The Third Line presents Rana Begum's third solo show in Dubai, exhibiting metal sculptures coated with vibrant colours that push the relationship between colour, form and three-dimensional space. Taking inspiration from urban order and disorder, Begum creates surfaces and planes that are luscious and seductive. To engage with these works the viewer must walk around them, embracing the materiality and making the viewing of the work a visceral and physical experience.

The show includes wall-mounted folded metal works that vary in sizes. These are developed out of previous studies in paper and delicately emulate the weightlessness of the original material. Mild steel, mirror finish steel, copper and brass are some of the industrial materials Begum is fascinated with. Careful consideration is given to the folds and angles and colors are scrupulously applied to various facets to create crystalline compositions.

Placed at irregular intervals and unusual heights, the installation plays with spatial concerns and recreates a semblance of kinesis. The sharp composition of light, reflection and geometry creates multiple perspectives.

In addition to these works are two benches that take on a more grounded and sculptural interpretation of the theme. The large floor pieces also occupy viewers in much the same way as the airy wall series, inviting them to view the work from all sides, taking in their multiple facets and shifting geometrical planes.

This new and more playful body of work follows Begum's established practice of working with minimalist aesthetic and urban physiognomies – each work demanding a level of interaction to be able to experience its entirety. The ambition of this body of work is to make visible how the slightest shifts in colour, shape, movement, and angle of view can create complex and beautiful new alignments.

Image: © Rana Begum, The Third Line