The Third Line presents Looking, dwelling, leaving, a solo show by Emirati artist Khalid Jauffer that displays his latest works. Dealing with the metaphoric potential of daily objects, he finds the ironies in his everyday surroundings and reveals the spatial poetic relationships between his subjects and their correlation to humans. The exhibition will be available for viewing until the 28th of June, 2024.
Consciousness and sensitivity are compromised states. Within the comfort of habit, there is ignorance of our surroundings, a simplification of the public realm. Meanwhile, Jauffer lives in a less comfortable realm of indefinite consciousness and sensitivity, unearthing the metaphorical potential of the remnants of society.
Objects thrown out and broken things are usually considered by passersby as ends and garbage. But Jauffer sees beyond their surface and transforms these discarded ends into beginnings. In unravelling the bound threads of human fragility hidden within unremarkable shells, the artist reveals the profound stories they contain.
For Jauffer, the act of looking is fundamental to discovery. While seeking implies a predetermined goal, looking is open-ended, allowing for unexpected revelations. His observations on looking are highlighted, for example, by his Looking series of artworks. In this series, he employs the ubiquitous usage of the term in job-seeking ads found on public notice boards throughout the city. Amidst multiple declarations of pursuit lies the CV, a document filled with silent pleas for inclusion within the city’s fabric. In Jauffer’s universe, the act of looking is more than just an observation: it becomes a gateway to understanding, empathy, and uncovering hidden narratives within the mundane.
About the artist
Khalid Jauffer (b.1996, Dubai) is currently studying at the University of London (UK) and will earn an MFA in Goldsmiths in 2026. A conceptual artist who finds inspiration in various daily activities, such as grocery shopping or commuting, he turns society’s remnants (trash, belongings, notes, actions, etc.) into poignant metaphors, observing “public language” for nuanced meanings. Jauffer’s artworks feature cat portraits, delivery receipt poems, forged handwritings, and found postcards, among other unexpected things. He explores how these objects could be viewed from a sociological and anthropological perspective.
Jauffer has displayed his artworks in a number of solo and collective shows including Let me tell you something (421 (former Warehouse421), Abu Dhabi, 2022), HOLY FLUX! (Serendipity Arts Festival, Goa, India, 2023); Made In The Emirates (Sotheby’s, Dubai, 2021); Mirror Mirror on the Wall: Contemporary Art in the City (Art Dubai, 2019); Beyond Boundaries: Art By Email (Yorkshire Sculpture Park, West Yorkshire, UK, 2017); and others. The artist is an alumnus of such programmes as Artistic Developmental Exhibition (Warehouse421, 2021), Campus Art Dubai 7.0 (2019), and Salama bint Hamdan Emerging Artists Fellowship (2018). In 2020, he received the Art Jameel Research and Practice Platform Grant.
To get more information about Looking, dwelling, leaving, please visit the official web page of the exhibition.
In addition, you might be interested in visiting Short Circuits by Vikram Divecha.
