Major art festival to be held in March

Abu Dhabi: An art festival, featuring 350 French artworks, will be held in March.

Details of the Festival were announced recently at the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage.

Up to 30 renowned artists will be exhibiting 350 different works of art in Abu Dhabi and Dubai.

The artwork ranges from paintings and sculptures, to design artwork, tapestries and photographs.

Also, to support ongoing charitable efforts of the UAE, auctions will take place at the opening ceremonies in both cities, with proceeds going to the Dubai Autism Centre in Dubai and Emirates Foundation in Abu Dhabi.

The Dubai exhibition opening will be marked by a reception on March 2, and will be open to the public from March 3 to 5. Following this, the French Art Festival will exhibit at Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Center (ADNEC) from March 12 to 15, opening with a VIP evening on March 12.

Held under the patronage of Shaikha Manal Bint Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, President of the Dubai Women Establishment, this newly-launched initiative is designed to promote highly sought after French contemporary art within the UAE.

According to Shaikha Manal, "Art is a universal language, understood by all, and it is essential in assisting the UAE with building international ties. Our mission is to create a cultural centre within the UAE and each project such as the French Art Festival brings us one step closer to achieving our goal."

The event was scheduled to kick off in Abu Dhabi in mid-February, but the freight ship transporting the works of art from France to the United Arab Emirates was grounded on a sandbank in the Suez Canal.

The French Art Festival is set to become an annual event. Francoise Malafosse, Artistic Director of the French Art Festival, said: "I have been conceptualising this festival for many years now, and the UAE is without a doubt the ideal place within the Middle East to launch the exhibition. To debut in this amazing country that is so fast developing and quickly moving in its feat to achieve artistic and cultural excellence is truly an honour."

Participating French artists include Christine Barres, Robert DiCredico, Pascal Magis, Brigitte Martinet, Dominque Rayou and Jean-Louis Toutain.

To encourage cultural exchanges, local guest artists such as Manal Bin Amro and Nuha Hasan Asad Dubai in Dubai, and Mohamed Kanoo, Wasel Safwan and Mohammad Mandi in Abu Dhabi, will all contribute and add a more Arabic feel to the displays.

Painter Christine Barres will hold a workshop for those who are interested in widening their artistic horizons at the Cultural Foundation Arts Centre in Abu Dhabi.

Mohamed Khalaf Al Mazroui, Director General of the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage (ADACH), said: "In a perspective of dialogue and cooperation with other cultures and civilisations, it was essential that France should be the privileged partner of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. Any project that adds to the cultural expansion of the UAE is deemed a success by us and we will always make every effort to sustain this growth."

Opening timings for the public in Dubai on March 3 are from 10am to 6pm and on March 4 and 5 from 10am to 9pm.

In Abu Dhabi, the exhibition timings on March 13 are from 10am to 6pm and on March 14 to 15 are from 10am to 9pm.