You now have the unique opportunity to dive into the bold and dynamic world of Pop Art at the Foundry in Downtown Dubai, where Andy Warhol’s work takes centre stage. The exhibition titled Andy Warhol, The Glam Factory traces the journey of this globally renowned artist and showcases over 100 works being displayed for the first time in the UAE. Featuring screen prints, photographs, and magazines, the collection provides a captivating look at Warhol’s depiction of American society from the 1960s to the 1980s. Curated by independent curator Nada Ghandour and designed by renowned architect Ibrahim Kombarji, the show will end on 31 October 2024.
The exhibition comprises two sections. The first, Andy Warhol: From Shadows to Light, focuses on key moments of Warhol’s career, from his early commercial illustration work to his rise as a “business artist” with an elite clientele. This section delves into his artistic evolution, from his advertising drawings in Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar to his iconic Campbell’s Soup Cans, showcasing his remarkable skill in illustration, photography, and semi-industrial production techniques.
The second section, The Glam Factory: Art Meets Business / The Business Man Artist, spotlights Warhol’s most visually recognisable and famous screen-printed portraits of celebrities, which catapulted him to international fame. Here, one can see portraits of influential figures from politics, fashion, arts, sports, and business, such as Marilyn Monroe, Elizabeth Taylor, Mao Zedong, and Edward Kennedy. It also includes those who shared Warhol’s vibrant social life and sometimes collaborated with him: Calvin Klein, Giorgio Armani, and Mick Jagger.
In this section, two immersive spaces recreate the experimental, glamorous environment Warhol and his circle frequented, offering a taste of New York’s extravagant nightlife during that era. The first is The Silver Factory, a multidisciplinary space designed by Warhol for himself and other collaborating artists. The second space, Studio 54, was a legendary club where jet-setters, businessmen, top models, and global personalities came together to party.
Masterfully combining Warhol’s avant-garde vision with cutting-edge architectural design, the exhibition serves as a window into the dazzling world of an artist who “was not only a major influence on contemporary culture but was, and still is, contemporary culture”, as curator Nada Ghandour says.
To get more information about Andy Warhol, The Glam Factory, please go to the official web page of the exhibition.
In addition, you might be interested in visiting I Wish To Be Happy, I Want To Be Yellow, a group show at Gallery Isabelle.
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