A new Dubai-based art gallery has launched, commencing with an exclusive solo exhibition, BENEATH, by Nick Veasey, the famed British contemporary artist known for his x-ray images of everything from supercars to high-fashion accessories. The award-winning artist, whose work is held in many important private and public museum collections, is being exhibited in the Middle East for the first time.
Just as Veasey seamlessly merges art and technology in his work, Galloire’s exhibitions are doing the same. Galloire is the first gallery in the Middle East to use virtual reality (VR) coupled with augmented reality (AR) to create a complete online exhibition experience. By integrating both physical and digital within its exhibitions, Galloire aims to make leading international artists’ work more accessible and to connect a wider audience to contemporary art in the region.
Founded by British businessman and art collector Edward Gallagher, Galloire is an omnichannel art gallery and platform providing exhibitions at its gallery, in other unique spaces around the region and also online. Galloire’s ongoing exhibition programme will offer art collectors access to works from major international artists not currently exhibiting in the Middle East.
Alongside its exhibition programme, delivering on its commitment to making contemporary art transparent and accessible for a broader audience, Galloire provides a curated catalogue of limited edition prints, photography, sculpture multiples and works on paper via its online store. These range from works by blue-chip, investment-grade artists like Damien Hirst and Andy Warhol to new, highly collectible limited-editions, which Galloire publishes in collaboration with established artists from around the world.
Gallagher explained, “Prints and editions are a vital part of the art market which empower more people to start collecting fine art, given a more accessible price point. Collecting work by leading contemporary artists also represents a fantastic investment. Growth in blue-chip modern and contemporary artists’ work has far outstripped the stock market over the last 20 years. Our online platform aims to make acquiring collectible work by these artists accessible, transparent and enjoyable – dispelling the illusion that collecting fine art needs to be elitist or complicated.”
Gallagher continued, “People spend millions of dollars daily buying fine art online, on works collectors have never seen in real life – from most major auction house sales to works sold from galleries across the world. This has only been accelerated by the recent pandemic, but the move to buy art online had already begun and only aligns with momentum and trends in all industries. So, at the same moment His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashed Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, set out an agenda to digitise every aspect of life in Dubai, we launch with every confidence that Dubai and the entire Middle East region will welcome the opportunity to access, view and collect fine art digitally as well as in person, starting with the outstanding work of Nick Veasey.”
Commenting on Galloire’s decision to launch with a Nick Veasey exhibition, the gallery founder said, “We’ve admired and collected Nick’s work for years, and his highly respected work is in permanent collections everywhere from MASS MoCA to the V&A in London, so we’re delighted to be launching with an exhibition of his work. His unique blend of technology and art perfectly reflects one of the core values of Galloire, meaning his work absolutely aligns with us as a gallery. I’m sure his work will be extremely popular with collectors here and, within the exhibition, there is a superb selection of work from his oeuvre for all to see.
“Especially in these times of restricted travel, we’re excited to offer the entire region the opportunity to visit Nick’s exhibition, as we bring the experience of viewing art digitally much closer to the experience of seeing it in real life. Anyone can visit the exhibition online from a browser or VR headset and, with augmented reality from their mobile phone, they can even hang any of Nick’s works in their home virtually to see it in place before they buy.”
Nick Veasey added, “As an artist, one thing matters to me more than anything, and that is people seeing the work. What is the point in my painstaking process if nobody gets to see the results? Working with Galloire has been a revelation, as technology is used as an integral and fundamental part of the gallery-artist relationship. It‘s not a nice add-on to a physical exhibition but a strategic commitment to giving the contemporary art audience an engaging experience. Our collaboration has been enlightening in many ways, putting to rest any concerns I had about working with a new gallery, and I am thrilled with Galloire’s proactive approach to presenting my work and with the integrity and quality of the virtual exhibition.
“This is my first experience of working in Dubai and the Middle East and I look forward to connecting with the local community and collectors, who I hope will appreciate the whole exhibition, including my x-rays of classic cars and iconic fashion pieces.”
In a world obsessed with image, Nick Veasey’s work breaks through the surface and shows us what’s beneath; behind the mask of the superhero, hidden under the skin of high-fashion and secreted by sleek supercar facades. From lethal levels of radiation emerges the beautiful architecture of life itself and ghostly, gentle images of the framework that makes up the icons of our modern society. His works allow us to journey into a world otherwise hidden and unseen.
At a time where we are left asking questions about life, returning to society and what we value as we do, Veasey’s work has never been more poignant. Throughout the exhibition, moving from the natural world to modern icons, his focus on revealing the truth beneath the surface and digging past the veneer of society has never resonated more strongly.
BENEATH is presented online, accessible from anywhere, in virtual reality on any browser (or with a VR headset) and in augmented reality from mobile devices. Click here to view the exhibition.
For more media information, please contact Slava Noor at IHC:
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Born from a life of passion for art and years as collectors, Galloire works within the world of modern and contemporary art to bring the best international talent to the Middle East and make their work available locally.
With an experienced team that includes artists, gallerists and collectors, Galloire brings a broader audience to art and makes discovering, connecting with and collecting world-class artists’ work more transparent and accessible – better serving artists, existing collectors and anyone new to contemporary art.
Galloire’s ongoing exhibition program features artwork from some of the most exciting international artists in their field, often bringing them to the Middle East for the first time. Galloire believes in breaking down the barriers between physical and digital art forms, so, as well as the use of technology to enhance accessibility to our exhibitions, we will be working with the premier artists in the field of digital art to bring their work to the region.
Alongside its exhibition programme, Galloire offers a curated selection of sought-after unique and limited-edition artworks via its online store – whether for existing collectors looking for a specific artist’s work or for someone wanting to make a first investment in art with confidence.
Edward Gallagher has been an avid art collector and dealer in the contemporary art market for the last six years. He is now pleased to make that passion his full-time occupation with the launch of Galloire. Prior to Galloire, he spent eight years in the Middle East working as a Managing Director, overseeing all aspects of the growth and success for a global events infrastructure business and latterly a FTSE 250 professional services business.
British artist Nick Veasey creates all his work with x-rays. The works are a classic example of the fusion between science and art. Having collected over 50 awards during his distinguished career, he is pre-eminent in his field.
With over a decade of successful exhibitions across the world, from South Korea to the USA, the award-winning British artist’s work is held in many important private and public collections, including MASS MoCA (Massachusetts), Victoria and Albert Museum (London), MUDAC (Lausanne), Museum of Contemporary Art (Taipei & San Francisco). His work has graced the cover of Time magazine, he has given a prestigious TED Talk, and the world’s largest photography museum, Fotografiska (Sweden), honoured him with a hugely successful major retrospective in 2018.
The media shows a constant fascination with the process and its results. Nick has appeared on the BBC several times, the Today Show in the US, Discovery Channel and a host of other TV channels throughout the world. Print and digital media also support the work with features in many countries’ national newspapers plus in online heavyweights, such as The Huffington Post and Wired. Nick lectures regularly and has two published books.
