Tashkeel announces the reopening of its Nad Al Sheba 1 Gallery in Dubai UAE, with ‘Of Liminal Threads’, the debut solo exhibition by Syrian-Lebanese artist and designer Ranim AlHalaky, the latest participant of the Critical Practice Programme (CPP). The exhibition opened on 16 September 2025, marking a culmination of a year-long journey of research, mentorship, and production supported by Tashkeel.
Launched in 2014, the CPP provides UAE-based artists with sustained funding, studio access, and mentorship over twelve months to push the boundaries of their practice and realise ambitious projects. For Ranim, this opportunity provided the critical framework to translate years of exploration into a fully developed exhibition. Through the guidance of mentors Dr. Samir Mahmoud and architect Faysal Tabbarah, along with collaborators in sound and film, her project has matured into a multilayered body of work that bridges memory, migration, and material experimentation.
A tapestry of memory and belonging
Of Liminal Threads is rooted in personal and collective memory, drawing inspiration from Ranim’s late grandmother Omaya, whose home in Damascus was once the heart of family gatherings. Through stories, textiles, and the rituals of return, Ranim revisits the fragments of summers past, apricot jam in the kitchen, the hum of the ceiling fan, the textured Damascene blanket folded on the bed, and reimagines them as material works.
Her practice spans cyanotypes, fabric stamping, sound recordings, and printed textiles, each piece acting as both an archive and a reinterpretation. By layering surfaces, impressions, and oral histories, Ranim explores how memory can be preserved, disrupted, and transformed. The works are structured in ‘chapters,’ echoing the way memory unfolds, not linearly, but rhizomatically, with returns, interruptions, and stutters that carry both intimacy and estrangement.
“In Of Liminal Threads, I wanted to weave fragments of journeys—both physical and emotional—into a space that speaks to transition and belonging. The works carry traces of movement, memory, and pause, inviting viewers to step into the spaces in-between, where departure and arrival coexist,” said Ranim Al Halaky.
Beyond the gallery: culinary and collectible collaborations
To mark the reopening, Tashkeel is extending the exhibition experience beyond the gallery through two unique collaborations.
With Gerbou Restaurant, located adjacent to the gallery, Tashkeel continues the tradition of the Tashkeel Artist Special. For each exhibition, Gerbou’s chefs interview the exhibiting artist, drawing on their stories, materials, and palette to create a dessert that embodies the essence of the show. For Of Liminal Threads, the special reimagines the act of making apricot jam with Omaya. Presented as a rectangular form echoing a folded blanket, its surface carries blue and white impressions inspired by the cyanotypes in the exhibition. It is a dessert that marks a sweet continuation of Ranim’s storytelling, carrying memory into taste and texture.
Alongside this, the Tashkeel Gallery Shop will offer a debut of the Tashkeel Artist Collection with Ranim’s exhibition – a new line of functional design that transforms artwork into collectible crockery. Each edition will include a mug and plate, designed in collaboration with the exhibiting artist, to offer visitors the chance to take home a tangible piece of the exhibition. For Of Liminal Threads, the set highlights the signature blue tones that weave across Ranim’s works, echoing the patterns and atmosphere of her installation. The Artist Collection will grow with every exhibition, building an ongoing series that captures the breadth of artistic voices shown at Tashkeel that will be sold online and at the gallery.
Together, these collaborations extend the encounter with art: from the gallery into the restaurant and the home, giving audiences the opportunity to taste, collect, and remember the essence of each exhibition.
A landmark in Tashkeel’s journey
The reopening of the Nad Al Sheba 1 Gallery with Ranim’s exhibition underscores Tashkeel’s role in sustaining artistic practice in the UAE. As one of the few organisations offering long-term fully funded support to individual artists, Tashkeel’s CPP has become a vital platform for developing groundbreaking projects. These exhibitions demonstrate the importance of giving artists the time and resources to question, experiment, and refine their voice before presenting it to the public.
“Of Liminal Threads is not just an exhibition, but the result of a year dedicated to curiosity and exploration,” said Sheikha Lateefa bint Maktoum, Founder and Director of Tashkeel. “Through the Critical Practice Programme, we are committed to nurturing artistic voices and expanding the ways in which audiences can connect with art. The collaborations, with Gerbou and the Artist Collection, are part of that mission; creating bridges between disciplines and giving visitors multiple ways to carry the story forward.”
An invitation to the public
As Tashkeel welcomes visitors back to its Nad Al Sheba 1 Gallery, Of Liminal Threads offers audiences a deeply personal yet widely relatable encounter with art. It is an exhibition worth visiting not only for its evocative works but also for the broader ecosystem of collaborations it has inspired: culinary, collectible, and cultural conversations.
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