March 16-19

Art Dubai
This year’s event at Dubai’s Madinat Jumeirah not only marks the accession of long-term Art Dubai collaborator Antonia Carver to the post of Fair Director, replacing founding Director John Martin, but a reinvigorated programme which sets out to reflect the kaleidoscopic diversity and energy at large amidst the flourishing Middle Eastern and North African contemporary art scene.

Amidst the new initiatives is ‘Marker’, a dynamic new section of experimental stands curated by Nav Haq. Five experimental commercial and non-commercial galleries from Asia and the Middle East, most of whom are making their art fair debut, will showcase work by emerging artists created especially for the fair.

The region’s leading platform for cultural debate, Global Art Forum_5 will be another highlight, presented by the Dubai Culture & Arts Authority (Dubai Culture) in partnership with Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art, Qatar, and Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture & Heritage (ADACH). The Forum acts as a platform that connects local art scenes with the rest of the world. Beginning on March 14 at Doha’s Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art, before moving to Dubai’s Fort Island from March 16-18, it focuses broadly on the theme of ‘Changing Audiences’. Through keynotes, panels, workshops, conversations and performances, the Forum will examine mutual sympathies between fashion and art, and debate how artists see their role in relation to new audiences. There will also be a series of practical workshops, aimed at regionally-based artists, curators and arts practitioners and Forum Fellows, a programme bringing together a group of curators and artists from across the Middle East together with equivalent gifted practitioners from the UAE.

And, of course, there will be installations. As part of its ambitious commissioning programme, Art Dubai has invited Abbas Akhavan, Oraib Toukan, and Hrair Sarkissian to create major site-specific installations that reflect on and examine the nature of the art fair. Audio projects can also be experienced, ranging from spoken word and music to abstract sound collages. Participating artists include Ramin Haerizadeh, Hassan Khan, Radhika Khimji, Faisal Samra, Bani Abidi, Naeem Mohaiemen and many more.
For more info, go to www.artdubai.ae