Transcript
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Now in its eighth year, Art Dubai is the region’s premier art fair that puts Dubai on the world’s art map. With an expected 200,000 visitors over four days, and more than 80 galleries representing 500 artists, this year’s edition promises to be a belter 3
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Wander through these zones within madinat Jumeirah
Untitled Nelson Wilbert
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Cinema opera (Cairo Billboards) Lucien samaha
Yayoi Kusama
Art talk
ANTONIA CARVER, ART DUBAI FAIR DIRECTOR
What are you most excited to see at Art Dubai this year? It’s almost impossible to choose just one thing. We have a few new developments at the fair this year, and seeing Art Dubai Modern come to life will be particularly exciting. It will feature 11 solo and two artist exhibitions of rare masterpieces from the 1940s to the 1990s, and is something quite unique. What else is new this year? We’ve really stepped up our public programming this year. There are talks, tours, book launches and children’s workshops happening on the hour and half hour, all day, every day.
This giant exhibition hall features galleries from around the world. Come face to face with an original red-dotted Yayoi Kusama painting at Victoria Miro and admire pop culture photographs of Cairo billboards by Lucien Samaha at Lombard Freid Gallery. Everything is for sale here (don’t be afraid to ask for pricing information), although some of the prices may make you want to lie down. artdubai.ae/contemporary
What advice do you have for Art Dubai newbies? There is something for everyone. Art Dubai is the most diverse and most accessible of art fairs. The works for sale range from under Dhs1,000 to more than Dhs3 million, while the not-forprofit programme features more than 12 specially commissioned artists’ projects. For the latter, the artists are asked to create works that are interactive, that draw in audiences, so they are a great place to start.
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Title: Untitled Artist: Nabil Nahas
Art talk
SAMA ALSHAIBI, ARTIST Originally from Iraq, Sama is associate professor of photography/video art at The University of Arizona. Her work often uses the female body to ask questions of nationhood and can be found at the Ayyam Gallery’s booth at Art Dubai
What work you will show at Art Dubai this year? I will be showing four largescale photographic works from my project Silsila (‘chain’ in Arabic). It is an on-going project that incorporates photography, video/object hybrids, etching on glass embedded into light boxes, wood sculptural elements, sound and sand.
Take a step back in time and visit the Modern zone, a new programme devoted to Middle Eastern and South Asian modern art from the 20th century. In this section each gallery presents one or two influential artists. Be sure to check out Dubai-based Lawrie Shabibi’s booth to spend time with 1970’s work by Lebanese powerhouse Nabil Nahas. It’s extraordinary how current his geometric abstracts still feel today. artdubai.ae/modern
DAtes foR YoUR DiARY March 19 to 22
March 19
March 21
Art Dubai, Madinat Jumeirah, Al Sufouh Road, Dubai, Dhs50.
opening night (invitation only) 4pm to 9.30pm
Art Dubai programme and gallery halls 2pm to 9.30pm
March 19
March 20
March 22
Art Dubai ladies preview 1pm to 4pm
Art Dubai programme and gallery halls 4pm to 9.30pm
Art Dubai programme and gallery halls Noon to 6.30pm
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silsila features images of the desert and the oasis. What does that mean in your work? Not much grows in the desert. It is a space that recycles upon itself, reforming itself, and repeating itself. It is very easy to lose one’s way. To survive in the desert, respect and mindfulness is paramount. That is the backdrop of much of my work. ayyamgallery.com
Art talk
KAMROOZ ARAM, ARTIST Winner of the 2014 Abraaj Group Art Prize, the Iranian painter is represented by Dubai’s Green Art Gallery Did winning the Abraaj group Art prize give you the freedom to take risks? I like to think that I take a risk with each new project, otherwise the studio would be a very dull place, only concerned with production and not discovery. That said, I did try things that I would not have been able to on my own budget. The results are very exciting for me. What’s the vibe at art events in Dubai? In my experience with openings in Dubai, they tend to be a little more chilled out than New York. People actually want to talk to you about the work and they ask a lot of questions. What’s it like seeing your work at Art Dubai? I don’t like to be around my work, especially when someone is talking about it. I prefer to have conversations about my work directly with the viewer, not overhear them at a fair. gagallery.com
