{"id":49589,"date":"2024-01-09T21:28:27","date_gmt":"2024-01-09T17:28:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/magpie.ae\/staging4\/?p=49589"},"modified":"2024-01-15T13:09:16","modified_gmt":"2024-01-15T09:09:16","slug":"art-dubai-2024-more-extras-more-regionality","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/magpie.ae\/staging4\/art-dubai-2024-more-extras-more-regionality\/","title":{"rendered":"Art Dubai 2024: more extras, wider regionality"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Art Dubai is promising a significantly expanded public programme for its 2024 edition<\/a> (1-3 March) including what\u2019s described as \u201cthe most extensive education, talks and thought-leadership programme of any international art fair\u201d.<\/strong> The organisers said much the same last year, but then it’s not unreasonable to expect year-on-year growth in ambition …<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This time around Pablo del Val, Art Dubai\u2019s Artistic Director, noted that \u201cart fairs like Art Dubai have a responsibility to be far more than commercial platforms\u201d, which is probably true \u2013 though \u2018responsibility\u2019 might be too heavy a term for what amounts to a branding exercise with the message that Art Dubai has a part to play in the region\u2019s cultural ecosystem (\u201csupporting artists, scholarship, cultural education and thought-leadership\u201d, as del Val put it).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDubai is a place of relentless reinvention, possibility and opportunity,\u201d he said, \u201cand these commercial and institutional partnerships are central to all our activity, supporting our world-class non-commercial programmes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The fair<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Nevertheless the core of Art Dubai remains the commercial element, the fair. This year\u2019s edition seeks to expand its focus on the \u2018Global South\u2019 beyond conventional geographic and economic boundaries to include “shared histories and distinct narratives” like diasporas and migrant communities from global centres such as London, Paris and New York \u2013 a neat way to expand the remit and the coverage without diluting the message too much.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Art Dubai says there are more than 100 exhibitors in the fair\u2019s four gallery sections<\/a> \u2013 which by our count is down on 2023, when the total was over 130; most of the established art fairs do seem to be recording slightly lower gallery numbers, though, so Art Dubai seems to be on trend here … <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Art Dubai Contemporary<\/strong> is always the largest section, this time with 72 exhibitors from more than 50 cities on five continents. They include 21 Dubai-based galleries, the largest number to date; that obviously reflects the continued growth of Dubai as a global creative hub and a commercial locus for art \u2013 it\u2019s not just the numbers of galleries in the city, it\u2019s the fact that they feel sufficiently confident (and flush enough) to put themselves in front of an audience of potential buyers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Art Dubai Modern<\/strong> focuses on the Cold War geopolitics of the 1960s, when the Soviet Union engaged in an active cultural exchange programme of scholarships and exhibition opportunities for artists, filmmakers, musicians and architects in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia. This section of Art Dubai seeks to reveal the shared creative approaches, setbacks and aspirations which resulted from these common experiences. Art Dubai Modern is curated by Christianna Bonin<\/strong>, Assistant Professor of Art History at the American University of Sharjah.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bawwaba<\/strong> (\u2018gateway\u2019 in Arabic) is a section for ten curated solo presentations of artists from the Global South and features works made in the 12 months prior to, or specifically for, Art Dubai. The projects spotlight \u201cartists who think of art as a place of reckoning, healing, and coming together\u201d. This section is curated by Emiliano Valdes<\/strong>; he\u2019s Chief Curator of the Medellin Museum of Modern Art and was Associate Curator for the 2014 Gwangju Biennale, so his \u2018Global South\u2019 credentials look good …<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The artists (and associated galleries) participating in Bawwaba\u2019s 2024 edition are Laxmipriya Panigrahi <\/strong>(Anant Art, New Delhi); AVAF \u2013 Assumed Vivid Astro Focus<\/strong> (Bar\u00f3, Palma de Mallorca); Arshi Irshad Ahmadzai <\/strong>(Blueprint12, New Delhi); Debashish Paul<\/strong> (Emami Art, Kolkata); Manuel Chavajai<\/strong> (Galer\u00eda Extra, Guatemala City); Manjot Kaur <\/strong>(Latitude 28, New Delhi); Nicol\u00e1s Janowski<\/strong> (Invernizzi Art Lab, Montevideo); Reinata Sadimba<\/strong> (Perve, Lisbon); Abul Hisham<\/strong> (Secci, Florence\/Milan); and Faissal El Maleki <\/strong>(Tashkeel, Dubai).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The final section is Art Dubai Digital<\/strong>, back for its third appearance \u201cto provide an annual 360-degree snapshot of the digital art landscape, exploring how artists are utilising new, immersive technologies to collapse the boundaries of the traditional art world \u2026 On show will be a diverse range of media including digital video, augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), extended reality (XR), artificial intelligence (AI), generative art, robotic art, NFTs and immersive art experiences\u201d. Art Dubai Digital\u2019s curators Alfredo<\/strong> Cramerotti<\/strong> and Auronda Scalera<\/strong> have selected around 20 such presentations for \u201can expanded vision of what it is, may be, and will be, in the field of contemporary art\u201d (it\u2019s difficult to talk about tech and art without getting into word salad territory).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The full gallery list is here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Talking<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Highlights of \u201cthe most extensive education, talks and thought-leadership programme of any international art fair\u201d will include the 17th edition of Art Dubai\u2019s flagship summit, the Global Art Forum<\/strong>. This has long been an inspirational and inventive part of Art Dubai, a cross-disciplinary symposium on the role of art and artists at its broadest; it\u2019s organised as usual by Commissioner Shumon Basar<\/strong>, supported this time by curator Nadine El-Khoury<\/strong> from Art Jameel. