Dubai, United Arab Emirates – With a focus on the love of literature and support for women artists, MIA Art Collection, in collaboration with Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) and the Emirates Literature Foundation, presents “LA BELLEZA – Poetry & Art.” Directed by Alejandra Castro Rioseco with special co-curator Namal Siddiqui, this exhibition offers a culturally enriching experience.
“La Belleza,” which translates to “The Beauty,” reflects the central theme of the exhibition, exploring beauty through the intersection of poetry and art.
TRENDS spoke with Alejandra Castro Rioseco, Founder and Curator of the MIA Art Collection, to get details about the event. She shared her thoughts on the exhibition’s potential to deepen the audience’s appreciation for storytelling through visual and written mediums.
“We have created spaces for conversation about poetry and art. We have put 19 poets on display, of which more than 10 are emerging. We believe that this platform has given a great push to poets and artists to continue and, in many cases, start a career in poetry. We have given them not only the opportunity to shine and share but also the support and marketing so they can conduct workshops or poetry readings,” she reveals.
At the core of “La Belleza” is a commitment to supporting and promoting women artists. Castro Rioseco explains, “The MIA Art Collection always aims to promote the work of women artists, put them first, and support their careers. This is what we have been doing for years.”
Indeed, this exhibition showcases works from women artists from over 33 countries. The curator continues, “Creating an exhibition of art and poetry is a fascinating mix for lovers of art and literature. It allows us to express complex emotions through writing and images simultaneously. It’s like bringing together two people who express themselves in different languages but share the same objective: beauty.”
Balancing a deep connection
Featuring the work of international women artists, “La Belleza” celebrates the deep connection between art and poetry, inviting visitors to explore diverse expressions of beauty and culture. The involvement of young Arab poets adds a unique cultural perspective, enriching the overall experience.
Balancing art, poetry, and societal themes is a nuanced task for Castro Rioseco as a curator, as she clearly states: “It is not easy to balance these aspects through an exhibition. Yet the MIA Art Collection exhibitions are always profound, with deep messages that are sometimes heartbreaking. They provide the feeling of art that human beings need.”
As a non-profit organization, Alejandra and her team view art differently: “We do not select pieces based on popularity. We select pieces based on artists and, in many cases, their stories. For this exhibition, we relied on our partner, the Emirates Literature Foundation of Dubai, which has extensive experience in literature and letters.”
Enriching challenges
For Castro Rioseco, the most challenging aspect of this exhibition was explaining it “in words”.
“When you see the exhibition, it explains itself, but explaining it before the visual experience guides you is a bit confusing. We have poets, artists, videos, and ceramics, all brought together in a relationship between art and poetry. The exhibition features over 25 participating artists and poets from more than eight countries, including Palestine, Spain, Argentina, and Lebanon,” she explains.
Another challenge was the team’s journey to learn poetry. “It was a wonderful and rewarding challenge. Of course, there were many other challenges, but with conviction in the cause, enthusiastic collaborators, and motivated sponsors, everything became surmountable.”
She also discusses the profound meaning of “beauty.” “As women, we must give broader space and influence on this simple word if we are interested in contributing to a better society. Living in Arab countries has made me a more beautiful, more sensitive human being, learning and understanding the parameters of beauty from other angles.”
The curator attributes the vision of beauty to the literature of Arab countries. “Arabic literature is profoundly beautiful, both in its writing and its language and phonetics. It can easily transpose to the art world because every letter transforms into an image. Poetry has been part of the Arab ancestral heritage for many years. They created certain types of rhyme that have contributed to the literary world.”
Located in DIFC’s iconic The Gate building, the month-long exhibition celebrates poetry and international art. The exhibition is open to the public from May 14th to June 14th at DIFC West Gate in Dubai.