Art Dubai, the leading international art fair in the Middle East and South Asia, opened last night under the patronage of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.
Taking place March 19-22, the 2014 edition of Art Dubai features three gallery programmes–Contemporary, Modern and Marker; the winners of The Abraaj Group Art Prize; commissioned artists’ projects; the critically acclaimed Global Art Forum; live radio; film and more.
Click here to see artwork displayed in this year’s Contemporary exhibition
Held at Madinat Jumeirah, this year’s edition of Art Dubai builds on its reputation as a fair of discovery with 85 participating galleries from 34 countries; more than 500 artists are participating in the gallery halls and across the not-for-profit programmes.
Held in partnership with the Abraaj Group for the sixth time, The Abraaj Group Art Prize awards talented artists on the basis of proposals rather than completed works.
The Abraaj Group Art Collection now boasts twenty-six artworks to date. Past winners are increasingly in the spotlight and the artworks have been loaned to major international biennials, such as Sharjah Biennial, Kochi Muziris Biennial, The Biennale of Sydney; as well as global institutions such as the Victoria and Albert Museum, London and the Smithsonian Museum of Asian Art, Washington D.C.
“Art Dubai’s development over the past eight years reflects the extraordinary growth of the UAE arts scene,” said Antonia Carver, Fair Director, Art Dubai. “The fair has acted as a catalyst, expediting Dubai’s role as a bona fide cultural hub for the region and beyond. We’re thrilled to be opening our eighth edition with such a strong and diverse range of 85 gallery exhibitions, plus our largest not-for-profit programme to date.”
The inaugural ‘Dubai Art Season,’ the city’s umbrella arts initiative, will showcase over 150 creative activities from March 14 to April 15, 2014, underlining the city’s status as a global creative hub.
‘Dubai Art Season,’ unites five of the city’s premier arts events including Art Week, the Middle East Film & Comic Con and Gulf Film Festival. Art Week celebrates three flagship events, SIKKA Art Fair, Design Days Dubai, and Art Dubai. Several panel discussions, workshops, performances, outdoor art projects and exhibitions will be held as part of the initiative.
Saeed Al Nabouda, Acting Director General, Dubai Culture & Arts Authority, said: “The inaugural ‘Dubai Art Season’ showcases the talent of our emerging artists, providing them a robust platform to engage with the community through a culturally enriching roster of events. Residents and visitors to our city can witness the creative potential of artists across all disciplines, further enabling them to develop a genuine appreciation for the arts.”
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