When is Abu Dhabi Art?
The UAE’s capital invites you to mark your calendars for an Art Fair that is breaking records…
Abu Dhabi Art (ADA) will return this November with its the largest edition to date. Boasting an impressive line-up of 78 galleries from across 27 countries, the emirate renowned for its regional diversity will embrace a medley of colour, cosmopolitanism and creative flare.
Amidst the hustle and bustle of a global art community, the annual art fair will celebrate its 14th birthday with a line-up of exhibitors and galleries, each invited by curators or long-time exhibitors. Participants will then be categorised into one of four different sectors.
The first is the Modern & Contemporary sector, refined for galleries that have been operating for at least seven years and are due to present a wide range of works by a wide range of artists. The second is the Special Projects category, intended for galleries who have been operating for at least three years with solo or “two-artist” presentations. The Emerge sector which requires artworks to be worth under near 11,000 Dhs (3000 USD); and the Focus sector, an invitation-only category curated by guest curators.
To determine its Focus sector ADA has proudly welcomed a three-person, all-female panel to represent its sector guest curators, each tasked with contributing a “series of exhibitions, talks and performances that bring diverse perspectives on global currents together.” The women include Art Historian, Rachida Triki, who will curate the gallery sector “Focus: New Tomorrows,” while Gallerist Jade Yeşim Turanlı and Journalist of the Arts, Riccarda Mandrini, will also curate a gallery sector.
In celebrating difference, Abu Dhabi Art has, once again, committed itself to hosting a line-up from all over the world; hosting 33 more galleries than during its 2021 fair, ADA has offered participants from the wider MENA region and the likes of Cuba, South Korea and Colombia a chance at representation on the global stage.
#AbuDhabiArt announces its largest fair to date with 78 galleries set to participate and three new guest curators for the gallery sectors. For more details visit https://t.co/AnoyBq6CnK pic.twitter.com/fQj5s6hjih
— Abu Dhabi Art (@AbuDhabiArt) July 20, 2022
Despite a large international presence expected at this year’s ADA, the Art Fair has nominated Emirati artist Farah Al Qasimi to represent its 2022 Visual Campaign; in a bid to amplify local talent, ADA has served as a breeding ground for emerging artists, notably choosing Ayesha Hadhir, Shaikha Al Ketbi and Rawdha Al Ketbi last year.
Al Qasimi’s photography underscores the genres of identity, post-colonialism and gender while toying on a certain nationalization, revealing that her creations are inspired by and devoted towards the Emirates.
Manarat Al Saadiyat (MAS)— or ‘place of enlightenment’— will continue to serve as the annual venue to host the Art Fair. Its location serves as the ideal gateway for artistic immersion into the district’s art scene as it easily provides access to the Louvre Abu Dhabi and the soon-to-be-opened Guggenheim Abu Dhabi.
Following the employment of digital technology as a result of the pandemic, ADA will continue to provide its virtual platform for visitors unable to attend in-person. Attendees can access the link from here.
Nonetheless, what remains certain is that Abu Dhabi’s Art Fair is absolutely doubling as a space to showcase work as well as a forum of cosmopolitanism and cultural mediation, admittedly bolstering up to be one of the region’s largest art scenes- if not already on the global stage.
The Abu Dhabi Art Fair will run from November 16-20, 2022 from 13:00-21:00 every day at Manarat Al Saadiyat.
For more information about Abu Dhabi Art, visit abudhabiart.ae
Lead Image: Mona Al Khaja, Acacia tortilis (Samr tree), 2018, acrylic on canvas, 25 x 36cm, as featured in ART BOOK Abu Dhabi Exhibition 002