Hand Embroidery Courtesy Of Nike Davies Okundaye And Kó

Art

The 16th Edition of The Abu Dhabi Art Fair Invites The World To Take Part in A Pivotal New Narrative

by Ayesha ShehmirNovember 20, 2024November 20, 2024

Menart Fair’s fifth edition focuses on the women of the MENA region and their significant, yet often undervalued, artistic contributions

Abu Dhabi Art has undoubtedly become a catalyst for the thriving UAE art market, providing a platform for the Global South to hold hands with the rest of the world. The annual fair is the result of Abu Dhabi Art’s ongoing programme, which hosts artist residencies, commissions and exhibitions throughout the year.

Visitors can expect this year’s fair to be the biggest edition yet, with over 100 participating galleries and the introduction of three brand-new sections: Something Bold, Something New, a spotlight on modern artists from the region – an important addition, especially considering the new research on those who have been somewhat overlooked or under-valued. With galleries from Tunisia and Egypt to Palestine and Lebanon, this section will feature pioneering female artists and some never-seen-before works; The Collectors’ Salon, presenting artefacts, historical objects, manuscripts and artworks for the very first time at Abu Dhabi Art, and Silk Road: Drifting Identities representing galleries and artists from Central Asia and the Caucasus.

Responsible for weaving the visual identity of the fair is Mohammed Kazem, who has been selected as the Visual Campaign Artist for 2024 – expanding on the vital role he has played in supporting the art community for over two decades. Mohammed, who was a member of the Emirates Fine Arts Society early in his career, is known as one of ‘the five’, an informal group of Emirati artists from the 1980s – including Hassan Sharif, Abdullah Al Saadi, Mohamed Ahmed Ibrahim and Hussain Sharif – all of whom played a pivotal role in laying the foundation for the next generation of conceptual artists in the region.

The country’s art scene very much revolved around these five artists, who gathered other writers, poets, filmmakers, musicians and intellectuals. “As one of the group of five, Mohammed Kazem is undisputedly recognised as a pioneer who laid the groundwork for the contemporary art scene in the UAE today,” says Dyala Nusseibeh, Director of Abu Dhabi Art. “He continues to mentor and support up-and coming artists.” Represented by Gallery Isabelle Van Den Eynde, a selection of Mohammed’s historical and recent works will frame this edition.

When Dyala first joined Abu Dhabi Art back in 2016, the fair had 37 exhibitors participating: “Mostly either blue-chip galleries from Europe and the US or those from West Asia with a stake in the growth of our art ecosystem,” she recalls. “The variety of exhibitors present at the fair today will give it a very different feel to previous editions. The participating galleries have spent months preparing their booths.” The local and regional art market’s perpetual evolution has prompted a shift in how the world views modern and contemporary artists from the MENASA region – shining a much-needed light on the significant role they have played in shaping narratives about our collective past, present and future.

Also of note is the Beyond Emerging Artists programme which, each year, invites three artists to develop new work through curatorial support and funding. This year, the spotlight is on UAE-based Fatma Al Ali, Dina Nazmi Khorchid and Simrin Mehra Agarwal. Dyala continues, “We are also building on the idea of the fair being a crossroads for the Global South – in particular, looking at South-South connections in more depth. This will also impact the feel of the fair, as visitors walk around.”

Artwork By Gulnar Mukazhanova From Gallery Michael Janssen

As a platform for knowledge-production and exchange, Abu Dhabi Art melds diverse curatorial perspectives and gallery-led research to enable endless discovery for both art enthusiasts and collectors. Most importantly, it’s a powerful echo of the underrepresented voices who deserve, and should go on to claim, global renown. Abu Dhabi Art fair’s 16th edition will take place from 20th to 24th November 2024 at Manarat Al Saadiyat, Abu Dhabi.

Images Courtesy Of Abu Dhabi Art

From Harper’s Bazaar Arabia’s November 2024 issue.