Art Dubai 2024 Was A Platform For Healing And Cultural Exchange
As the leading art fair in the region, Art Dubai 2024 championed creatives from the Middle East, Africa, Asia, and the Global South
Art Dubai returned this weekend for its 17th edition, wrapping up on Sunday, March 3, 2024.
Consisting of over 120 galleries from 40 countries, and over 60 cities, the exhibition this year furthered its commitment to championing artwork, cultural exchanges, and historical memorabilia from across the globe.
In particular, Art Dubai, has for the past few years placed a spotlight on artists and creatives from the Global South. The region is characterised by countries in the Southern Hemisphere, largely in Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America.
According to Pablo del Val, Artistic Director at Art Dubai, the fair seeks to deepen the conversation around the Global South, highlighting issues such as displacement, ‘developing’ nations, and the modern-day diaspora.
He explains further that the Global South is not merely a geographic location but rather a state of mind, and the artworks exhibited at Art Dubai 2024 were a reflection of these sentiments.
This year, the Fair was once again split into four sections: Contemporary, Modern, Bawwaba and Art Dubai Digital.
The Bawwaba section, curated by Emiliano Valdes and which subscribed to the theme Sanación/Healing, played a particular role in sharing cultural narratives. The section featured a series of performances and activations focused on the ideas of spirituality, introspection, community, and the power of art to bring about unity during difficult times.
Artists in this section included a number of names from the Global South, including Bengali artist Debashish Paul, Palestinian artist Mirna Bamieh, Indian artists Mithu Sen and Emirati creative Hashel Lamki.
Other galleries from across the exhibition’s Modern and Contemporary sections also built on the fair’s commitment to championing art from the Global South. This included the Aisha Alabbar Gallery which showcased artwork from solely Emirati and regional creatives, and Gallery One, from Ramalla, Palestine, which showcased works by Libyan artist Samira Badran and Palestinian Manal Mahamid. Dastan Gallery from Tehran showcased emerging contemporary artists from across Iran.
In addition, the fair this year showcased a ‘Dubai Collection’ – a collection of modern and contemporary artwork that reflected the values of openness, diversity, and interconnectedness that are embodied in the spirit of Dubai and the UAE.
The collection showcased Encounters, curated by Alia Zaal Lootah and featured Emirati artists including Hassan Sharif, Mohammed Kazem, Mohamed Ahmed Ibrahim, Shaikha Al Mazrou, Afra Al Dhaheri, Maitha Abdalla, Hashel Al Lamki and Sarah Almehairi.