Art Dubai today announces full details of the programming and partnerships for its 17th edition, which will take place at Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai from 1 to 3 March, (previews on Wednesday 28 and Thursday 29 February).
Highlights will include:
A series of newly commissioned performances on themes of healing, hope and the power of art in challenging times
An expanded conference and talks programme of any international art fair including
The 17th edition of Art Dubai’s flagship summit, the Global Art Forum, examining the relationship between extreme weather and extreme change, organised by Commissioner Shumon Basar and Curator Nadine El-Khoury,
A series of Modern and Collector Talks, presented in partnership with Dubai Collection
The inaugural 3-day Art Dubai Digital Summit convening international and local experts to support and shape the continued development of Dubai’s digital art ecosystem
The fourth edition of the A.R.M. Holding Children’s Programme, devised by Goa-based artist Sahil Naik, launching at the fair before expanding to over 100 schools and 15,000 students
The premiere of ‘Heart Space’, a major new commission by digital artist Krista Kim, presented by Julius Baer as part of their global NEXT initiative
Art Dubai 2024 will feature an expanded programme of collaborations with local and international partners, underscoring the fair’s position as the meeting point for the Global South’s creative communities and its mission to redefine the role an art fair can play in supporting local and regional ecosystems.
Complementing more than 120 presentations drawn from more than 60 cities and over 40 countries across four sections: Contemporary, Bawwaba, Art Dubai Modern and Art Dubai Digital, programme highlights will include major new commissions and premie?res by internationally renowned artists and the most extensive education, talks and thought-leadership programme of any international art fair.
Since its founding, Art Dubai has been committed to working with institutional and commercial partners to develop new commissioning models and long-term innovative, high-impact cultural programming. These collaborations place particular emphasis on education and digital technologies, which are cornerstones of Art Dubai’s extensive year-round programming; they play a crucial role in shaping the future of Dubai’s cultural infrastructure, as well as responding to some of the most important issues of our time.
Art Dubai Week extends beyond the fair, with world-class exhibitions and events happening in over 50 institutions, galleries and independent art spaces across the UAE.
Pablo del Val, Art Dubai’s Artistic Director commented:
“Art fairs like Art Dubai have a responsibility to be far more than commercial platforms and we continue to play an important institutional role in this region’s cultural ecosystem, supporting artists, scholarship, thought-leadership and cultural education from an early age. Our programme this year reflects the increasingly diverse and multicultural communities of our home city, providing more opportunities than ever for artists from across the Global South. Dubai is a place of relentless reinvention, possibility and opportunity, and these commercial and institutional partnerships are central to all our activity, supporting our world-class non-commercial programmes.”
Art Dubai’s Executive Director Benedetta Ghione commented:
“The Art Dubai Group is committed to laying foundations for a thriving cultural and creative ecosystem, inspired by and responding to our home city of Dubai. The cultural scene here is maturing rapidly and we are proud of the role we play in engaging and inspiring audiences of all ages and backgrounds, and in supporting the next generation of cultural professionals. Our year-round education, scholarship, and thought-leadership programmes, developed alongside our long-term partners, create significant opportunities for people from all over the world to build careers in the creative industries in Dubai.”
Art Dubai is held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. The event is held in partnership with A.R.M. Holding. It is sponsored by Swiss Wealth Management Group Julius Baer. Art Dubai’s exclusive high jewellery and watch partner is Piaget. Culturally driven lifestyle developer HUNA is a partner of Art Dubai. The Dubai Culture & Arts Authority (Dubai Culture) is the strategic partner of Art Dubai and Art Dubai Digital. Madinat Jumeirah is the home of Art Dubai.
View the list of galleries participating in Art Dubai 2024 here.
CONFERENCES & THOUGHT-LEADERSHIP
Global Art Forum (29 February and 1 March)
In the 21st century, extreme weather – from floods, droughts, storms to smog – is no longer limited to “the developing world” but is a global occurrence. Art Dubai’s Global Art Forum titled “Whether or Not” will explore the cultures, technologies, sciences, and initiatives related to extreme weather and change. The two-day summit, hosted by Commissioner Shumon Basar and Curator Nadine El-Khoury, will feature renowned artists, architects, academics, curators, and thinkers. The forum will include speakers such as Dr. Stephanie Rosenthal, Director, Guggenheim Abu Dhabi Project (Abu Dhabi), Anne Holtrop, Architect, Muharraq (Amsterdam), Monira Al Qadiri, Artist (Berlin), Samir Bantal, Architect and Director AMO at OMA, (Rotterdam), Nadia Christidi, Researcher and Arts Practitioner, MIT, Cambridge (Massachusetts) and others.
Modern and Collector Talks
Supporting Art Dubai’s commitment to scholarship, Modern and Collector Talks are presented in partnership with Dubai Collection, the first institutional art collection for the city of Dubai.
