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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 12th edition of Art Dubai – the fair's most globally diverse to date – will open its doors to the public tomorrow. Art Dubai 2018 will welcome a variety of exhibitors from all over the world and premier a new gallery section, alongside a wealth of programming and talks around art and beyond.
Reaffirming its position as a leading international art fair and the preeminent place to discover art from the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia, Art Dubai 2018 features 105 galleries from 48 countries across its Contemporary and Modern halls as well as its new section Residents.
Highlights of this year's programming include the unveiling of Lawrence Abu Hamdan's winning commission for the 10thedition of the Abraaj Group Art Prize and Khaleeji artist collective GCC turning Art Dubai's The Room into a TV studio in GOOD MORNING GCC.
As part of Art Dubai's new partnership with the Misk Art Institute, the fair will present a museum-quality exhibition entitled, That Feverish Leap into the Fierceness of Life, featuring rarely-seen Modern works from across the region as well as Reframe Saudi, a Virtual Reality documentary film that explores Saudi Arabia by looking inside the studios of Contemporary artists based in the Kingdom.
Alongside gallery halls and exhibitions, Art Dubai will feature a comprehensive talks programme: the 12th edition of the Global Art Forum entitled "I AM NOT A ROBOT" that will explore the highly topical theme of automation; as well as the second edition of Art Dubai's Modern Symposium, which addresses the lives and cultural impact of 20th century masters from the Middle East, South Asia and Africa.
The Sheikha Manal Little Artists Program returns for its 6th edition, featuring Japanese-Australian Artist Hiromi Tangoas the lead-artist, who will work with children throughout the week as part of her project Healing Garden.
"Once more, Art Dubai reaffirms its position as the platform representing the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia, where initiatives are formed or announced, artists' careers launched onto the international stage and where new partnerships and discoveries are made." said Myrna Ayad, Director, Art Dubai.
Pablo del Val, Artistic Director, Art Dubai, commented: "With each edition, we work towards stronger, more defined curatorial narratives that this year, are combined with the cultural offerings of 48 countries. It's been extremely rewarding to launch Residents and see it culminate at the fair; this initiative is in line with our objective to both engage communities and attract new energies to the fair and city."
Art Dubai is held in partnership with The Abraaj Group. The fair is sponsored by Julius Baer and Piaget, with Madinat Jumeirah as the home of the event. The Dubai Culture & Arts Authority (Dubai Culture) is a strategic partner of Art Dubai and supports the fair's year-round education programme. The Misk Art Institute is the exclusive partner of Art Dubai Modern. BMW is the new car partner of Art Dubai.
ART DUBAI CONTEMPORARY
With 78 galleries from 42 countries, including first-time gallery participations from Iceland, Ethiopia, Ghana and Kazakhstan, this year's Contemporary gallery halls confirm Art Dubai's unique character as a platform for discovery for art from across the world and meeting point for art from established centres and emerging scenes alike. Spread across two gallery halls, Art Dubai's Contemporary section will see a strong representation of galleries from the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia, a significant contingent of returning galleries from Europe and North America, as well as a unique line-up of galleries from Africa and Latin America.
ART DUBAI MODERN
The 5th edition of Art Dubai Modern will feature 16 galleries from 14 countries and introduce, for the first time, collective exhibitions, in addition to solo- and two-artist shows. The only commercial platform for museum-quality Modern works from the region, galleries participating in Art Dubai Modern 2018 will feature renowned Modernists form the Middle East, Africa and South Asia. Misk Art Institute is the exclusive partner of Art Dubai Modern.
RESIDENTS
Premiering in 2018, Residents is a programme-cum-gallery section at Art Dubai, which saw 11 international artists come to the UAE for a 4-8 week residency, producing work which will be presented by the artists' respective galleries in this new section at the fair. During their residencies at in5 and Tashkeel in Dubai and Warehouse421 in Abu Dhabi, the artists had the opportunity to engage with the local community, work collaboratively with one another, participate in talks, and conduct open studios.
THE 10TH EDITION OF THE ABRAAJ GROUP ART PRIZE
Celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2018, the Abraaj Group Art Prize has become a cornerstone of the art scene in the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia, as well as a stepping stone for mid-career artists, many of whom have become well-known names in the international art world. The 2018 edition of the Prize is curated by Myriam Ben Salah. The commissioned work by winning artist Lawrence Abu Hamdan, will be unveiled alongside an exhibition of works by shortlisted artists Basma Alsharif, Neil Beloufa and Ali Cherri.
THE ROOM: GOOD MORNING GCC (.صباح الخير جي. سي. سي)
Art Dubai's interactive dining experience, which is created by different artists each year, will be produced by Khaleeji artist collective GCC in 2018. Titled GOOD MORNING GCC (.صباح الخير جي. سي. سي), this year's edition of The Room will recreate a live TV show on site, using the tropes of daytime talk shows commonly featured on TV stations across the Arab world as an anchor for the programming, which will include daily segments such as fashion, cooking and health. A particular highlight will be the celebrity wedding singer and TV chef Suliman Al Qassar, an icon of food performance and much-loved TV personality in the region, who will launch the programme with a live cooking demonstration on the opening night of the fair. The overall experience of the set will develop over the duration of the fair with daily performances, and visitors being able to interact with the props, furniture and scenography.
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