Whether you’re an artist or art connoisseur, there’s only one place you need to be this March and that is at Art Dubai — an internationally renowned art fair right in the heart of the Middle East. With more than 60 galleries exhibiting this year, well over half from outside the region, international galleries are looking at the Middle East and its neighboring markets to open up new opportunities in the contemporary art market. Last year, over 14,000 visitors around the globe came to witness the spectacle for themselves, including leading curators, museum directors, artists, and museum groups.
“Collectors and curators come to Art Dubai to discover new talent and new ideas,” said John Martin, director and co-founder of Art Dubai. “As regional collectors become more focused and experienced in their collections, so galleries are able to devote more of their stands to the artists whose work resonates more closely with the regional collector base. This year I am delighted more galleries will be presenting solo shows of some of the most important emerging and established artists giving a greater depth to the visitor experience.”
New to this year’s fair, is a designated area devoted to museum-like quality painting and sculptures dating from the 1950s to 1970s. This is significant because it provides an important contextual framework to the achievements of contemporary artists, explained Martin.
“In the next fair we are grateful for the continued partnership with Bidoun Projects who will curate an important program focusing on the upcoming talent from the Middle East and beyond,” said Martin. With “Bazaar” as its theme, the 2010 guest curators are Aram Moshayedi, of Laxart, and the curatorial team of Sohrab Mohebbi and Ozge Orsoy.
In addition, Antonia Carver and Masoud Amralla Al Ali, artistic director of the Dubai International Film Festival and founder of the Emirates Film Competition, will curate a program of films by UAE directors and artists, focusing on the exploration of the surreal and the spiritual in a series of short films and videos.
The fair will also include the unveiling of the Abraaj Capital Art Prize, in which three artist/curator teams will reveal their winning projects. This allows for unprecedented exposure and an opportunity to enhance their global reputation and widen their international network. The Abraaj Capital Art Prize is one of the most generous art prizes in the world, and provides an exciting opportunity for creative collaboration between international curators and artists from the Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia (MENASA) region. The Abraaj Capital Art Prize is currently accepting submissions until Jan. 31 2010. All interested artists are encouraged to visit www. abraaj.com/acap for more details.
Whether you’re into contemporary art, performance art, film, fashion or even jewelry — Van Cleef & Arpels will present a prestigious exhibition of watches — Art Dubai’s large venue at Madinat Jumeirah is a significant place for creativity to flourish and the exchange of ideas to be nurtured.
For more information on Art Dubai, please visit: www.artdubai.ae.
