Table of Contents
- 1 Abu Dhabi art fairground: Manarat Al Saadiyat cultural center.
- 2 Still from the film “Baladi Aldaia” (2022) by Ishtar Yasin Gutierrez, which was partially shot in Iraq and is now showing in the “Gateway” section.
- 3 Art from the area
- 4 Mandy El-Sayegh: «Net-Grid (Red Emma)», 2024, painting.
- 5 An opportunity for the art scene
- 6 How can the collaboration between local and international galleries in Abu Dhabi Art Fair influence the future of the region’s art market?
Art Basel is set to join the Abu Dhabi art fair. The Swiss parent company MCH would receive 20 million euros from Abu Dhabi.
Abu Dhabi art fairground: Manarat Al Saadiyat cultural center.
Still from the film “Baladi Aldaia” (2022) by Ishtar Yasin Gutierrez, which was partially shot in Iraq and is now showing in the “Gateway” section.
Mandy El-Sayegh: «Net-Grid (Red Emma)», 2024, painting.
An opportunity for the art scene
Or is everything just an unfounded rumour? Indeed, Art Basel is quietly approaching the area. Last year there were already rumors about meetings between Art Basel and those responsible in Qatar. A few weeks ago, Art Basel organized a public panel discussion on the topic “Cultural Crossroads, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Abu Dhabi”. On their website you can read an informative essay about the Emirates as a “world art powerhouse”.
What is certain is that the Swiss parent company MCH could use the financial injection. But how would ADA benefit from this? Wouldn’t the interesting regional focus that makes this trade fair so attractive be lost? For example, in the “Gateway” section, where this year five artists from Argentina, Chile and Puerto Rico emphasize the deep connections between Arab and Latin American culture.
The largest Palestinian diaspora outside of Arab countries lives in Chile, explains curator Odessa Warren. Here the artist Mandy El-Sayegh also presents a great installation on the theme of transnational solidarity. Dubai Lawrie Shabibi Gallery is dedicating a solo stand to her. Brutal tank tracks run across the grid-covered collages; a map of Palestine can be seen below.
Such pro-Palestinian image elements are clearly communicated at the fair – could this also be possible at Art Basel Abu Dhabi? Wouldn’t it mean a deep intervention in the art world of the area? Yes, most local galleries and curators agree on that – a good one! When asked continuously, Nusseibeh can imagine such a collaboration to be like the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi: “Every Guggenheim is different regionally,” as she compares it. In Abu Dhabi, DCT and the Guggenheim Foundation are equal partners.
If the same applies to a joint festival, highlight some of the artists currently exhibiting at the first Public Art Biennale in Abu Dhabi, which takes place at the same time, it would be a great opportunity for the regional art scene. At the end of the opening evening, the next rumor spreads: the signing of the contract between MCH and DCT is imminent.
2024-11-21 06:00:00
#Art #Basel #expand #Abu #Dhabi
How can the collaboration between local and international galleries in Abu Dhabi Art Fair influence the future of the region’s art market?
1. What are the cultural motivations behind Abu Dhabi’s desire to host Art Basel, and how does this reflect the emirate’s strategic goals?
2. How does the increased participation of Asian galleries and the declining presence of Western partners at Abu Dhabi Art Fair align with the region’s cultural identity and growth towards the East?
3. Do we still need Western support and involvement in the art scene, given Abu Dhabi’s established status as the main cultural hub of the region?
4. What would be the potential impact of Art Basel Abu Dhabi on the local art scene, both in terms of exposure and intervention?
5. How would a joint festival between Art Basel and Abu Dhabi Art Fair benefit the regional art community, and what kinds of opportunities would it open up for artists from the area?
