Abu Dhabi: if you are a fan of art, then Abu Dhabi Art 2016 on Saadiyat Island is the place to be for the next few days as its 8th edition opened to the public in the capital on Wednesday, featuring a wide variety of artistic exhibitions that range from paintings to large-scale sculpture installations.
Organised by the Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority (TCA Abu Dhabi), Abu Dhabi Art 2016 was officially opened on Tuesday evening by Shaikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, who toured the galleries at Manarat Al Saadiyat and met the curators and artists who helped shape this year’s event.
The event — which will run daily until Saturday — contains 40 different galleries featuring the works of artists from around the world.
Mohammad Khalfan Al Mubarak, chairman of the TCA Abu Dhabi, lauded the opening of Abu Dhabi Art 2016, and said the event would help establish Abu Dhabi as a global centre for art and creativity.
“Abu Dhabi Art was created to reflect the thriving artistic spirit in the emirate, showcasing a diverse programme of creative expression that serves as a platform to engage with a global audience.
“As we present this year’s edition, we look ahead to bringing together leading artists from the UAE and abroad in order to foster Abu Dhabi’s growing artistic awareness for international art trends and strengthen the emirate’s position as a global centre for cultural and artistic expression,” he added.
Michelle Farrell, Abu Dhabi Art organiser, said that this year’s edition of Abu Dhabi Art 2016 has expanded from previous years and has something for everybody to enjoy.
“There is something here for everyone, there are commercial galleries, cultural platforms, talks, performances, and hands-on workshops that educate people on how the art is made,” she said.
“It is a multidisciplinary event, so there are lot of different things here for people to come and see. Our goal is to show that art can take on many different types of forms. There are large-scale sculpture installations, there are calligraphy drawings, and many other forms of artistic creativity,” she added.
The art exhibition itself is divided into four different sectors with each containing its own unique theme and message.
Abu Dhabi Art 2016
Where: Manarat Al Saadiyat, Abu Dhabi
When: November 16 until November 19
Timings: Daily, 2pm-10pm
Admission: Free and open to all members of the public
Full details and information on Abu Dhabi Art 2016:
https://www.abudhabiart.ae
