London has Frieze, Venice has the Biennale and Dubai has Art Dubai. Emerging as an art fair with serious international clout, Art Dubai is a prestigious showcase of art from the Middle East, North Africa and Southern Asia (MENASA) regions. Shining a light on territories often overlooked by the Westernised art world, the four-day fair brings together innovative sculpture, installations, paintings and photography in one place. A convergence of connoisseurs and collectors, artists and aficionados; Art Dubai is fast becoming a highlight on the global culture calendar for the creative elite. From the galleries to know, to the artists to watch out for, we reveal everything you need to know about Art Dubai.

 

The basics

Each March, Madinat Jumeirah transforms into a gigantic gallery for the duration of Art Dubai, rendering it the Middle East’s leading international art fair. With a focus on work by artists hailing from the lesser known markets, it creates an opportunity to discover new talent. The festival’s 2020 edition includes 90 galleries from 38 countries showcasing an extraordinarily diverse collection of artworks, artists and media.

Working with leading curators from far-reaching locations, including India, Lebanon, Germany and South Africa, Art Dubai’s outlook is truly global. Aside from thought-provoking exhibitions and cutting-edge installations, Art Dubai presents an unmissable series of talks, panel discussions and performances at its Global Art Forum and Modern Symposium.

 

What to see

Spread across four sections, Art Dubai’s booths and pavilions are the perfect place to spend time wandering through cutting-edge works to unearth new piece to invest in. The Art Dubai Contemporary section is where you’ll find everything from radical digital works to provocative sculptures and unique paintings. In 2020, a divergent line-up of galleries like Zilberman Gallery (Istanbul/Berlin) and Addis Fine Arts (Addis Ababa/London) will be showcasing works.

In its largest edition to date, Art Dubai Modern has 18 distinct presentations with each participating gallery displaying works by a different leading modernist artist. The likes of Cairo’s ArtTalks, Beirut’s Agial Art Gallery and DABANGA from Khartoum will present the best of their respective country’s talents. Meaning ‘gateway’ in Arabic, Bawwaba is a section curated by Bombay-based curator Nancy Adajania. Her handpicked selection of solo presentations by artists from Peru, India, Vietnam and Mexico among others will demonstrate where contemporary art in those regions draws its concepts from.

Curated by Johannesburg-based Kabelo Malatsie, the compelling exhibition, Residents, will focus on the African continent; leading you through an exploratory experience of artwork created specifically for the fair through a UAE-based residency. Expect to see pieces by Ethiopian mixed media artist Daniela Yohannes or Kenyan video artist Longinos Nagila.

 

How to visit

Art Dubai is open from 25th – 28th March 2020 at Madinat Jumeirah. Part of the Madinat resort, the stunning Jumeirah Al Qasr or the boutique beachside Jumeirah Mina A’Salam make the perfect locations from which to explore Art Dubai.