Dubai's new art hub opens this November - salaam and welcome
Salaam - Dubai will get a new creative hub this November with the launch of Dom Art Projects in Al Khayat Avenue, Al Quoz Creative Zone. Founded by Anna Pumpyanskaya and Alisa Bagdonaite, the private institution aims to change how contemporary art is made, shown and discussed in the UAE.
Opening on November 27, Dom Art Projects will bring together an exhibition hall, artist residency studios and an art and culture bookshop, plus workshops, tours and talks to involve the community.
Pumpyanskaya says Dom fills an important gap in the city’s creative scene. “Dubai’s cultural life is lively and growing, but there’s still space for independent mid-scale platforms that continuously link art production, research and discussion,” she explains. “Many places focus on either exhibitions or commercial representation, while fewer create conditions that help artists and curators take ideas from concept to completion.”
She describes Dom as a connector and a kind of laboratory for ideas that could become exhibitions or publications. “We don’t want to copy existing models - we see Dom as complementing the city’s institutions and galleries. It’s a place for knowledge to be produced, shared and transformed, where experimentation sits alongside reflection and collaboration.”
The name Dom is drawn from the Arabic sense of “always,” reflecting the institution’s focus on continuity and connection. Its founders view it as both a sanctuary and an engine for creative growth.
Bagdonaite says Dom reflects her work as a curator and manager. “It’s like a magic workshop and a spaceship at once - a full-cycle art space that creates knowledge through books, lectures and activations, while supporting the processes that lead to new art and ideas.”
Pumpyanskaya adds that the project grew out of her approach to collecting. “Collecting for me has never been only about objects. It’s about relationships, processes and care,” she says. “This space is a way to actively support artists, intellectually and materially, and to make conditions where new art can appear.”
Bagdonaite, Dom’s chief curator, says programming will grow from dialogue rather than fixed themes. “We want to work around meaningful intersections. We’re interested in areas like ecological art, women’s perspectives, abstract minimalism and science-and-tech art, but we’ll follow curatorial intuition and community needs. Our aim is to evolve and exceed expectations.”
That approach guides Dom’s first exhibition, which looks at the idea of time and reflects the space’s spirit of continuity. The show includes the immersive work of Japanese artist Michiko Tsuda and a project by Dmitriy Morozov (Vtol) that examines geological time and environmental change through robotics and sound.
Dom Art Projects is planned as more than a gallery - it’s intended as an active collaboration hub. Its opening initiative, in partnership with Bayt Al Mamzar, is an open call for emerging UAE-based artists to apply for a residency at Dom. The call runs until November 20 and offers studio space, mentorship and community engagement.
“Residencies are some of the best ways to support emerging talent,” Bagdonaite says. “They let artists gain experience, work in a new setting, meet collaborators and grow professionally. We hope to foster an open, nurturing atmosphere that encourages honest communication and horizontal collaboration - this is what Dubai needs now.”
Dom will run three studios hosting visiting curators, writers and creatives. Educational work will include artist-led workshops, guided tours and talks to extend conversation beyond exhibitions.
For Pumpyanskaya, Dom arrives at a key moment in Dubai’s art scene. “Over the last decade the city built strong institutions like art centres, fairs and galleries, but now we’re seeing a shift toward content, experimentation and depth,” she says. “There’s a rising appetite for spaces that encourage thinking, research and dialogue, not only visibility. Launching Dom now feels right because Dubai is ready for new models based on collaboration and exchange.”
She believes independent initiatives like Dom will shape the next chapter of the city’s cultural life. “Dubai’s speed and diversity create a creative pressure that makes us rethink what an art space can be today. We want to give artists the freedom to test, to fail, and to explore.”
If you’re an artist based in the UAE and interested in a residency, consider applying before November 20. Jazakum Allah khair for reading - hope this space brings more opportunities for artists and the community.
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