Arts & International Affairs: Volume 2, Issue 1 | Page 71

Figure 4. Jan Lemitz (���� [����]): “Dubai Habitat”,
a series of photographs capturing the transient
constellations that are the shacks and shelters next
to the construction site of Jumeirah marina. “A rather
informal part of the economy, their existence follows
the cycles of real estate development in Dubai. These
sites become oftentimes
Figure 5. Reem Saeed (����): “Mandir: Life
Between Alleys” provides a glimpse of “the fading
beauty of old alleys” within the Emirates. The
series of photographs is “a documentation of a
particular hidden tiny alley where a small Hindu
Temple is situated. An aggressive, colorful contrast
between the modern and the traditional.”
which Autopoiesis, as a digital endeavor with limited funds, can reach many
people on the ground and engage a greater number of unrepresented and
unprivileged groups who might not necessarily have an online presence.
The project has relied largely on social media platforms, its existing networks
in the UAE and on relevant cultural organizations to publicize its activities
and increase its outreach. However, relying on certain networks, organizations
and methods of outreach remains unavoidably linked to the problem of
preferentialism and bias (see Barabasi and Albert ����), which, while not
being necessarily the intention of digital projects, is nonetheless a potential
byproduct of uneven connectivity and unequal online exposure and access.
For instance, artists, organizations, and networks with an already established
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