• DOORS OPENED

    IN 2013 A WAREHOUSE NESTLED IN AL QUOZ, THE INDUSTRIAL PART OF DUBAI WAS TRANSFORMED INTO A SETTING OF WHAT WAS TO COME.

  • AN ANTIDOTE TO THE TRADITIONAL ART MARKET IN THE REGION

    THE MINE WAS CONCEIVED AS AN INTERDISCIPLINARY SPACE

  • CONNECTING THE DOTS

    THE MINE WAS CONCEIVED AS AN EXPERIMENTAL ART PROJECT AND SPACE TO FILL IN THE GAPS THAT WERE MISSING IN THE WEST ASIAN ART SCENE.

  • SUBCULTURE

    IT ALWAYS WORKED TOWARDS A FRINGE CULTURE OF ARTIST-LED EXHIBITIONS, GUEST-CURATED EVENTS, TALKS, PERFORMANCES, AND 'HAPPENINGS'.

  • ARTIST RESIDENCY PARTICIPATION AT ART DUBAI

    IN 2018, THE MINE WAS SELECTED TO PARTICIPATE IN ART DUBAI'S RESIDENCY PROGRAM AND SHOWCASED THE JAPANESE ARTIST YASUAKI ONISHI AT THE FAIR AS AN ALTERNATIVE PROGRAM

  • POP-UP ART PROJECTS IN PARIS IN 2016 & 2019

  • THE MINE ENVELOPE

    AN INDEPENDENT ART PLATFORM THAT BRIDGES ARTISTS & CULTURAL AFFILIATIONS THROUGH A WIDE RANGE OF ADVISORY SERVICES, CURATORIAL PROJECTS & EXHIBITIONS

ABOUT THE MINE

Established in 2013 by curator and culture strategist Sanaz Askari, The Mine began as an interdisciplinary art space in Dubai, dedicated to showcasing experimental and emerging art practices from West Asia. Housed in a 6,000-square-foot warehouse in the Al Quoz industrial district, the venue was known for its unconventional approach, utilizing recycled materials to create an unobtrusive environment that fostered creativity and community engagement.

In 2018, The Mine transitioned into a nomadic curatorial project, moving beyond the traditional model to become an online advisory and curatorial platform. This evolution allowed The Mine to connect artists with non-profit organizations, institutions, and commercial galleries beyond regional boundaries, fostering interdisciplinary connections and supporting artists' careers through exhibitions, collaborations, and dynamic exchanges.

Throughout its journey, The Mine has emphasized collaboration and broader engagement with art, organizing workshops, educational programs, and internships in partnership with UAE-based universities and government-affiliated organizations. Notably, from 2016 to 2019, The Mine orchestrated a series of engaging workshops during Dubai Canvas and established internship programs in collaboration with Sheikh Zayed University, welcoming a cohort of approximately 70 art students.

Today, The Mine continues to act as both a mediator and advisor, bridging the gap between artists and cultural institutions. Drawing on its extensive network of curators, writers, collectors, cultural thinkers, and visionaries, The Mine brings together diverse artistic practices and perspectives, creating a dynamic and evolving environment for artistic exchange via exhibition making and programming.

ABOUT THE FOUNDER

Sanaz Askari has been an advocate for the arts in the Middle East since 2013 through her platform, The Mine, a Dubai-based project space (2013–2018), recognised for its alternative approach to supporting emerging artists and fostering community engagement through interdisciplinary art, including performance and public art. Askari continues to curate independently, recently presenting the acclaimed exhibition "Neither Here Nor Elsewhere" (2024) at The Third Line Gallery in Dubai, which explores themes of identity, desire, displacement, and resistance, showcasing artists from Africa and Asia. Her other notable curatorial projects include "Another Birth" (2023), inspired by poet Forough Farrokhzad, "Geopoetics of the UAE" (2023), commissioned for the UAE Embassy in Brussels, and "Echoed Vision" (2024), featuring prominent artists such as Ali Akbar Sadeghi, Farideh Lashai, Fereydoun Ave, and Abbas Akhavan. She has also curated international pop-up exhibitions in Copenhagen (2016) and Paris (2019). Additionally, in 2016, Askari played a pivotal role in facilitating "The Sea Suspended," a landmark exhibition by the Barjeel Foundation at the Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art, showcasing modern Arab art alongside Iranian masterpieces from the 1940s to the 1970s.

From 2016 to 2018, Askari served as an independent art and cultural consultant for the Government of Dubai under the Dubai Media Office. Currently based between London and Dubai, she continues her work as an independent curator and arts and cultural consultant, advancing her curatorial vision through The Mine, her ongoing project-based online platform.