Dubai anticipates “HER LAND” Exhibition by MIA Art Collection and MOLAA; an Ambitious Collaboration
“Her Land” exhibition by MIA Art Collection in collaboration with MOLAA is an ambitious project about to open on 18 April at Dubai Festival City.
Dubai is about to witness the meeting of two paramount art collections in a stunning fusion, in an exhibition titled “HER LAND”. MIA Art Collection, in collaboration with MOLAA Museum of Latin American Artists will be presenting the show on 18 April; uniquely curated by Alejandra Castro Rioseco, Founder of MIA, and Dr. Lourdes Ramos, Director of MOLAA. The location: Dubai Festival City´s emblematic Festival Tower, on the 30th panoramic floor.
The two art collections’ main goal of collaboration is to not only showcase the important modern and contemporary artworks of female Latin American artists, but also to promote this dialogue between the Latin American region and the United Arab Emirates in a cultural context. “Through this, MOLAA and MIA Art Collection explores the concept of a museum-in-movement and suggests this also as a symbol of the mobility and flexibility of women in the art world, and as a bridge between cultures and traditions that has historically been connected.”
Alejandra Castro Rioseco, Founder of MIA Art Collection (photo courtesy of MIA Art Collection)
The excitement and anticipation for the show is palpable. I sat down with Mrs Alejandra Castro Rioseco, and we spoke about the vision and long-term curatorial goals of this ambitious project.
Maie El-Hage: So exciting to see your newest, upcoming activities! What was the main inspiration/ motivation for this exhibition?
Alejandra Castro Rioseco: The inspiration for our exhibitions has always been and always will be women. In this exhibition in particular, we are truly excited about the idea of bringing the Latin American world closer to the Middle East.
We are very motivated to be able to support the MOLAA Museum of Latin American Artists in its expansion and growth ambitions, since this museum is one of the most important in the world for Latin American art, and there is an evident intertwined relationship between the Latin American and Arab world.
Being able to support them and bring them to the Middle East makes us happy because this is our home. MIA Art Collection has held successful solo exhibitions for six years, and I am sure this exhibition will be a big success as well. This alliance not only includes MOLAA, but also our local partner, who has played a major role and has made an amazing space available to MIA Art Collection for this exhibition, with the same motivation as MIA Art Collection and MOLAA, to contribute to a more cultured and educated society. This is only achieved by doing things like HER LAND.
Ana Sacerdote painting, 1954, part of MOLAA (photo courtesy of MIA Art Collection)
Maie El-Hage: What is the significance of the title “Her Land”?
Alejandra Castro Rioseco: More than representing a literal meaning, we looked for a name that spoke of the achievements of women artists, the conquest of their space within the art world, finding their space and their land. It is very moving to see how the majority of women artists who achieve recognition have had to live and move between different countries, migrate, abandon… look for new lands, lands of opportunity, which is exactly what Dubai represents.
"we looked for a name that spoke of the achievements of women artists, the conquest of their space within the art world, finding their space and their land." Alejandra Castro Rioseco
Maie El-Hage: Tell me about the merging of MOLAA and MIA for this exhibition.
Alejandra Castro Rioseco: Getting this to work has to do with very similar views that exist in MIA Art Collection and MOLAA, on the one hand side a museum and us as a private philanthropic organization. MIA Art collection seeks to support and expand the world of women artists, and it seemed a perfect match showing the work MOLAA does in the USA in support of the Latin American world of art, especially today with all the discrimination and complications that the Latin world is suffering, it seemed like the perfect time to support them.
Leonora Carrington painting, 1992, part of MOLAA (photo courtesy of MIA Art Collection)
Maie El-Hage: And what was the main curatorial vision for bringing the two Collections together?
Alejandra Castro Rioseco: The collections are very interesting; they have a very strong academic and historical weight, and we are very contemporary and contrasted even. Their collection is mixed, ours is all women. So for this exhibition, we selected artists that create a conversation based on their search for their place, their space in the art world. The MOLAA curatorial team is very strong and highly respected, so we fully trust their decisions.
This partnership will change many minds, and I’m sure we’ll see more museums joining these initiatives in the future.
Raquel Forner painting, 1974, part of MOLAA (photo courtesy of MIA Art Collection)
Maie El-Hage: What is the significance of bringing this project to Dubai? And what do you hope to achieve with this show?
Alejandra Castro Rioseco: It is an enormous challenge, for several reasons. I think that Dubai needs to understand art from an institutional perspective, and not just a transactional one, to grow and create more institutions that support art. At the end of the day, art is culture, culture improves societies and elevates the quality of life. We know this from observing history, great empires of the world at their peak had art in the center and art told and keeps telling their story.
Bringing part of a collection from a museum is not something usual, it is something that is done very little because it requires a lot of work, political, strategic work. We have so fortunate to have a local partner like Dubai Festival City who has truly been a refreshing example for us of how the business world can support such kind of projects. A business consortium that from the very first moment we explained this idea joined in, enthusiastically and we started working together hand in glove. Without them, I think it would not have been possible.
Maie El-Hage: Thank you very much, Mrs Alejandra. Looking forward to seeing the success of this exhibition.
MIA Art Collection is a leading philanthropic international not-for-profit art collection that unites and supports female artists and their practice. It promotes female artist`s visibility across borders, and with art as the catalyst to achieve a society of gender equality, reaching almost 33 countries with over 900 works of art, the philanthropic nature of this collection has achieved recognition for the work it has executed for over a decade.
MOLAA – Museum of Latin American Art (California, USA) is the only museum in the United States dedicated to modern and contemporary Latin American and Latino art, and holds one of the most unique collections dedicated to artists from Latin America and its diaspora.
The participating artists will be:
Ana Mendieta (Cuba), Ana Sacerdote (Italy-Argentina), Annalee Davis (Barbados), Betsabeé Romero (México), Brenda Obregón (Mexico), Belkis Ayó (Cuba), Carmen Argote (Mexico-US), Cássia Aresta (Brazil), Daniela Edburg (Mexico), Doris Salcedo (Colombia), Eli Cortiñas (Canary Islands-Spain), Elvira Smeke (Mexico), Leonora Carrington (UK-Mexico), Lyz Parayzo (Brazil), Magdalena Correa (Chile), María Bonomi (Italy-Brazil), Patssi Valdez (US), Raquel Forner (Argentina), Raquel Paiewonsky (Dominican Republic), Roser Bru (Spain-Chile), Sonia Gomes (Brazil), Tania Candiani (Mexico), Teresa Giarcovich (Argentina) and Voluspa Jarpa (Chile), and Yolanda Gonzalez (Mexico-US).
MIA Art Collection’s upcoming exhibition “Her Land” in collaboration with MOLAA Museum of Latin American Artists will open at Festival Tower 30th floor, Dubai Festival City, Dubai on 18 April 2025. The show will remain ongoing until 18 May 2025. Make sure to pass by and see this grand exhibition!
Follow MIA Art Collection on Instagram here.
Follow MOLAA on Instagram here.
Follow Dubai Festival City on Instagram here.
Follow the author Maie El-Hage on Instagram here.
You may also like
Pop Up Projects arrives in Paris, in style
Pop Up Projects has arrived in Paris, after many successful openings in Beirut and Dubai.
Antonello Ghezzi at Beit Beirut, curated by Maie El-Hage
Antonello Ghezzi and "The Milky Way House at Beit Beirut", curated by Maie El-Hage with the support
Mazen Khaddaj in Dubai: ‘New Self Found’ curated by Maie El-Hage
Urbanist Art Gallery is proud to present Lebanese-German artist Mazen Khaddaj’s first solo show in
