The Third Line

At the forefront of the contemporary Arab art scene
Word to the wise: The Third Line also hosts Kutub, a bilingual Arab literature appreciation circle.

Al Quoz is an odd district. It is the city’s industrial wasteland, home to countless factories, warehouses and cramped housing for Dubai’s labouring masses. It is also the city’s artistic heartland. The Third Line, the leading institution in the city for cutting-edge, contemporary and Arab art, makes its home in one of the neighbourhood’s numerous unnamed streets. It’s a pain to find, but those that make the effort will be rewarded with one of the city’s most enriching cultural spaces.
The gallery is the brainchild of Sunny Rahbar and Claudia Cellini, who are adept at curating their space with boundary-pushing installations from artists throughout the region. Previous exhibits have included a series of photos of unnamed Karachi residents, whose images are connected by a shared (and tragic) narrative, and an exploration of music in regions where it is either forbidden or tightly controlled.