Project called Aside was inspired by a trip Latvian photographer Reinis Hofmanis took to Abu Dhabi (United Arab Emirates) in the beginning of 2015. This journey made him believe that the UAE is a country of two sides. While the mosques, tall skyscrapers, landscaped parks with palm-trees, and new roads make it seem so uniquely beautiful, the other face remains well hidden to tourists and passers-by. The city has a hidden part – an entirely industrial area with labor camps and street grids where the houses fall in an almost exact, mathematical structure. The monarchy reigned Arab world does not face the world of other ethnicities who keep out of the city center where the living costs are ever so high. Desert landscapes reveal the collective symbols of workers’ everyday lives and that is what the artist is trying to speak about through his photographs.
Reinis Hofmanis (1985) has graduated from the Art Academy of Latvia Department of Visual Communication and has studied at Hannover University of Applied Sciences and Arts. He has been taking part in exhibitions since 2003.
Opening event: May 30, 6pm
Free entry
Mon-Thu 11am-12pm
Fri-Sat 11am-1am
Sun 12pm-10pm