It is a seemingly straightforward subject, but one that An Ocean in Every Drop, the current international group show at Jameel Arts Centre, tackles in-depth and in a variety of ways. The voyage to Jameel Arts Centre shows that water is far more vital than we realize, despite the fact that there may not be a simple solution. It is a timeless, sacred, and essential component that has shaped and supported humanity in a variety of fields and dimensions that interact.
Through the viewpoints of artists and intellectuals from a wide range of historical periods, the exhibition invites viewers to reevaluate their relationships with water, re-enchanting and recontextualizing the value of a substance that many people take for granted.
Rumi, a Persian poet who lived in the 13th century, is quoted as saying, “You are not a drop in the ocean. The phrase “You are an ocean in every drop” refers to both the amount of water in the globe and the potential for abundance within each person. In this exhibition, 15 indigenous artists from 14 different countries investigate the complex existence of water in all its forms.
“This notion of water has been incredibly important to us since the beginning,” Director of Art Jameel, the creative enterprise that manages the centre, Antonia Carver
With the UAE hosting Cop28 in November, the expo comes at a good moment. The event builds on the one held in Egypt the year before by focusing on concerns related to the global climate catastrophe, such as contaminated oceans and a lack of clean water in many regions of the world.
The show investigates water through the lenses of the environment, mythology, spirituality, lived experiences, and folk traditions through already-existing and newly-commissioned works. Visitors reinterpret water as a crucial component that ties people to one another and to the rest of the globe. It is reframed as an unstoppable force that has influenced history, society, language, and interpersonal and spiritual relationships.
Carver continues, “The issue of water also pertains to sustainability and environment.
“The exhibition has arrived at a very suitable time as people worldwide consider our relationship with water. Additionally, this exhibition sets those concepts of water in a very large geographic and thoroughly historical timeline.
During her research on water sites and the legends they contain, Palestinian artist Jumana Emil Abboud collected folktales from local communities in her home country. These tales served as the inspiration for her evocative and captivating series of drawings and paintings.
Thao Nguyen Phan, a Vietnamese visual artist, created the Perpetual Brightness series of paintings using traditional lacquer painting methods on silk that are displayed behind a folding screen. The artwork shows a fractured map of Vietnam’s Mekong River, often known as the Nine Dragons River.
Lluvia, a sculpture that stands over seven metres tall and was made in the UAE out of recycled materials, pays homage to the ingenuity of community-driven infrastructure and the fortitude of marginalized indigenous populations worldwide.
The scope of the show includes a variety of regional perspectives and artistic genres in addition to a historical timeline. This diversity of time and space, which includes old manuscripts, movies, paintings, and sculptures, enables visitors to consider water from a variety of perspectives, including its role in both our past and our present. Jameel Arts Center in Dubai is currently hosting An Ocean in Every Drop through April 2.