Creative Habitat of Dubai: Mohamed Kazem

Mohamed Kazem is a leading figure among contemporary artists and a curator of art exhibitions in the UAE. Kazem was a member of the Emirates Fine Arts Society and is acknowledged as one of the ‘Five’, a group of Emirati artists who shaped the country’s contemporary art scene.  

In the eighties, these five key figures joined intellectuals and writers in discussing and furthering ideas. They also worked together to set up exhibitions for the public.
 

In fact, the theme of “directions” (also the name of his ongoing series) and the technique of allying art with digital technology are recurring features in his body of work, including his celebrated exhibit at the Venice Biennale 2013. 

Kazem frequently uses a GPS navigation system to record and chart geographic space.

Often depicting his own body within works of art, Kazem uses geographical markers to give his own subjectivity an orientation in the context of the rapid modernization of his homeland. His works are a part of the collections at leading global museums including The British Museum and Guggenheim.

Kazem highlights the cosmopolitan outlook that marks the cultural scene in the UAE. Today, opportunities including master scholarships and exhibitions, including the Sikka Arts Festival, are available for all, whether they are citizens or residents of the UAE.