Rooted in the UAE art scene, Iris Projects is a fine art gallery and visual arts agency based in Abu Dhabi. It makes its Art Dubai debut with a solo show by Saudi Arabian conceptual artist Abdullah Al Othman in the Bawwaba section, where it is the only gallery from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region. Alongside its booth at Art Dubai, Iris Projects will also open Al Othman’s first solo exhibition in the UAE, Structural Syntax, curated by Irina Stark.
Al Othman’s interdisciplinary practice explores the urban zeitgeist through materials like chrome, stainless steel and neon lights. Deeply influenced by Saudi Arabian culture, his work contrasts desert and city, vernacular architecture and Western consumerism, heritage and everyday objects.
For Art Dubai 2025, he presents a new iteration of Manifesto: The Language and the City (2021). Originally a site-specific installation for the Lyon Biennale, the work reflects Riyadh’s urban transformations. Al Othman collects and assembles typographic, visual and architectural elements to create an inhabitable portrait of the city.