Art Dubai Modern Talks will highlight the artistic links made possible by Soviet geopolitics of the Cold War, shifting the focus from Western metropoles and focusing the conversations on the impact of Soviet education and exhibitions on artists from the Middle East, South Asia, and Africa. The conversations will delve into cultural exchanges between Kampala and Baku, Cairo and Moscow, Colombo and Almaty, and Rostov, Luanda and Ramallah. Eminent art historians, curators, and academics, including Bilal Akkouche from Tate Modern, Dr. Masha Kirosirova from NYU Abu Dhabi, Inga Lace from Almaty Museum of Art, Daudi Karungi from Afriart Gallery in Kampala, among others.
Individual and institutional collectors are driving cultural shifts in emerging centres. Art Dubai Collector Talks will feature leading voices from the global art community including Sunil Munjal, Mohammed Afkhami, Nisreen Bajis, Hiba S Nesr, amongst others. Together, they will explore the evolving landscape of art collection, the role of patrons in creating and sustaining dynamic art ecosystems, as well as address pertinent themes such as identity, representation and cultural heritage.
Digital Summit (29 Feb to 2 March)
Taking place across three days, and building on the platform created by Art Dubai Digital, a new Digital Summit at Art Dubai will convene international and local industry leaders to discuss and debate the expanding digital art ecosystem and Dubai’s unique place within it. The programme will comprise public talks, lectures and break-out sessions, and participants will include museum directors and independent curators, as well as the artists and creative minds who are shaping the global digital art landscape.
The Art Business Conference Dubai
The Art Business Conference is the leading international platform for the discussion of key issues in today’s art market. Hosted annually in London, New York and Shanghai, the conference returns to Art Dubai with a focus on advanced technologies and their profound influence on two crucial facets of the art business: Collections Management, including provenance research, authentication and conservation, and the transformative impact of Web3, AI and Blockchain on the contemporary digital art market.
EDUCATION
A.R.M. Holding Children’s Programme
Now in its 4th edition, the A.R.M. Holding Children’s Programme will be led by Indian artist Sahil Naik, who will design workshops and activities, which will start at Art Dubai and expand to 100+ schools with over 15,000 students across the seven emirates, it is the most ambitious education initiative in the UAE. Naik’s practice, rooted in sculpture, architecture and arts education, will guide participants in creating through dioramas, memory and the built environment. The workshops, focused on ecology and nature, will prompt children to explore the question: “How do younger generations imagine future cities and what they will comprise?” Beyond the Children’s Programme, A.R.M. Holding, one of the leading corporate patrons of art in the UAE, has a growing corporate art collection featuring a range of established and emerging artists from the region and around the world.
Created to nurture emerging talent and future cultural leaders, Art Dubai’s flagship Campus Art Dubai (CAD) professional development and traineeship programme, now in its 11th year, is designed to provide recent graduates with mentorship, masterclasses and hands-on experience at the fair. Additionally, participants will benefit from curated tours of leading cultural organisations in the city, providing practical insights and a clear pathway for them to enter and thrive within the dynamic art scene. Over 400 trainees have graduated from the Campus Art Dubai programme to date, most of them engaged in driving new cultural initiatives or leading cultural organisations across the UAE and beyond.
NEW EXHIBITIONS & COMMISSIONS
DUBAI COLLECTION
Dubai Collection is the city’s first institutional collection of modern and contemporary art. It is built in partnership with individual and corporate patrons who support the initiative through an innovative loan system. At Art Dubai 2024, Dubai Collection will showcase an exhibition featuring some of the UAE’s most prominent artists, all drawn from the Collection. ‘Encounters’ ??????, curated by Alia Zaal Lootah, will bring together significant artworks in the Dubai Collection from celebrated Emirati artists including Hassan Sharif, Mohammed Kazem, Mohamed Ahmed Ibrahim, Shaikha Al Mazrou, Afra Al Dhaheri, Maitha Abdallah, Hashel Al Lamki and Sarah Almehairi. The exhibition intends to create encounters between the artists and the artworks, encouraging viewers to engage in dialogue with both the works and the stories of the patrons who have loaned them.
Art Dubai Commissions
Complementing Art Dubai’s Bawwaba gallery section, and curated by Emiliano Valdes under the theme ‘Sanacio?n/Healing’, this year’s Art Dubai Commissions will feature a series new performances and activations focusing on ideas of introspection, spirituality, community and the power of art to help us navigate challenging times and make a stance towards embracing unity. Participating artists, including Cecilia Bengolea, Sajan Mani, Debashish Paul, Mirna Bamieh, Mithu Sen and Hashel Lamki will explore various aspects of the healing process, creating spaces for contemplation and introspection, socially-oriented practices that engage with local communities as well as creating nurturing and liberating experiences.
