Due to the international makeup of the team, Futurecity was able to attend Art Dubai, March 29 – April 3, 2021, the first in-person art fair since the pandemic. Our Associate Nadine Nour el Din reports about the fourteenth edition of Art Dubai. A scaled-down production, with half of its original exhibitor list, the impressive 2021 edition of Art Dubai exemplified the possibilities of a post-pandemic artworld, welcoming 18,000 visitors across the 6 days of the fair. Mask-wearing organisers, collectors, gallerists and art enthusiasts were palpably excited to encounter art in person, demonstrating a thirst for culture coming emerging out of lockdowns. Public Art is having another resurgence of necessity and vitality and the current debates are considering the multitude of narratives, perspectives and reframing of makes a monument. We predict that the role of public art and outdoor programming as integral parts of the artfair tradition will surge in importance.
Nadine Nour el Din reports from Art Dubai 2021
Timed-slots and tickets completely sold out for the duration of the fair, Art Dubai operated a cap in attendees to maintain adequate social distancing and capacity. Attendance was monitored via timed slots, bookable through the Art Dubai app and QR codes with booking times were scanned at each entrance, replacing paper and tickets.
Gallerists reported steady sales and a healthy appetite for works. Many of the fair’s VIPs flew in for Art Dubai, collectors were eager to see and buy art in person and made thoughtful purchases. However, many of the usual institutional attendees were missing, reflecting the hit that institutional budgets have taken due to the pandemic.
The most stunning aspect of Art Dubai this year was the fair’s new sculpture park, featuring ten large-scale sculptural installations along the water paths surrounding DIFC, perfect for the age of social distancing and engaging with public art. Some of the stunning works on view include Rachid Koraïchi’s 21 sculptures ‘Les Priants’, 2015, Dia Al-Azzawi’s ‘White Obelisk’, 2014, Saddik Wasil’s ‘Allah Allah Allah’, 2021, Rashed Al Shashai’s work beautifully framed by DIFC gate and Gonçalo Mabunda’s ‘Throne’, 2019 (made of decommissioned weapons and scrap metal).
A mix of local and international galleries came together at Art Dubai this year, presenting a fair of discoveries and exciting new works. Art Dubai offered a new model to entice participation. Galleries did not have to pay the price for their booths up front, but rather pay 50% of all sales to the fair towards that price, and those who had paid for their booths in advance were offered the choice to participate this year or hold their place for 2022. This profit-sharing model reflects the spirit of this particular edition of the fair where it really felt like organisers and gallerists were ‘in this together’. Gallerists who could not fly in for the fair were able to participate remotely and Art Dubai volunteers populated many booths assisting and at times filling in for dealers.
Highlights include stunning works by JR and Murakami presented by newcomer Perrotin, Sudarshan Shetty’s intricate large-scale sculptural installation at Galerie Templon, and a beautifully curated booth of works by Souad Abdelrasoul and Salah Elmur at Circle Art Gallery.
Locally based galleries showcased impressive presentations, Meem Gallery showed an outstanding display of works by the late Marwan Kassab Bachi, Leila Heller Gallery presented a range of works by many artists, most notably Reza Aramesh, Farideh Lashai, Marwan Sahmarani and Aref Montazeri, and The Third Line boasted a curated booth of works including a magnificent mirrored work by Monir Farmanfarmaian and a beautiful textile work by Laleh Khorramian, among others.
Also of note is Lawrie Shabibi’s participation featuring works by Mohamed Ahmed Ibrahim, Ishmael Randall Weeks and Shahpour Pouyan among others, Adel El Siwi’s new large-scale paintings at Gallery Misr and Rashid Al Shashai’s installation at Hafez Gallery, one of the most instagrammed artworks at the fair.
Keeping up with global artworld trends, Philippines-based Tropical Futures Institute presented a series of NFTs; unique digital works by several artists including Petros Moris, Simon Speiser, Somnath Bhatt, and xlvrbk (silverback) in addition to their offer of physical works.
Art Dubai’s well-loved talks programme was absent this year, as were the lounge and all food and beverage offerings, to ensure the continued safety of the fair and maintain adequate social distancing measures. Instead, programming included a number of small-scale, thoughtful exhibitions, spread out throughout the venue.
In an intimate showcase, ‘50 Years United’ by Ramesh Shukla, a beautiful photographic exhibition, featured images dating back to 1971, commemorating the upcoming 50 year anniversary of the United Arab Emirates. These images were incorporated into the creative direction of Art Dubai’s 2021 campaign.
Programming also included a display of works by artists participating in Campus Art Dubai, Art Dubai’s year-round educational programme, curated by Munira Al Sayegh (a CAD alumna herself), as well as an installation by Fahad bin Naif, winner of the third edition of the Ithra Art Prize, launched by the King Abdulaziz Centre for World Culture (Ithra) in collaboration with Art Dubai. The prize is awarded to Saudi based emerging artists to encourage, fund and promote their work on a global platform.
It was tricky to find the video art programme, tucked away in Gate Village, but worth the trek. Made especially worthwhile by the trail of sculptures from the Farjam Foundation on view around the mall. Ten screening stations, complete with hand-sanitiser, delivered a poignant video art programme featuring works by Moataz Nasr, James Clar, Ahaad Alamoudi and Ali Tnani among others, offering a rest-stop from the bustling fair. One of these stations showcased this year’s Art Dubai Portraits, a digital format of exhibitions delving into the practices of artists from the Global South.
David Shrigly’s iconic billboard that became one of the most photographed artworks at the fair said, “it won’t be like this forever” and it sure seems that way. A successful Art Dubai 2021 is a reminder that we can responsibly see art (and each other) in person again, demonstrating a hopeful way forward.
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