Art Dubai 2012

The sixth edition of Art Dubai takes place March 21-24, 2012, at Madinat Jumeirah, UAE. Art Dubai 2012 includes leading galleries and dynamic young spaces from across the Middle East, Asia, Europe, the Americas, Australia and Africa.

The most established international fair in MENASA (Middle East/North Africa/South Asia), Art Dubai 2012 features a carefully selected roster of 74 galleries from 31 countries.

"Art Dubai epitomizes the globalised phenomenon that is today's art world," said Antonia Carver, Fair Director, Art Dubai. "Over the past five years, the fair has become known as a site of discovery, and an essential meeting point on the art world calendar." In 2011, Art Dubai welcomed over 20,000 visitors, including 60 international museum groups.

New participants in 2012 include Arndt (Berlin), Rodolphe Janssen (Brussels), Lombard Freid Projects (New York), Galerie Mirchandani + Steinruecke (Mumbai), The Pace Gallery (New York, London, Beijing), Galerie Perrotin (Paris), and Platform China (Beijing).

Galleries returning from 2011 include Athr Gallery (Jeddah), Chantal Crousel (Paris), Experimenter (Kolkata), Goodman (Johannesburg, Capetown), Grey Noise (Lahore), Marianne Boesky Gallery (New York), Sfeir-Semler (Hamburg, Beirut) and The Third Line (Dubai).

Galleries planning artist focus shows include Mumbai's Chemould Prescott Road, with new works by Shezad Dawood; Argentinian galleries GC Estudio de Arte and Galeria Teresa Anchorena with a stand featuring kinetic sculpture; and Impronte Contemporary Art (Milan), which specializes in contemporary video and photography from Central Asia.

Marker, the curated section of 'concept stands' launched in 2011, this year turns its focus to the Indonesian arts scene. Commissioned by Art Dubai, Yogyakarta-born curator Alia Swastika has invited five Indonesian galleries—Ark Galerie, Biasa Artspace, Galerie Canna, D'Gallerie, and Jogja Contemporary—to participate; they are now working with artists to produce new work for the fair in March 2012.

Curator of the upcoming Jogja Biennial and one of the artistic directors of the 9th Gwangju Biennial, Ms Swastika commented: "Like the Middle East, Indonesia has witnessed the growth of an extraordinarily dynamic arts scene, where art is perceived not only as an integral part of life, but as a tool to reflect on society."

Besides a stellar selection of international galleries, Art Dubai features an innovative, non-commercial programme of talks, projects and educational initiatives. The critically-acclaimed Global Art Forum, under the directorship of curator and writer Shumon Basar, expands to six days. It begins at Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art in Qatar, March 18–19, and continues at Art Dubai, March 21–24.

Highlights of Art Dubai Projects 2012 include a new artists' and curator's residency programme—a partnership between Art Dubai, the Delfina Foundation, Dubai Culture & Arts Authority, and Tashkeel—plus commissioned site-specific works, performances, radio and research projects. The curator's residency is in collaboration with ArtAsiaPacific. The participants will be announced early December.

Art Dubai is an anchor event within Art Week, which expands in 2012 to include a range of art and design events across the Gulf.

2012 Galleries: Aaran Art Gallery, Agial Art Gallery, Aicon Gallery, Aidan Gallery, Galeria Teresa Anchorena, Ark Galerie, Arndt, Artside Gallery, Artspace, Assar Art Gallery, Atassi Gallery, L'Atelier 21, Athr Gallery, Ayyam Gallery, Biasa Artspace, Bischoff/Weiss, Marianne Boesky Gallery, Bolsa de Arte, Galeri Canna, Carbon 12, Cardi Black Box, Chemould Prescott Road, Connoisseur Contemporary, Galleria Continua, Pilar Corrias, CRG Gallery, Galerie Chantal Crousel, D’Gallerie, Galerie El Marsa, Experimenter, Gallery Isabelle van den Eynde, Selma Feriani Gallery, Frey Norris Contemporary & Modern, GC Estudio de Arte, Goodman Gallery, Alexander Gray Associates, Green Art Gallery, Green Cardamom, Grey Noise, Grosvenor Vadehra, Leila Heller Gallery, Galerie Kashya Hildebrand, Nettie Horn, Hosfelt Gallery, Hunar Gallery, Galerie Hussenot, Impronte Contemporary Art, In Situ/Fabienne Leclerc, Rose Issa Projects, Galerie Rodolphe Janssen, Jogja Contemporary, Priska C. Juschka Fine Art, Kalfayan Galleries, Galerie Krinzinger, Espace Kettaneh Kunigk, Lombard Freid Projects, Galerie Mirchandani + Steinruecke, Galerie Nathalie Obadia, October Gallery, The Pace Gallery, Paradise Row, Galerie Perrotin, Pi Artworks, Piece Unique, Platform China, Galerie Janine Rubeiz, The Running Horse, Seven Art Limited, Sfeir-Semler, Galeria Filomena Soares, Sutton Gallery, Tashkeel, The Third Line, X-ist.

Art Dubai 2012
Direktorin: Antonia Carver