Join us for the last Family Saturdays of 2024 at Jameel Arts Centre, featuring a guided tour of the current exhibition and a series of hands-on art making activities for all ages.

This edition offers a unique chance to gain an in-depth exploration of several works from our current exhibition Three Tired Tigers.

The tour, led by Sana Waqar, an arts education expert, involves a fun-filled discovery of the exhibition on the first floor, displaying works of more than 40 artists and collectives. Following the tour, families are invited to participate in four immersive self-led activities inspired by the exhibition works of the artists Lin May Saeed, Benoît Piéron, Atelier HOKO and Simran Gill, that explore how people and animals live together and share spaces in our cities, often in surprising and unexpected ways!

Participants gain a deep engagement with artists’ themes, mediums and processes, and through self-led activities, learn various innovative techniques such as soft animal sculptures, skin texture printing and making bookmarks inspired by street cats along with a tactile sensory station with furry elements.

The activities are free to attend and run all day to encourage and support creativity and imagination. Jameel Arts Centre strives to provide space for children to share stories, and to foster cultural awareness through artistic exploration that supports healthy child-development and growth.

Family Saturdays at the Jameel are suitable for all ages. All materials, step by step guides and instructional videos will be provided.

The tour begins at 11:00am and participants are welcome to drop by and enjoy the activities until 4:00pm.

Three Tired Tigers:

In ‘Three Tired Tigers’, artists invite us to see cities and landscapes from an animal’s perspective. The exhibition explores the relationship between humans and animals in shared spaces. Cities are mainly designed for people, separating nature and often treating animals as either pets or pests. Yet, animals adapt and thrive in urban environments, challenging the ways we manage and think about them. This makes us question how humans and animals can live together better.

The exhibition is divided into five sections, each showing how humans and animals interact in different parts of the city. It starts in the zoo and museum, where animals are studied and controlled. Then it moves to the street, where stray cats show surprising ways they live and connect with people. Next is the palace and public square, where animals often represent power, culture, and history. At the edges of cities, animals like dogs, pigeons, and rats challenge the idea that cities are only for humans. Finally, it reaches the sky, a symbol of freedom but also a space managed by human systems. These galleries explore how animals adapt to urban life and what it means to share our cities with them.

With works by:
Noor Abuarafeh; Asim Abu Shakra; Abbas Akhavan; Farah Al Qasimi; Heba Y Amin; Atelier HOKO; Sophia Balagamwala; Sammy Baloji; Jumana Bayazid El Husseini; Anna Boghiguian; Kasper Bosmans; Cheng Xinhao; Ali Cherri; Chim↑Pom from Smappa!Group; Bouie Choi; Jason Dodge; Mohieddine Ellabbad; Annika Eriksson; Simryn Gill; Kadhim Hayder; Khalid Jauffer; Hayv Kahraman; Sudhira Karna, Madhumala Mandal, Rebati Mandal, Selo Yadav and Sumitra Yadav; Kee Ya Ting and David Tan, with Migrant Ecologies Projects; Candice Lin; Ali Milad; Benoît Piéron; Pilar Quinteros; Walid Raad; Khalil Rabah; Araya Rasdjarmrearnsook; Lin May Saeed; Mark Salvatus; Walid Siti; Shimabuku; Mariam Suhail; Risham Syed; Robert Zhao Renhui (The Institute of Critical Zoologists)
Curated by Lucas Morin

About Sana Waqar 

Sana Waqar is a multidisciplinary artist from Pakistan based in Dubai. With over ten years of training and experience in textile, fashion, and visual arts, Sana has participated in numerous freelance projects and exhibitions, both locally and internationally. In 2019, Sana graduated with an MA in Art and Design Studies from Beaconhouse National University and later joined as a teaching associate in the School of Visual Arts and Design.

As a practising artist, Sana is always open to new opportunities and gaining diverse experience in the field of art and design. Sana has been a part of the Campus Art Dubai 10.0 Programme as an Exhibitor Relations Assistant. She currently teaches Patterning Practices as a visiting faculty at BNU and works closely, designing and facilitating interactive family workshops and programmes at the Jameel Arts Centre.