gAllery on Wheels
No car? No problem. Hop on the ArtBus and travel between Art Dubai, DIFC, Al Fahidi and Al Quoz. The exterior of the bus, run by Art In The City, is designed by UAE artists Afra Bin Dhaher, Mark Ganzon (known as Cloud88) and Hala Makhlouf, who have left special mementoes inside the bus for passengers to discover. Dhs50. Tel: (04) 3417303. artinthecity.com
Yeni Aqavanin Dogulmasi (the Birth of the Artichoke) tahir salahov
A Woman With A pie Hsar Gassiev
Each year at Art Dubai, Marker focuses on a distinct geographical area or theme. This year pays homage to Central Asia and the Caucuses and is curated by Slavs And Taters, a collective of artists who call home anywhere east of the former Berlin Wall and west of the Great Wall of China. They’re admired for their unexpected, playful and clever take on the world. The space will present a variety of works from sculpture to drawing and will also host an education programme. artdubai.ae/marker
hoW to be fluent in Art speAk
has it been a while since you last set foot in an art gallery? take a quick refresher course to learn the lingo Conceptual: Commissioned Modern: Contemporary: If you walk into a Contemporary is Don’t mix this up work: single light bulb dangling from the ceiling, the chances are the artist was conceptualism. This arts movement prioritises the artist’s inner process over produced. There was actually a lot of thought that went into that light bulb’s placement
This is a piece of art produced by an artist at the request of a patron or institution. Commissioned work is often an artist’s dream because it means they are getting paid to create what they love.
with contemporary. Modern technically refers to art produced between the 1860s and 1970s, although this is sometimes debated in the art world. In Middle Eastern art, modern usually describes work produced from the 1940s onwards.
the new modern. This category pertains to art produced recently that is current and fresh.
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Art talk
RAMIN SALSALI, COLLECTOR Ramin Salsali has collected art since the age of 21. His space, the Salsali Private Museum, is the region’s first private museum and brings his extensive collection and commissioned works to the public Whose work and which galleries are you most looking forward to seeing at Art Dubai this year? In the Art Dubai exhibition spaces: Gazan artist Hazem Harb at the Athr Gallery’s booth and Gil Hector and Sara Rahbar at Dubai-based Carbon 12.
Abraaj prize Untitled (Angelus Novus) by Abraaj Art prize Winner Kamrooz Aram.
Arguably the most prestigious art honour in the Middle East, the Abraaj Group Art Prize is awarded annually to five artists who submit proposals to create unprecedented works of art to be unveiled at Art Dubai. Nada Raza curates this year’s exhibition. abraajcapitalartprize.com
out AnD About
there’s plenty of art elsewhere in Dubai during the fair
March 17 Alserkal Avenue
March 17 DifC
March 15 to 25 sikka
Follow the cool kids to this open day at Dubai’s arts district set in industrial warehouses in Al Quoz. Most galleries will have exhibition openings and you can gallery hop between from 11am and 7pm. alserkalavenue.ae
The galleries at Gate Village stay open late for this special evening of art at the heart of the city’s corporate hub. Find unexpected art and intriguing conversation from 7pm to 10pm. facebook.com/ DIFCommunity
A homegrown art fair showcasing local talent, Sikka is set in the peaceful Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood beside the creek. Hop on the ArtBus and come to Sikka for a poetry performance or to wander around the studios of local artists. sikka.ae
What are you doing at your own space? We’re presenting a solo show by Iranian artist Amir Hossein Zanjani, which will include a commissioned installation made up of 700 pieces depicting the individual faces of soldiers from around the world. have you ever been intimidated by the art world? No one should ever feel any hesitation when it comes to art. All questions are allowed and any comment is welcome. What does the Dubai art community need to do in order to get more people interested in the scene? I believe art galleries in Dubai must unify forces to bring art to the people rather than expecting the people to come to them. The collectors need to take on the responsibility of guiding the public to the galleries and wider art scene. salsali.pm.com
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