Since an unexpected fire severely damaged the iconic Cathédrale Notre Dame de Paris back in April 2019, restoration work has started and stopped for a number of reasons. First the site needed to be cleared of toxic dust that had potential to be harmful to workers and visitors near the site, then COVID-19 halted progress. But now, renewal efforts are concentrating on the cathedral’s beloved grand organ that was miraculously spared. With nearly 8000 pipes, restoration is expected to take up to four years as the organ is disassembled and cleaned.
At Leila Heller Gallery in Dubai, Indian contemporary artist Manish Nai invites viewers to reconsider the materials that surround them. In In Search of Material within Material, a solo exhibition bringing together works created between 2021 and 2026, discarded objects, industrial surfaces and familiar everyday materials become the starting point for an exploration of form, memory and transformation.