At Warehouse Gallery Dubai, Lavi Li brings Emirati heritage, field research and contemporary fine art into dialogue with the future.
On January 30, 2027, Warehouse Gallery in Dubai will open a highly research-driven solo exhibition by artist Lavi Li, curated by Valentina della Rocca and developed in collaboration with local photographers, researchers and cultural platform District 1795.
Running for one week, Roots of the New World explores the relationship between tradition, collective memory and rapid modernisation through monumental oil paintings, field research, photography and documentary storytelling.
Rather than approaching regional heritage from the perspective of an outside observer, the project seeks direct engagement with the people who continue to preserve these traditions. It brings together artistic practice, historical archives, oral histories and contemporary documentation to examine how cultural identity can remain deeply rooted while society moves confidently toward the future.
A Dialogue at the Crossroads of Cultures
At the heart of the exhibition is an investigation into four fundamental pillars of Emirati cultural heritage: falconry, camel racing, traditional dances and authentic everyday life.
The project combines archival research with fieldwork, creating a dialogue between historical records and the people who carry these traditions forward today.
For Lavi Li and the wider team, the objective is not simply to document cultural practices but to understand their meaning, evolution and continued relevance.
The perspective is also shaped by the experience of living between cultures. As expatriate researchers and artists, the team approaches the subject from two directions: as guests discovering the region and as residents who have developed a deeper connection with its social and cultural environment.
This dual perspective allows the exhibition to translate elements of Emirati heritage for an international audience while maintaining respect for their local context and authenticity.
Lavi Li: Art Rooted in Research
Lavi Li serves as the project’s author and creative force. Known for her research-driven approach to classical oil painting, she works directly with living practitioners, cultural sources and historical documentation rather than relying solely on visual interpretation.
To strengthen the project’s historical foundation, official research requests have been submitted to the National Library and Archives of the UAE and other relevant archival institutions.
This research seeks to trace how traditional practices developed, survived and adapted across generations while the Emirates underwent extraordinary urban and economic transformation.
For Li, painting becomes a means of connecting historical memory with contemporary experience. Her monumental canvases are intended not merely to depict traditions but to examine the values, identities and human stories embedded within them.
Capturing Living Oral Histories
Researcher Daria Kuligina leads the project’s oral-history component, focusing on conversations with living custodians of Emirati traditions.
Through in-depth interviews, she seeks to capture traditions from a first-person perspective, preserving memories and experiences that cannot always be found in written archives.
Her work adds an intergenerational dimension to the exhibition, allowing personal testimony to become part of a wider cultural narrative.
The result is an approach that considers heritage not as something frozen in history, but as something continuously carried, remembered and reshaped by people.
An Eastern Perspective Through Photography
The project also features the work of Mustafa Bastaki, a Bahrain-based photographer specialising in cultural heritage and regularly participating in research expeditions.
Bastaki brings an Arabic-speaking, Eastern perspective to the project, offering an internal regional viewpoint that complements the team’s expatriate experience.
His photographic contribution expands the exhibition beyond painting, creating another visual layer through which audiences can encounter the people, environments and traditions being studied.
Together, the different perspectives create a more multidimensional portrait of regional heritage.
District 1795: Extending the Story Through Film
The exhibition is being developed with the support of District 1795, a cultural platform contributing to the project’s research and media presence.
As part of the collaboration, the District 1795 team is producing a series of short documentary films dedicated to each of the investigated traditions.
These films will complement the artworks by providing audiences with deeper cultural and historical context, allowing them to encounter the traditions not only through paintings and photographs but also through moving images and documentary storytelling.
The partnership transforms the exhibition into a broader multimedia cultural project rather than a conventional gallery presentation.
Preservation as a Vision for the Future
The philosophical foundation of Roots of the New World comes from Lavi Li’s personal rediscovery of the region.
After travelling through numerous countries and experiencing different cultural environments, the artist found in the United Arab Emirates an alternative model of development—one in which rapid modernisation does not necessarily require the abandonment of cultural identity.
The exhibition explores this apparent contradiction: how can a society embrace technology, globalisation and architectural transformation while remaining connected to its historical roots?
For Li, the UAE offers a particularly compelling example.
Traditional clothing, customs and cultural practices can exist alongside futuristic architecture, advanced technology and rapidly evolving urban environments. Rather than being viewed as opposing forces, they become elements of the same contemporary identity.
This coexistence forms one of the central ideas behind the exhibition: progress does not have to mean forgetting where you came from.
The Gallery as a Bridge Between Eras
Curated by Valentina della Rocca, the exhibition will be presented within the conceptual and industrial setting of Warehouse Gallery Dubai.
The gallery’s grand scale, minimalist architecture and industrial character provide a powerful environment for Li’s monumental oil paintings.
The physical space itself becomes part of the exhibition’s narrative.
Against the raw contemporary architecture of Warehouse Gallery, the texture and visual language of classical Old Master-inspired oil painting create a deliberate contrast. The result is a meeting point between historical memory and contemporary urban development.
The gallery becomes a bridge between past, present and future—mirroring the central philosophy of the project.
A Conversation Between Heritage and Tomorrow
Roots of the New World ultimately asks a question that extends beyond the UAE: Can a society move forward without losing the identity that made it distinctive in the first place?
Through painting, photography, oral histories, archival research and documentary film, Lavi Li and her collaborators examine how traditions survive within a rapidly changing world.
The exhibition presents Emirati heritage not as something belonging exclusively to the past, but as a living foundation for the future.
At Warehouse Gallery, the meeting of monumental painting and industrial contemporary space will create a visual conversation between memory and modernity—offering audiences a portrait of a region where cultural roots and global ambition continue to grow side by side.
Manish Singh is an entrepreneur, media executive, and international publishing professional who has built one of the fastest growing independent media networks spanning business, leadership, entrepreneurship, lifestyle, and luxury. He is the Founder and CEO of Credible Media LLC, UAE, a Dubai based media company dedicated to helping individuals, brands, and organizations amplify their stories through premium editorial features, digital publishing, and strategic media exposure.
