The White Cube Aesthetics in the United Arab Emirates: 

Globalisation and Localisation 

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The white cube aesthetics as a mode of display is dominant in the context of the exhibition spaces in the Arabian Peninsula. The United Arab Emirates is arguably a place of contrasts where dichotomies are juxtaposed: local and global, public and private, religious and secular, hot environment and cool well-conditioned interiors. Rapid globalisation brought many things to the Emirati shores including nostalgia for the past and a sense of fractured identity. Public spaces are platforms where these fractures may be negotiated where dichotomies may find their fitting jigsaw parts. 

 

This essay begins by outlining what is meant by the white cube aesthetics, which develops gradually. It then traces the history of exhibition spaces in the UAE and related cultural organisations, it focusses specifically on the majlis as a cultural and architectural form of socialisation and exhibition. The essay studies the vernacular architecture and newly-built or repurposed structures to study the specificities of the white cube aesthetics in the UAE. The argument is that the perception of the citizens of the UAE of such structures involves a lesser sense of exclusion given not only the vernacular but also a larger Arab architectural tradition and climate. As it will become evident traditional white structures, particularly in Sharjah Emirate inform the white cube aesthetic,  partly due to the conflict between the longing for the erosion of tradition amid globalisation processes and aspirations for International relevance. The matter is central for understanding the audience engagement and the shifts in role art production plays in the UAE.