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Dubai-based NIKA Project Space is set to open its second gallery in Paris’s Komunuma art district on September 7, marking a significant milestone in the gallery’s expansion. The Parisian outpost will debut with an exhibition by Palestinian artist Mirna Bamieh, known for her socially engaged art that explores themes of memory, displacement, and cultural preservation.
The choice of Komunuma, an emerging cultural hub in Romainville, reflects NIKA Project Space founder Veronika Berezina’s vision of connecting the creative energy of Dubai with Europe’s rich artistic landscape. Berezina commented, “Opening a space in Paris, one of the world’s most important art cities, allows us to support our artists and facilitate rich exchanges between Paris and Dubai. This new gallery will help us build key relationships and create a bridge between our programs in both cities.”
The inaugural exhibition, titled Sour Things, will feature new and recent works by Bamieh, including The Pantry (2024), a co-commission with the Het Noordbrabants Museum in the Netherlands. Bamieh’s work delves into the politics of disappearance and memory, using food preservation techniques like fermentation as a metaphor for displacement and loss. The exhibition includes striking installations such as Sour Things: The Wall, a citrus ceramic sculpture exploring grief, and Sour Things: The Staircase, which features oversized, symbolically charged ceramic sculptures of vegetables.
Berezina’s decision to bring NIKA Project Space to Paris underscores the gallery’s commitment to showcasing artists from the Global South. The Paris gallery will continue to represent and exhibit the same roster of artists as its Dubai counterpart, including Adrian Pepe, Nika Neelova, and Alexander Ugay. NIKA Project Space’s participation in the upcoming Asia Now art fair in October 2024 further emphasizes its dedication to fostering international dialogue and expanding the visibility of underrepresented artists.
The expansion into Paris aligns with Berezina’s broader strategy of establishing NIKA Project Space as a platform for artistic discourse and experimentation. By opening in a city synonymous with art and culture, the gallery aims to solidify its role as a conduit for cross-cultural exchange, particularly between the Middle East and Europe. Berezina’s plans include expanding the gallery’s research program and developing its publishing arm, which will further support the creation of impactful new works by artists from the Global South.
The Paris gallery’s debut marks the beginning of a new chapter for NIKA Project Space, one that promises to enhance the gallery’s influence and reach within the global art community.
