Art Dubai
Madinat Jumeirah
Dubai UAE
Art Dubai’s largest and most international edition to date welcomed 92 participating galleries from 40 countries and featured the work of more than 500 artists across its three gallery programmes: Contemporary, Modern and Marker. Galleries reported healthy sales to local, regional and international collectors and institutions from the moment the buzzing collectors’ preview opened on March 17, and throughout the week.
Marker, curated by Luiza Teixeira de Freitas, included more than 40 artists from across Latin America, most participating for the first time.
Mashreq Private Banking launched a new corporate collection at the fair, acquiring 20th-century works from Africa, the Middle East and South Asia, at Art Dubai Modern.
Over the four days of the fair (March 18–21, 2015), Art Dubai attracted over 27,000 visitors ranging from the world’s leading curators to UAE-based enthusiasts. 400 curators and leading institutional directors attended the fair, now known as the annual meeting point for all those interested in the arts scenes of the Middle East, South Asia and beyond.
The winner of the seventh Abraaj Group Art Prize, Yto Barrada, exhibited her specially commissioned sculptural work and film, Faux Depart, alongside works by shortlisted artists Mounira Al Solh, Setareh Shahbazi and Sarnath Bannerjee in a dedicated exhibition, Before History, guest-curated by Omar Kholeif.
The Global Art Forum, themed around technologies and their impact on the world of art and culture, attracted capacity audiences throughout its sessions both in Kuwait and Dubai. Featuring over 50 high-profile speakers, plus the regional debut of the innovative youth movement 89plus, the Forum firmly reinforced its position as the hub for discussion and discovery. Videos of the Global Art Forum 2015 sessions will be available to view at artdubai.ae.
Audiences interacted with new site-specific works and performances from 11 commissioned artists and collectives, part of the dynamic Art Dubai Projects programme. For the first time, the fair’s not-for-profit programme included the creation of major commissions beyond Madinat Jumeirah—at Alserkal Avenue and other sites, including the Al Khail Road and in the Omani mountains.
The Campus Art Dubai Core class of 2014–15 held its graduation at the fair. A school for UAE-based artists, writers and curators, Campus Art Dubai is a partnership with the Dubai Culture and Arts Authority, and is supported by Dubai Design District (d3). The class also programmed this year’s Art Dubai Radio, with a rich week-long programme of interviews, sound projects, music and more, which will now play out internationally through dedicated podcasts.
For the youngest creatives, The Sheikha Manal Little Artists Program, held in partnership with The Cultural Office, featured workshops and discovery tours led by commissioned artist Nicolás Paris, working with 15 UAE-based artists. For the first time, the artists worked with Dubai-based schools in the run-up to the fair, and ran special workshops for teachers at the fair.
About Art Dubai
Art Dubai is held in partnership with The Abraaj Group and is sponsored by Emaar and Julius Baer. Madinat Jumeirah is home to the event. Mashreq Private Banking is the exclusive partner of Art Dubai Modern.
The Dubai Culture and Arts Authority is a strategic partner of Art Dubai, and supports the fair’s year-round education programme.
Maserati is Art Dubai’s official car partner.
The ninth edition of Art Dubai took place March 18–21. The gallery halls included 92 galleries from 40 countries, presented through three programmes—Contemporary, Modern and Marker. Art Dubai’s extensive not-for-profit programme included Art Dubai Projects; an exhibition of works by winners of the annual Abraaj Group Art Prize; a range of educational programmes including The Sheikha Manal Little Artists Program and the community school Campus Art Dubai; and the critically acclaimed Global Art Forum.
