Abu Dhabi: The Abu Dhabi Art fair has returned to Manarat Al Saadiyat in Abu Dhabi’s Saadiyat cultural district for its seventh edition.
The event, which has attracted 40 international galleries, was inaugurated on November 17 by Shaikh Hazza Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, National Security Adviser and Deputy Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council.
Organised by Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority (TCA Abu Dhabi) the fair has played a key role in bringing a taste of the international art scene to the city of Abu Dhabi while providing local artists with the opportunity to gain wider exposure through a parallel exhibition by Emirati artists titled ‘Emirati Expressions.’
The opening night of the event saw a huge turnout with people from all around the UAE and abroad attending the highly anticipated fair.
Mohammad Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman of TCA Abu Dhabi, told Gulf News he was pleased to see such a diverse and multicultural crowd attend the event. “The Abu Dhabi Art fair has been a huge success. We have a crowd that understands art and cherishes art. We are trying to create a culture here and it is working.
We are excited to showcase both Emirati Expressions and international art and make it accessible to everybody. I am hoping for a great weekend and for everyone to enjoy it,” he said.
Abu Dhabi, he said, is going through a huge artistic movement. “We have the Louvre, the Zayed National Museum, the Guggenheim, they are world-class museums that are coming to the capital. That is going to keep expanding the cultural movement,” he added.
The event offers a good opportunity for international galleries to be part of the Middle Eastern art market.
Aya Al Bakri, ATHR gallery representative from Saudi Arabia, said it was good to come back to the event for the fourth time. The event was much grander than during her last visit, she said. “It is bigger, but it is always well organised. We hope to make a lot of sales, because we have a lot of new interesting works. Abu Dhabi is a good, serious [art] market.”
Ryo Takeshita, from Japan, an art adviser with the Whitestone gallery, said he was attending the event for the second time. He said he felt Abu Dhabi has given him the opportunity to introduce Japanese art to the Middle East and to a wider audience. “We feel honoured that people in Abu Dhabi are happy with our art. We think our job is to introduce Japanese art in the international market and I believe it has been a success in Abu Dhabi.”
Entry to Abu Dhabi Art is free for members of the public. The event concludes on November 21. Some of the exhibitions will, however, be on display for a longer duration.
This year’s event also includes a programme of live and interactive performances titled Bliss, which is inspired by the context and dynamism of the city of Abu Dhabi.
