Dubai: The city is perceived as a key platform for the art market in the Middle East, according to a recent survey.
A total of 75 per cent of galleries surveyed agreed with the statement, and consider the Middle Eastern market as playing a significant role for the contemporary art industry.
The survey was conducted for arts fair Art Dubai 2010. More than 60 galleries will be exhibiting this year, with more than half from outside the region.
John Martin, director and co-founder of Art Dubai, believes that the results indicate a continued confidence in the Middle East art market generally and the central role Dubai has established as the principle marketplace for art commerce in the region.
"Despite the tough [global] economic conditions of the last eighteen months, the Middle East art market has demonstrated its resilience in general, and Dubai has proved its importance as the principle platform for the contemporary art market in the region," he said.
Exchange of ideas
"The continued confidence in the fair confirms our belief that Dubai has the all the ingredients to become one of the most important new centres for the global art market, and a significant meeting place for creativity and the exchange of ideas."
Whereas in previous years participating galleries were as interested in finding new artists to represent as much as direct sales, in 2010 the survey reveals that galleries will now be concentrating more effort on representing their existing artists and focusing on building their regional collector base.
