Art Dubai is a leading international art fair, welcoming the global art world to Dubai each year. The fair acts as a gateway to art from around the world and is the preeminent place to discover works from the Middle East, Africa and South Asia.

Here all you need to know about the event of the year.

WHEN AND WHERE IS ART DUBAI?

Art Dubai is taking place March 15-18, 2017 at Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai. Held under the patronage of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.

FUN FACTS: 

• This is the 11th edition of Art Dubai
• It will take place from March 15-18, 2017
• 93 galleries are participating
• From 44 countries
• Featuring over 500 artists
• Representing 60+ nationalities
• Last year we had just over 27.5K visitors over the week
• 25 galleries attending the fair for the first time and almost three quarters of galleries returning
• 30+ galleries focusing on solo or two-artist exhibitions
• 12 galleries participating from the UAE
• 9 galleries participating from Iran
• 4 from South America and 1 has a space in La Habana
• 4th edition of Modern section – will feature 15 galleries from 12 countries

New Fair Director, Myrna Ayad, shares what not to miss this year

Art Dubai is held under the Patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE, Ruler of Dubai. An international art fair with roots in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia, the eleventh edition of Art Dubai takes place March 15-18, 2017 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

Art Dubai Contemporary

One of the most exciting aspects about this hall – and which will be immediately perceptible and palpable – is the curatorial effort that has gone into each booth. The works of some of the world’s aspiring and emerging artists through to established, respected names will be exhibited through 78 galleries. That variety in itself is unique and attests to Art Dubai’s positioning as the most global of art fairs. We’ve got a strong contingent of galleries from Iran as well as those from South America this year, and it’s always interesting to feel the ‘pulse’ of the times and trends in this hall.

Art Dubai Modern

If ever there were a visual anthology of the 20th-centry histories of the Middle East, South Asia and Africa regions, every edition of Art Dubai Modern would constitute a chapter. This vault is where secrets and told and untold histories are held – from political and economic hardship through to the many layers between tradition and modernity and social issues, the prized artworks exhibited in this hall testify to culturally rich regions with long, colourful histories. With 15 galleries this year, it’s a different energy altogether – pensive and momentous with a lot more time spent exploring the narratives behind each work.

The Abraaj Group Art Prize

I’ve followed Rana Begum’s career for many years now and each time I’ve seen her work, I sense a reinterpretation, a rethinking and an exploration of new variations, specifically the fusion between architecture, minimalism and Islamic abstraction. I’m excited at the prospect of this young Bangladeshi artist presenting her winning work for the ninth Abraaj Group Art Prize under the curatorship of Omar Berrada, a curator whose work I admire. I am keen on seeing how she will push boundaries (quite literally!) as will the shortlisted artists Doa Aly, Raha Raissnia and Sarah Abu Abdallah.

Art Dubai Commissions

This is the first time that our Commissions will be wholly performance-based and I am excited about this for several reasons. Primarily, there is something to be said about casually waltzing through the fair only to be pleasantly interrupted by a performance. That definitely offers a different energy altogether. Yasmina Reggad returns to curate our Commissions and will, along with Lana Fahmi, will pay tribute to the late, great Emirati artist Hassan Sharif. I appreciate that these performances – including those by Iván Argote and Pauline Bastard, Eglé Budvytyté and Manuel Pelmus – altogether add another dimension to experiencing art. Personally, I value how these presentations continue to resonate, because ultimately, we recall emotions and a lot comes through with performance.

Global Art Forum

As someone who has lived in the UAE for over 30 years, the concept of trade was and still is prevalent, from seeing the dhows along the Dubai Creek bring in goods from Iran, India, which made their way into souks and retails outlets to witnessing the construction of ‘trading hubs’ in the form of huge shopping malls, the DIFC and others. Much as the UAE has been a nucleus in the regional trading industry, so too is Art Dubai as far as art and ideas are concerned and I am excited at how the Global Art Forum, aptly titled Trading Places and led by the indefatigable Shumon Basar, will tackle the exchange of ideas, narratives, concepts and goods.