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For 2024 the Forum has the theme ‘Whether or Not’, a pun covering the relationship between extreme weather and extreme change. It runs over two days \u2013 29 February and 1 March 2024 \u2013 and while we don\u2019t have a full list of speakers we do know they include the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi director Stephanie<\/strong> Rosenthal<\/strong>; the regional director of hip architectural practice OMA Samir Bantal<\/strong>; another interesting architect with local (Bahraini) connections, Anne Holtrop<\/strong>; and artists Monira Al Qadiri <\/strong>and Gabriel Alonso<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Also noteworthy: the talks programme \u2013 again the largest of any international art fair \u2013 which comprises a series of Modern and Collector Talks presented in partnership with Dubai Collection (the Art Dubai organisation happens to run this institutional loans-based collection for Dubai Culture). The talks are panel discussions that are usually very good, in particular at providing historical and\/or cultural context especially for art (and the collection of art) across the Global South.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Art Dubai Collector Talks<\/strong> are usually the more specific, aimed as the name suggests at collectors and considering topics like philanthropy, corporate support for the arts and institutional collecting. The Art Dubai Modern Talks<\/strong> are usually more discursive and perhaps educational, and for 2024 they will expand on the focus of the fair\u2019s Modern section and he artistic links made possible by the geopolitics of the Cold War. As the blurb says: \u201cThough these East-East and South-South networks may no longer be obvious today, they were critical to the formation of modern art in the region \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Otherwise<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

It looks as though last year\u2019s experiment with a Dubai version of Christie\u2019s Art+Tech Summit has been dropped; but then it was more a Christie’s thing rather than an Art Dubai extra. But we’re told a second running of the invitation-only Art Business Conference, another established industry event, will be happening (“details to follow”; last year <\/a>it was a half-day of presentations and panels on the subject of art and sustainability). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And at least the Children\u2019s Programme<\/strong> is there again, and it too is claimed to be the most ambitious edition yet. Devised by Goa-based artist Sahil Naik<\/strong>, it launches at the fair before expanding into the community at more than 100 local schools through workshops that should end up touching 15,000 students one way or another. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Naik is known for sculptural installations which resemble architectural models and explore global conflicts, nation-building and mythology as well as construction; he promises to take the Children\u2019s Programme participants on a journey through creation using dioramas, memory and the built environment as sources of inspiration in exploring the central questions: \u201cHow do younger generations imagine future cities, and what they will comprise?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This year\u2019s Art Dubai Commissions<\/strong> will apparently feature a series of new performances, films and activations \u201cfocusing on topics of hope, community and the power of art to help us navigate challenging times\u201d. We don\u2019t know too much about these, except that the programme is curated by Emiliano Valdes, the curator responsible for the fair\u2019s Bawwaba section; so presumably the public events will be by or relate to the Bawwaba artists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Also worth checking out: Heart Space<\/em>, a newly commissioned digital installation by Canadian-Korean artist Krista Kim<\/strong>. It\u2019s presented by Julius Baer, the Swiss wealth management business that is the lead partner of Art Dubai, responsible for last year\u2019s brilliant digital piece by Refik Anadol. Heart Space<\/em> (above) is a continuation of Kim\u2019s ongoing exploration into the creative potential of screens as digital instruments of wellbeing and longevity; the heart rhythms of each visitor are sensed and visualised in real time as patterns and shapes on a dynamic LED canvas. Kim described the piece as \u201camplifying AI technology\u2019s power to reconnect where social media algorithms have fractured \u2026 I hope each participant feels inspired in their singular beauty yet leaves appreciating a greater whole\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Art Dubai <\/a>takes place as usual at Madinat Jumeirah from 1 to 3 March (with invite-only VIP previews on 28 and 29 February). Opening hours are 2 \u2013 9 pm on the first two days, midday to 4pm on the Sunday; a day ticket slightly up on last year<\/strong> at AED 100, a three day pass is AED 180.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Art Dubai is promising a significantly expanded public programme for its 2024 edition (1-3 March) including what\u2019s described as \u201cthe most extensive education, talks and thought-leadership programme of any international art fair\u201d. The organisers said much the same last year, [… more]<\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":49597,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[139],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-49589","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-art-fair"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/magpie.ae\/staging4\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49589","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/magpie.ae\/staging4\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/magpie.ae\/staging4\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/magpie.ae\/staging4\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/magpie.ae\/staging4\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=49589"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/magpie.ae\/staging4\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49589\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/magpie.ae\/staging4\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/49597"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/magpie.ae\/staging4\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=49589"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/magpie.ae\/staging4\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=49589"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/magpie.ae\/staging4\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=49589"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}