8 Apr

It’s a wrap! ART DUBAI 2021

It’s a wrap! Art Dubai 2021 – a safe and successful event!

Unfortunately, as we all know, the art sector has been also strongly affected by the pandemics.

Producing a physical edition of the fair was a real challenge for the organizers, who were obliged to take into consideration plenty of safety measures and international travel restrictions regarding Covid 19. But an in-person art event was finally made possible by the team’s commitment, dedication and effort in order to support the arts community at this difficult time.

The host of this year’s fair – Dubai International Financial Centre, the Strategic Partnership – Dubai Culture, the sponsors: A.R.M Holding and Julius Baer, as well as the help of many volunteers and interns are all to be praised for supporting the success of this great event. In addition to this, sponsors BMW and Ruinart as well as first time supporter Salvatore Ferragamo need to be mentioned.

Three tented halls have hosted around 50 galleries from 31 countries and were open to the public for six days (29.03 – 03.04.2021). It is reported that 18,000 visitors attended the event. DIFC was the location where Art Dubai initiated in 2007 as the Gulf Art Fair before moving its venue in Madinat Jumeirah’s Joharah Ballroom.

Art Dubai is the Middle East’s leading art fair for the local and international art world, which provides an extraordinary platform for artists, featuring Contemporary and Modern gallery sections.

Galleries enjoyed recomforting sales along the week, with artworks being placed in major private collections and international institutions. In line with the diversity of the artwork exhibited, sales were widespread and benefited established as well as emerging and rising artists.

Few notable examples on www.artdubai.ae – “Custot Gallery Dubai sold two works by Ian Davenport in the price range of $120-150,000 each; Albrarrán Bourdais from Spain sold a Beltran Lavier for $80,000, Continua Gallery from Italy sold a series of Shilpa Gupta works to an institution for $50,000, First-time participant Perrotin from France sold a JR work for $65,000 and a Daniel Ashram for $45,000, Comptoir des Mines Galerie from Marrakech also first time exhibitors – sold a work by Moroccan-born artist Fatiha Zemmouri for $32,000, Gallery 1957 from Ghana sold four works by Ivory-Coast based artist Joana Choumali in the price range of $10-16,000 each.”

Among the great artists who showcased their artworks at Art Dubai we can also highlight: JR, Xavier Veilhan, Daniel Arsham – Galerie Perrotin; Tarik Currimbhoy , Reza Aramesh, Sasha Jafri represented by Leila Heller Gallery (NYC, Dubai), Safwan Dahoul from Ayyam Gallery from Dubai, Agil Abdullayev, Farhad Farzaliyev – Gazzelli Art House London, Baku.

The fair also proposed a social distancing – friendly film program and a sculpture park.

The Video Art Programme was held in DIFC’s Gate Avenue, where ten screening stations showed films produced by more than 20 regional and international artists such as: Ahaad Alamoudi, Jonathas de Andrade, Nikhil Chopra, Laurent Grasso, Cristina Lucas, Berkay Tuncay and Tsedaye Makonnen among others.

Different themes like: Nature, Journeys, Dystopias, Conversations, Performances and Animations, etc. were categorized in order to offer a specific experience for the spectators.

Around the iconic Gate Building and the two water paths that surround it, the exhibition curated an outdoor sculpture park which featured large scale installations from 10 artists: Mohamed Ahmed Ibrahim, Rachid Koraïchi, Rashed Al Shashai, Goncalo Mabunda, Hussain Sharif, Dia Al-Azzawi, Costas Varotsos, Tarik Currimbhoy, Bernar Venet and Pablo Reinoso. )

The 14^th edition of Art Dubai – the world’s first international, physical art fair of 2021 undoubtedly brought people safely together and proved that art is best enjoyed in person/live/for real. The artworks exhibited by the galleries attending/participating the event are available via the online catalogue onthe officialwebsite artdubai.ae.