Organised under the patronage of HH Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the 15th iteration of the Abu Dhabi Art Fair is to be held from November 22 to 26, 2023. The grand event, which is the culmination of the year-long Abu Dhabi Art programme, will bring together 92 local and foreign galleries. For the first time, among the participating galleries will be those from Georgia, Mexico, Brazil, Singapore, and Chile. The fair will take place at Manarat Al Saadiyat.
The Abu Dhabi Art Fair comprises several sectors. The Modern & Contemporary sector will feature galleries operating for 7+ years. It will focus on artworks produced from the late 19th century onwards. The Special Projects sector will include galleries operating for 3+ years. They will present solo or two-artist exhibitions.
If you are looking to buy an affordable art piece, the Emerge section is for you. It will feature galleries presenting artworks under $3,000. At the fair, emerging artists have always been granted special attention. Beyond Emerging Artists (the Abu Dhabi Art Fair’s programme) provides a platform for upcoming art practitioners so they can develop their practice and realise their art projects. This time, Egyptian-Palestinian artist Samo Shalaby ans Emirati artists Almaha Jaralla and Latifa Saeed are taking part in the programme. At the fair, they will display their installations, which explore new dialectics of daylight and nocturnal spaces, in an exhibition curated by Morad Montazami.
The Abu Dhabi Art Fair will also have the Focus sector divided into four sections. The Latin America section will be curated by Maneli Keykavoussi. Essia Hamdi will curate the North Africa and West Asia section. Chris Wan Feng will represent Hong Kong, while the International section focusing on sustainability will be presented by Riccarda Mandrini.
In addition, the fair will feature Gateway, an annual exhibition highlighting local and international artists. It will present Emirati painter Hashel Al Lamki‘s solo show Maqam curated by Dr. Venetia Porter. It delves into the interplay between natural landscapes and human intervention.
Besides, Abu Dhabi Art has announced the participants of this year’s Artist Commissions in Cultural Sites initiative, which invites established artists to create site-specific artworks across the Abu Dhabi emirate. Emirati artists Nujoom Al Ghanem and Mohamed Ahmed Ibrahim will showcase their art pieces at Al Jahili Fort and Al Ain Oasis. Ibrahim’s installation Al Ain Oasis is composed of colourful tree-like sculptures made of natural and found materials and pays tribute to the bright greenery of Al Ain’s oasis. The artwork reflects Ibrahim’s connection to the local environment and addresses the impact of urbanisation on nature.
To learn more about Abu Dhabi Art, please visit its official website.
We would also recommend you to read about the Public Art Abu Dhabi initiative.
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