The twelfth edition of Art Dubai, sponsored by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, closed with over 28.000 visitors, including representatives from 106 international museums and cultural institutions and an 18% increase in ticket sales.
Art Dubai 2018 welcomed 105 galleries from 48 countries across its Contemporary, Modern and Residents sections, including first-time participating countries Ethiopia, Iceland, Ghana and Kazakhstan, marking the most diverse edition of the fair to date and reaffirming its position as the most global art fair.
Art Dubai Modern showcased museum-quality works by Middle Eastern, South Asian and African masters whose work was influential throughout the 16th century and included 14 galleries from XNUMX countries with solo exhibitions, featuring two artists and groups.
This year's edition saw the launch of Residents, a new programme-cum-gallery section which saw 11 artists from around the world come to the UAE for a 4-8 week residency in both 5 and Tashkeel Dubai , and Warehouse421 in Abu Dhabi. The works produced during this period were presented in the final exhibition at the fair.
106 museums and institutions visited the fair with curators and museum professionals, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Victoria & Albert Museum, the British Museum, the Musée du Louvre, the Center Pompidou, the Palais de Tokyo, the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía and the Stedelijk Museum for Actuele Kunst, as well as a number of UAE-based institutions such as the Louvre Abu Dhabi, the Sharjah Art Foundation, the Art Jameel and the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi.
The Abraaj Group Art Prize (2009-2018), celebrated its 2018th edition during Art Dubai 11, and has announced that its complete collection will move to the Jameel Arts Center on long-term loan, to be exhibited there from the opening del Centro on 2018 November XNUMX, the eve of Dubai Design Week.
Outside the gallery halls, highlights of this year's fair include the presentation of Lawrence Abu Hamdan's Walled Unwalled (2018), winner of the Abraaj Group Art Award; a packed program of performances at this year's edition of The Room, presented by artist collective Khaleeji GCC and titled GOOD MORNING GCC; and the presentation of Meem, the winning work of Ayman Zedani, winner of the inaugural Ithra Art Prize.
Part of Art Dubai's extensive educational programming, the XNUMXth edition of the Global Art Forum, held in strategic partnership with the Dubai Culture & Arts Authority (Dubai Culture), discussed the hot topic of automation, in “I AM NOT A ROBOT” while in the Modern section of Art Dubai, the Modern Symposium celebrated its second edition.
A new partnership between Art Dubai and the Misk Art Institute, has seen a variety of joint programming at the fair. In addition to being the exclusive partner of Art Dubai Modern, the Misk Art Institute supported the non-sale exhibition That Feverish Leap in the Fierceness of Life, curated by Dr. Till Fellrath and Dr. Sam Bardaouil; sessions dedicated to the Modern Symposium of Art Dubai; and presented Reframe Saudi, a virtual reality documentary film that explores Saudi Arabia by looking into the studios of contemporary artists, a popular and in-demand attraction at the fair.
Another key aspect of Art Dubai's longstanding commitment to education and cultural landscape development of the UAE, the XNUMXth edition of the Sheikha Manal Little Artists programme, was carried out in partnership with Her Highness Sheikha Manal Cultural Office , coined by Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, artist Hiromi Tango in Healing Garden, an interactive installation that invited children to participate in creating an educational environment based on local plants and flowers.
Art Dubai partner exhibitions include From Pen to Thread: Des at the Julius Baer Lounge, a site-specific presentation by Egyptian-Swiss artist Karim Noureldin, who presented two large textile installations based on drawings made by the artist and produced in India; as well as Piaget's third showcase at Art Dubai, showcasing its latest collection of fine jewelry and watches: Sunlight Journey. In collaboration with the Cultural Office of Her Highness Sheikha Manal, parodying Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Piaget has revealed Summer Muse by Emirati artist Jawaher Alkhayyal, inspired by Maison Piaget's Sunny Side of Life jewelry collection .
Art Dubai 2018 was organized in collaboration with The Abraaj Group. The fair was sponsored by Julius Baer and Piaget, with Madinat Jumeirah as the venue for the event. The Dubai Culture & Arts Authority (Dubai Culture) is a strategic partner of Art Dubai and supports the fair's annual education programme. The Misk Art Institute was the exclusive partner of Art Dubai Modern. BMW was Art Dubai's new car partner.
Next edition: 20-23 March 2019
