Dom Art Projects: A Magic Factory and a Spaceship

At a glance: Dom Art Projects opened in November 2025 in Dubai's Al Quoz Creative Zone. Founded by Anna Pumpyanskaya and Alisa Bagdonaite, it operates as a laboratory for curatorial experimentation, combining exhibitions, an artist residency, and what will become Dubai's first dedicated art bookshop. This conversation with .ART explores the founders' vision, the inaugural pairing of Michiko Tsuda and Dmitry Morozov / ::vtol::, and why they chose a .ART domain for the institution.

In a moment defined by fragmentation and the constant renegotiation of cultural meaning, a new kind of institution is emerging: spaces of inquiry as much as spaces of display. In this conversation, conducted by .ART, the founders of Dubai-based Dom Art Projects (domprojects.art) reflect on building such a space, one that operates simultaneously as structure and proposition, or, in their words, a “magic factory and a spaceship.”

Taking its name from the Arabic word for “always,” Dom Art Projects invokes continuity as an active, self-defined process, one that unfolds through dialogue, experimentation, and the construction of shared values. Situated in Dubai, a city shaped by rapid growth and layered cultural intersections, the institution responds to evolving needs: for connection, for sustained artistic development, and for new forms of encounter.

The founders of Dom Art Projects, Anna Pumpyanskaya and Alisa Bagdonaite, outline an institutional model grounded in curiosity and openness: experimentation begins with a question, and curatorial work becomes a means of creating new points of contact between artists, ideas, and audiences. The programme of Dom Art Projects asks what it means to think, to gather, and to create meaning together, here and now.

Opening of Dom Art Projects, Dubai. Photo by Nikita Berezhnoy.

The name “Dom” means “always” in Arabic. How does continuity operate in your institutional thinking?

Anna: On the one hand, we live in a time when almost nothing feels permanent: a condition of constant suspension, change, instability, and fluidity. On the other hand, reality is something we actively construct. We rely on ourselves and on the values that define what it means to be human, on the questions we ask the world, and on our belief in art and culture as forces that give us strength.

These values shape an approach that allows for continuity, not as permanence, but as the ability to remain grounded and true to oneself, even in times of uncertainty.

You describe Dom Art Projects as a “magic factory and a spaceship.” Could you unpack this metaphor? What kind of journey do you imagine Dom taking artists and audiences on?

Alisa: This metaphor may sound fantastical but it reflects a very real condition: the development of art in its pragmatic dimension requires infrastructure, spatial, production-based, financial, and intellectual. Our aim is to support artists at different stages of their practice, as much as we can. In programming our space, we try to create entry points for different stakeholders, ideas, artists, and audiences that may not have encountered one another before. Through curatorial work, these elements can refract and interact in unexpected ways. We are interested in creating new points of contact, productive collisions that generate energy, open new trajectories, and lead to genuinely meaningful artistic experiences.

Dubai’s art scene has grown rapidly over the past decade. What gaps did you feel were still unaddressed?

Alisa: Dubai is indeed growing very fast, and everything here operates at a high pace. On one level, this is positive: even upon closer examination, we don’t see obvious gaps that urgently need to be “filled.” However, as the city grows, so do its cultural needs: for representation, for community-building, and for meaningful points of attraction. Dom Art Projects emerged from this very need. “Dubai as a growing city” is in itself an abstract notion. What is more compelling is Dubai as a home for multiple cultures, diasporas, and communities that coexist and interact in a remarkably harmonious way. This is a significant cultural phenomenon. Dubai has become a destination for artists and curators, a key entry point into the region, and a center within a rapidly developing cultural landscape. We aim to support organic trajectories that can sustain long-term growth and provide a meaningful foundation for artists and projects to develop within this context.

Dom positions itself as a laboratory rather than simply an exhibition venue. What does experimentation look like in your model?

Alisa:

For us, experimentation begins with a question. It is not about demonstrating what one already knows or can do, but about working through uncertainty: testing hypotheses, engaging in dialogue. We are drawn to a non-didactic, learning-oriented approach.

It feels more natural, more proportionate, and more appropriate for a new institution operating within a rapidly evolving context.

Interior at Dom Art Projects, Dubai. Photo by Nikita Berezhnoy.

Your curatorial interests range from ecological practices and women’s perspectives to abstraction and technological art. What draws you to these particular fields right now, and how do they reflect the questions you feel are most urgent today?

Alisa: What does “urgent today” really mean, and who defines it? In a world of overwhelming abundance, it becomes difficult to rely on predefined trends or fixed lines of interest. Instead, we ask more fundamental questions: who we are, where do we come from, what genuinely interests us, and what kind of conversations we want to have with others. Who do we want to meet, and what do we want to think through together? These questions guide our curatorial direction more than any external notion of urgency.

The inaugural exhibition revolves around time. Why begin with time, and how does this theme resonate within the context of Dubai?

Anna: The starting point for the opening exhibitions was, in a way, embedded in the name itself. “Dom” carries different meanings: as “home” and “house” in Slavic languages, and as a temporal notion in Arabic. We were interested in projects that could exist at the intersection of these ideas. Alisa proposed this pairing, and I supported it because the works created a clear yet open framework, one that leaves space for the viewer, for interpretation, and for dialogue. Ultimately, we wanted not only to present something, but also to encounter our audience and understand it more closely. I was also drawn to the idea that this combination allows us to move across different media, shift perspectives, and even play, while remaining precise and conceptually grounded.

Installation view of the inaugural exhibition at Dom Art Projects. Photo by Nikita Berezhnoy.

Both Michiko Tsuda and Dmitriy Morozov engage with perception and environmental transformation. What kind of dialogue unfolded between their practices in the inaugural exhibition?

Alisa: The two projects form a kind of poetic pairing: they may appear as echoes of one another, yet they operate in entirely different registers. Michiko Tsuda reflects on time and space through a spatial installation rooted in new media, while Takir by ::vtol:: is a technological work engaging with the desert, human presence, and geological time. It is precisely their difference, their lack of direct comparability, that creates a sense of openness. In simple terms, the viewer is invited to reflect on how far artistic thought can travel, how complex and nuanced it can be, and how powerful and beautiful these ideas can become.

From the inaugural exhibition at Dom Art Projects. Photo by Nikita Berezhnoy.

In an increasingly saturated digital environment, you chose a .ART domain for Dom Art Projects. Do you see this as a strategic choice, a symbolic gesture, or both?

Anna: Because it felt right.