On Saturday, I spent a couple of hours exploring this year's edition of the Quoz Arts Festival, which turned out to offer exactly the kind of immersive, sprawling cultural whistle-stop tour I wanted that day. In a bit over two hours I somehow managed to see four exhibitions, watch a photography demo as well as part of a movie, listen to several DJs, giggle at witty, locally designed t-shirts and spend way too much money on a tiny (but oh so pretty) bottle of organic lemonade. Here are some of my favourite moments from a leisurely stroll around Alserkal Avenue's hive of galleries, food stalls and retail spaces during Quoz Arts Festival 2014.

Tintype portraits at Gulf Photo Plus

At GPP, we had to push our way through a crowd to see locally based photo journalist Antonie Robertson's demonstration of tintype photography, a method from the mid-19th century, which is a slow process but renders astonishing results. Robertson's t… — At GPP, we had to push our way through a crowd to see locally based photo journalist Antonie Robertson's demonstration of tintype photography, a method from the mid-19th century, which is a slow process but renders astonishing results. Robertson's tintype portraits are all of people who live or used to live in the UAE. This phrase from the exhibition catalogue sums it up perfectly: "Robertson’s portraits speak of modern day nomads, a metallic memory of an ever-changing population."

Satwa 3000 Grocery at Satellite

Definitely one of the funnest corners of the event was the Satellite gallery, which had assembled a rambunctious troupe of local creatives, including Barbu, Digital Gravel and Love Print (a new collective of independent magazines from the Middle Eas… — Definitely one of the funnest corners of the event was the Satellite gallery, which had assembled a rambunctious troupe of local creatives, including Barbu, Digital Gravel and Love Print (a new collective of independent magazines from the Middle East). The centrepiece was the Satwa 3000 Grocery, a lovingly deconstructed pastiche of a typical corner shop in one of the shabbier parts of Dubai. Here is a rather wonderful preview video:

Faisal Samra at Ayyam Gallery

Across the road, Ayyam Gallery struck a more serious note, presenting some of the most powerful pieces including this installation, entitled Arab Spring, by artist Faisal Samra, whose solo exhibition 39 at Ayyam Gallery runs until 10 January 20… — Across the road, Ayyam Gallery struck a more serious note, presenting some of the most powerful pieces including this installation, entitled Arab Spring, by artist Faisal Samra, whose solo exhibition 39 at Ayyam Gallery runs until 10 January 2015. An eery piece, consisting of 22 grave-like mounds of sand, one for each country in the Arab world, with large balloons inscribed with the words 'Arab Spring' in Arabic calligraphy as headstones. An eery piece with a complex, reflexively critical message, occasionally made even eerier by unattended children playing with the sand.

Sara Rahbar at Carbon 12

Carbon 12 knows a thing or two about putting together a stark display and this exhibition is a lesson in how to make the most of a gallery space. Rahbar's latest pieces tread a precarious line between ideological symbolism and personal history. Piec… — Carbon 12 knows a thing or two about putting together a stark display and this exhibition is a lesson in how to make the most of a gallery space. Rahbar's latest pieces tread a precarious line between ideological symbolism and personal history. Pieces like Swarmed (pictured), bring together wooden parts of old guns and farm equipment, while others feature body parts cast in bronze. Apart from the startling poignancy of Rahbar's work, I also find the nuanced titling of her works especially pleasing, adding an extra, poetic layer to works that are already dense with possibilities of meaning.

And, finally: good to see the Alserkal Avenue Expansion coming together nicely

Banners announcing the opening of the Alserkal Avenue expansion in a couple of months' time. With the Sharjah Biennal, Dubai Art, Sikka and Dubai Design Days all kicking off in the same month, March 2015 is shaping up to be a busy month for the UAE … — Banners announcing the opening of the Alserkal Avenue expansion in a couple of months' time. With the Sharjah Biennal, Dubai Art, Sikka and Dubai Design Days all kicking off in the same month, March 2015 is shaping up to be a busy month for the UAE art crowd.