ART FAIRS:Art Dubai 2016
Over the last 9 years, Art Dubai has become a leading Art Fair in the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia. Recognised as one of the most globalized meeting points in the art world today, Art Dubai takes place each year in March, presenting a selection of galleries around the world, across three programmes: Contemporary, Modern, and Marker.
By Dimitris Lempesis
Photo: Art Dubai 2016 Archive
The 10th edition of Art Dubai, takes place at Madinat Jumeirah in Dubai, divided in 3 main sections. Art Dubai Contemporary features commercial galleries working in the primary market and established for at least two years. This year the Fair features 76 galleries from 36 countries, from the world’s most influential galleries to dynamic young artspaces, the artists range from emerging and upcoming practitioners from lesser-known art capitals to household names. Art Dubai Modern is devoted to Modern art from the Middle East, Africa and South Asia, presented by regionally and internationally based galleries. Each exhibitor presents a solo or two-person exhibition, featuring work by modern masters from the 20th Century. Art Dubai Modern includes 13 galleries from 9 countries. Marker is Art Dubai’s curated programme of galleries and artspaces, which focuses each year on a particular theme or geography. This section aims to exemplify the fair’s role as a site of discovery and cross-cultural exchange, and is a feature of Art Dubai’s extensive not-for-profit programming. For 2016 it focuses on the dynamic independent artist-run spaces of Manila, the Philippines. Curated by Ringo Bunoan, features the work of 20 Filipino artists, from Modern master Roberto Chabet to a new generation of radical Contemporary artists, all of whom who are in their 20s and 30s. This year, Art Dubai Projects features eight new site-specific projects developed through Artists-in-Residence, and Art Dubai Commissions. A highlight is “The Wedding Project”, a new immersive project featuring performances and an eleven-course menu created entirely by artists, taking place across two rooms in Mina A’Salam. The Abraaj Group Art Prize (AGAP) exhibition. presents the new commission by the winning artist duo Basel Abbas and Ruanne Abou-Rahme, alongside the work of the three shortlisted artists: Dina Danish, Mahmoud Khaled, and Basir Mahmood. Exploring the theme, “The Future Was”, the 10th edition of the Global Art Forum programme includes a series of 32 live talks, panels and performances, inviting over 50 international and regional leading world thinkers to discuss how the future has been imagined and shaped. Art Dubai’s 2016 programme also includes an exhibition of Shirana Shahbazi from the Julius Baer Art Collection.
Info: Art Dubai 2016, Madinat Jumeirah, Al Sufouh Road, Umm Suqeim, Dubai, Duration: Days & Hours: Wed 16/3 (Invitation Only) 16:00-21:20 (Ladies Preview 13:00-16:00), Thu 17/3 16:00-21:30, Fri 18/3 14:00-21:30, Sat 19/3 12:00-18:30, Entrance Fee: 50 AED, Three-Day Pass: 80 AED, http://artdubai.ae
