The Majlis repertoire is incredibly varied. Artworks from artists around the world are displayed here.
"I rely on my instincts when choosing artists and I have always trusted my judgment. I am always open to new genres and I think the biggest reward for me in running the gallery has been the amazing friendship we have built over the years with the artists, and the good rapport among artists themselves," says Collins.
Some of the more memorable exhibitions include one on the Beatles' iconic star John Lennon, the works of Wilfred Thesiger and the paintings of leading UK artist Sasha Jaffrey. Many artists have formed a strong bond with the gallery and prefer to exhibit their new works at Majlis first before moving on to other cities and galleries. To mark this special occasion, many loyal artists are each showcasing a painting and a limited edition print.
"I didn't want to come out with a book on the occasion as everyone does that," says Collins on the issue of how she chose to commemorate the 20-year milestone. Instead she decided to do something different. She invited 20 artists to create 20 original paintings and 20 prints to mark the occasion. "There is an intrinsic value to a limited edition art piece," she says.
For more information log on to www.themajlisgallery.com.
Alison Collins on Seven Things that have changed in the art scene in the last two decades
1. Modern communication has changed the business of art. No more snail mails and film negatives of art images that took us months to plan our exhibitions. Organising an art exhibition is now done in weeks rather than months.
2. The high standards of art that have evolved with the setting up of new art galleries in Dubai have made this an undoubtedly sophisticated market.
3. Art Education has become the norm rather than an exception. Most schools both private and public have incorporated art on their curricula.
4. The setting up of specific art schools for tertiary education with workshop and studio facilities, film studios and organising festivals to promote the arts throughout the community has given a tremendous impetuous to the visual arts.
5. Due to economic prosperity more and more people are wealthy, which means they've disposable income and can invest in art pieces more than ever now. This has led to proliferation of galleries stimulating the market with contemporary talent and imagery and providing diverse environments for emerging and established artists to exhibit.
6. Greater and better communication between various galleries is strong and supportive to the art movement. We see each other as partners in building the market rather than rivals. There is a strong drive to maintain ethics and give art in the Middle East respect.
7. The trend to adopt Dubai as a prime home has taken away its transitory nature and catapulted art much higher on the "need to have" agenda in most residences now.