A Dubai exhibition celebrates one of the most influential figures in modern and contemporary art.

With undulations that resemble topographic features more than facial contours, paintings by Marwan Kassab-Bachi—commonly known as Marwan—were described by his friend, the Syrian poet Adonis, as “face landscapes” because of their ability to capture intense psychological states and inner emotions.

A fattened cow, with disturbingly bulging udders, from whose back protrudes an urban metropolis and around which Super Mario’s Rainbow Road twists and turns, is upon the mothership. The ‘Mothership’ is an American Apparel (or is it American Airlines?) space rocket and hovers to a pulsing and somewhat ominous soundtrack against a champagne sky.

Art Dubai’s contemporary halls are a reflection of the myriad influences and narratives shaping our region and indeed far beyond. With a common thread of helping us understand the perception of others, just some of the highlights from the 2019 edition of the fair are summarised here.

Brazilian artist collective OPAVIVARÁ! has been commissioned to produce Art Dubai 2019’s interactive installation