Art Dubai Modern Symposium

There is something to be said of great minds coming together, as they will at the inaugural Art Dubai Modern Symposium. This is a great opportunity to hear otherwise untold stories, unknown truths and the sharing of knowledge on the region’s modernity and its key figures. These modernists, were, after all, documentarians of a time gone by and it is through their practices, told to us by participating curators, scholars, museum directors and patrons, that we can piece together different eras, influences and inspirations. I’m sure this will be a real eye-opener that will widen the dialogue on modern art from the region.

FAMILY ACTIVITY

The Sheikha Manal Little Artist’s Programme

Provides hands-on and engaging workshops for children between the ages of 5-17. The programme encourages young people to get involved in the arts, creating a platform for creative thinking and artistic expression.

OPENING HOURS

PRIVATE DAYS (by invitation only)

Monday, March 13, 6.30-8.30pm: Art Dubai Modern Preview

Tuesday, March 14, 3-9.30pm: Art Dubai Preview

Tuesday, March 14, 7pm: The Abraaj Group Art Prize Unveiling

VERNISSAGE (by invitation only)

Wednesday, March 15, 1-4pm: Ladies Day Preview (open to all ladies)

Wednesday, March 15, 4-9.30pm: VIP Opening

PUBLIC DAYS*

Thursday, March 16, 4-9.30pm

Friday, March 17, 2-9.30pm

Saturday, March 18, 12-6.30pm

*Please note that last entrance into the fair is at 9pm

HOW TO GET TICKETS

Tickets can be purchased at the fair or online at a discounted price here.

TICKET OPTIONS

Day ticket (valid one day, either March 16, 17, 18): AED 50 if purchased online, AED 80 if purchased onsite

Free entry for youth under 18 and students with valid ID.

PARKING

Parking for Art Dubai is at the nearby Dubai Police Academy, with continuous shuttles to the fair.

DOWNLOAD MAP HERE

Please note that at peak times there will be no valet parking available at Madinat Jumeirah, and we strongly advise coming by taxi for the evening events.

 

Organisations taking part include:

· Art Dubai, the week’s anchor event, will announce its extensive programme that includes 93 international galleries, the eleventh edition of the Global Art Forum and an exhibition of works by winners of the Abraaj Group Art Prize, and much more.
· Design Days Dubai will present its largest list to date of participating leading design galleries, studios and solo designers, and returns for its sixth edition at a new location within Dubai Design District (d3).
· The Dubai Culture and Arts Authority will present the 4th edition of the Emirates umbrella arts initiative ‘Dubai Art Season’, headlined by SIKKA Art Fair amongst other key cultural events happening across the city in March to April 2017.
· Alserkal Avenue will present its commissions for Art Week and its inaugural event at their new OMA-designed venue.
· Sharjah will present exhibitions that include Beloved Bodies II at the Barjeel Art Foundation and Once Upon A Time: Hadiqat Al Umma at The Maraya Art Centre.
· The Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority will present the second exhibition of the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi Collection The Creative Art: Performance, Process, Presence at Manarat Al Saadiyat, and the Salama bint Hamdan Al Nahyan Foundation and Warehouse 421 will present the exhibitions Lest We Forget: Emirati Adornment & Intangible and Bayn: the In-Between.

The format will allow you to meet the participants of Art Week on a one to one basis in an informal setting.

Should you require transport to the event, please book a Careem car and enjoy a free ride, valid 15th February between 9:00am – 1:00pm, using Promo code: artweek2017. Pick up or drop off must be within d3.

We look forward to meeting you at 10am on the 15th February, Building 7, the Dubai Design District (d3). Light refreshments and breakfast will be served.

Art Week is an Art Dubai Group initiative that is supported by Dubai Culture & Arts Authority (Dubai Culture) and Meraas.

Art Dubai 2017 Guide