Julius Baer & Krista Kim
Swiss Wealth Management Group Julius Baer, lead partner of Art Dubai, will present a newly commissioned digital installation by contemporary artist Krista Kim. Titled ‘Heart Space’ ????? ?????, this immersive experience allows guests to connect through the universal language of the human heartbeat. In real-time, each visitor’s unique heart rhythm will be visualised through a meditative abstract tapestry displayed across a dynamic LED canvas, promoting the concept of ‘oneness’ where participants contribute to a social fabric using art and technology. ‘Heart Space’ is a continuation of Kim’s pioneering exploration into the creative potential of emerging technology as instruments of wellbeing and longevity, fitting into Julius Baer’s NEXT universe that explores investment themes across arts, science and technology. This marks the second major digital commission by Julius Baer at Art Dubai, following the successful collaboration with Refik Anadol in 2023.
Piaget House of Gold & Shamsa Alabbar & Razan Alazzouni
Inaugurating a new partnership with Art Dubai and celebrating its 150th anniversary, Piaget will present a new exhibition titled ‘The House of Gold’. Centred around gold which has been integral to the brand’s philosophy, the presentation will showcase patrimony pieces, private collections and high-end jewellery and watches. This includes the launch of a limited edition of Piaget’s Limelight Gala watch, reimagined by Emirati designer Shamsa Alabbar, offering a captivating reinterpretation of typography and Arabic graphic design through the sweeping curves of the iconic jewellery watch. The exhibition features a central textile embroidered installation by Saudi Arabian fashion designer and artist Razan Alazzouni, inspired by another version of the Limelight Gala, made of gold and ornamental stones in a bespoke booth, which will host workshops and other immersive experiences.
HUNA Cultural Programme & Sculpture Park Launch
Dubai’s leading culturally-driven lifestyle developer, HUNA, in collaboration with Art Dubai launched a year-round HUNA Cultural Programme. Inaugurated at The Fold in November 2023, the programme aims to transform living spaces into creative community hubs, hosting insightful dialogues and talks by prominent figures, traversing topics from culture to technology, complemented by artistic performances and experiences. During the fair, HUNA Sculpture Park will be unveiled at the H Residence in Dubai. Entitled ‘Objects In Mirror Are Closer Than They Appear,’ this outdoor sculpture park goes beyond traditional boundaries, presenting the dynamic interplay between sculpture and architecture and blurring the lines between the everyday and the extraordinary. The park will feature works by leading international artists, including Rana Begum, Shaikha Al Mazrou and Pablo Reinoso.
Clinique La Prairie & Sara Naim
The Swiss pioneer in longevity, Clinique La Prairie, known for its approach to health and wellness, will return to the fair with its renowned Longevity Lounge. As a strong advocate for art and culture, Clinique La Prairie will commission a new artwork for the Lounge. Sara Naim, a Syrian multidisciplinary artist with ties to both Dubai and London, has been chosen to create a large-scale sculpture. The organically shaped artwork, composed of forms representative of sunrises and sunsets, seamlessly aligns with the ethos of timelessness and wholeness embodied by Clinique La Prairie.
BMW & Asma Belhamar
BMW’s showcase will feature the BMW i7 as the centrepiece within an experiential installation created by Emirati artist Asma Belhamar. The installation features motion-driven projections of abstract forms inspired by peripheral abstractions visible in UAE street surroundings, providing a sensation akin to driving amidst the sunset-painted mountains. Belhamar, a visual artist raised in Dubai, invites viewers to perceive the city’s rapid evolution as a canvas merging urban development with nature’s grandeur.
Art Dubai Week
Art Dubai Week expands its reach across the UAE, encompassing galleries, museums, national institutions, festivals and independent art organisations. Highlights include Vikram Divecha’s solo exhibition ‘Guest Relations’ and ‘Some Seasons: Fereydoun Ave and the Laal Collection’ at Jameel Art Centre, ‘Sheher, Prakriti, Devi’ curated by Gauri Gill at Ishara Art Foundation, offering a unique perspective on urban spaces. Gallery openings in Alserkal Avenue will add to the vibrant cultural scene. In Abu Dhabi, 421 showcases the group exhibition ‘Network Culture’ and a significant solo exhibition by Hana El-Sagini, ‘Counting Fingers’. NYU Abu Dhabi Art Gallery celebrates its ten-year anniversary with the experimental exhibition ‘In Real Time’, evolving over three months. The Sharjah Architecture Triennial, curated by Tosin Oshinowo, will span six venues across Sharjah, coinciding with the 16th annual March Meeting. Sharjah Art Foundation will open notable exhibitions: ‘Lala Rukh: In the Round’, the first major international survey of the artist; ‘To Be Free!’, a retrospective of South African painter Gavin Jantjes and ‘Henok Melkamzer: Telsem Symbols and Imagery’, offering a rare glimpse into Ethiopian art forms at Sharjah Art Museum.
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