Art Dubai stirs dialogue between heritage and contemporary art for 2023 edition

Art Dubai, an experiential platform for curated modern and contemporary art from across the Global South and the Middle East, was founded in 2007 and rose to be one of the leading international art fairs. Over the past 16 years, the platform has been the most cemented ground to let the talents from the surrounding regions meet, triggering a conversation between these famous faces. The 2023 art fair is the most extensive and ambitious to date, encouraging the collision of creative communities to delve into the universe of art and its creators. Art Dubai's executive director, Benedetta Ghione commented “As an innovative public-private partnership, we have been an incubator of talent, a catalyst for the creative economy here in Dubai, a convener of great minds, and an entry point to this vibrant ecosystem for the wider cultural sector”. It creates a nurturing environment in which artists, curators, and art professionals can thrive, paving the way for successful careers.

In the 16th edition of Art Dubai, the platform will champion 130 participants from 40 countries across six continents to complement the latest works of the region's leading artists. The art event will ensure a dialogue between the rich cultural heritage and contemporary art through the showcase. Through the showcase, the art event will ensure the conversation between the rich cultural heritage and contemporary art. Art Dubai is held in partnership with A.R.M. Holding, sponsored by Swiss Wealth Management Group Julius Baer. The Dubai Culture & Arts Authority is the fair’s strategic partner and HUNA is a partner of Art Dubai. The fair will be segregated into four gallery sections: Contemporary, Modern, Bawwaba and Art Dubai Digital accompanied by multidisciplinary talks and education programmes including 30 first-time participants. In the upcoming parts of the story STIR has shed a bright light on what all to look out for while visiting Art Dubai 2023.

Art Dubai Contemporary

This section of Art Dubai will showcase some of the best contemporary art from 76 galleries in 34 countries located in the Global South area of the map. First-time exhibitors in this section include First Floor (Harare), Art: Concept (Paris), Barakat Contemporary (Seoul) and some of the exhibitors making a come back are Chemould Prescott Road (Mumbai), Taymour Grahne Projects (London), October (London).

Art Dubai Digital

Clara Che Wei Peh, Singapore-based educator and arts writer, will be curating the physical section of Art Dubai which will boast an annual 360-degree snapshot of the digital art landscape by encouraging artists to explore ways by merging the paths of traditional art and the digital future world. Some of the galleries include Window Project (Tbilisi), 6529 (Digital), Unit London, and Afrofuturism.

Art Dubai Bawwaba

Bangkok-based Vipash Purichanont, will be curating the Bawwaba which translates to “gateway”, is the section which will feature artworks made in the past years and will curate them for the visitors to enlighten the world on the current artistic developments. It will dictate how contemporary artists have well-spoken about societal and environmental concerns through their works. Participating galleries and artists include: Circle Art Gallery (Nairobi), Silverlens Galleries (Manila/ NewYork), Yeo Workshop (Singapore).

Art Dubai Modern

The 2023 edition of Art Dubai Modern will be curated by Paris -based critic and curator Mouna Mekouar and Italian art historian Lorenzo Glustl. The section will focus on the artworks from the MENASA area picking all the pioneers of the field of modern art. The talk that will be held in collaboration with Dubai Collection will converse about the lives and works, and influences of 20th-century artists belonging to the regions of the Middle East and Africa. Some of the featured presentations include: Rasheed Araeen (Aicon, New York), James Barnor (October Gallery), Mona Saudi (Lawrie Shabibi, Dubai).

Programmes like Art Dubai Commission will be holding the flag at Art Dubai’s not-for-profit programme, where the artists will be required to produce site-specific works. For the 2023 edition, the commission will be organising daily performances and food-based experiences to showcase diverse cultures from Dubai to South Asia. The visitors will have an opportunity to encounter different cultures through performances, food practices and design. Ishara Art Foundation, Kiran Nadar Museum of Art, Kochi-Muziris Biennale and Samdani Art are some of the foundation partners for the commission. The 10th edition of Campus Art Dubai will also take place, an initiative that provides artists and members of the creative community with educational and professional opportunities. In each year’s edition, a unique curriculum is designed for the community to explore the significance of local knowledge through seminars, lectures and workshops. A.R.M Holding Children’s Programming, which will be marking its third edition at Art Dubai, will launch a project named The Flag Project suitable for children of all ages. The programme will encourage children to produce designs using craft materials and scrap fabrics that are environmentally sensitive. Some of the other galleries that are showcasing at Art Dubai are AKKA Project, Galleria Continua, Ayyam Gallery, Selma Feriani Gallery and more.

Art Dubai is a platform that not only showcases the artworks of pioneering artists but also serves as a forum for artists and the art community to discuss industry trends and issues. This year also, the art event has invited artists, curators, technologists and thinkers for the intricately organised 50 talk sessions. The conference Global Art Forum will focus on the theme “Predicting the Present”. The Collector Talks will focus on the upcoming trends in traditional and digital collecting. Other notable art talks not to be missed at the art fair include the Art Business Conference and Modern Talks. Through these extensive talks, educational programs, and workshops, as well as a wide showcase of artworks from artists of different regions, Art Dubai reaffirms its sensitivity towards giving a stage to the art community to showcase its talents.

Art Dubai 2023 will take place at Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai from 1 to 5 March, 2023.

Text by Pratishtha Vashishth