The Domino Effect
The Third Line marks two decades with a group exhibition
It is 20 years since Sunny Rahbar, Claudia Cellini and Omar Ghobash joined forces to open The Third Line, a contemporary art gallery in Dubai. It was 2005, and a time when outlets for creativity from the Middle East and wider region were much needed in the simmering aftermath of 9/11.
“The fact that there was very little representation for artists from the MENASA region was a driving force behind the foundation of the gallery,” Rahbar says. “Once we opened, it was a domino effect; we found more artists and artists found us. As the art scene grew and matured, we grew alongside it. It has been a pleasure watching our artists become more and more prominent, especially as many began their career with us.”
The Third Line has cultivated artists whose works challenge conventions and spark dialogue while bridging traditional and contemporary aesthetics. Regional artists such as Farah Al Qasimi, Lamya Gargash, Hassan Hajjaj, and Rana Begum have grown in prominence. The gallery has also championed artists such as Farhad Moshiri, Monir Shahroudy Farmanfarmaian, and Youssef Nabil who are celebrated not just regionally, but internationally.
To mark the gallery’s 20th year, a large, curated group exhibition will open in May. The show will champion all 30 of the gallery’s artists alongside a timeline of how the gallery has grown in the context of the region and the global environment.
“It has never been only about The Third Line,” says Rahbar. “We are part of a wider, tight-knit community and that is what we are celebrating now, after 20 years. As a gallery, we want to bring people together around the nexus of contemporary art; we want to spark ideas and conversation and continue to contribute to the scene as it evolves.”—Anna Seaman
Dear friend (2023) by Farhad Moshiri. Courtesy of the artist and The Third Line, Dubai.
