Abu Dhabi: The Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage (ADACH) yesterday announced the official opening of projects to promote culture and art.
A fair, Artparis Abu Dhabi, is expected to attract art lovers from across the region and aims to strengthen the cultural ties between Europe and the Middle East, said officials at a press conference.
"Simultaneously, the event is expected to energise the Middle Eastern art market through a dedicated programme of events and activities, including exhibitions, networking events, educational workshops and courses and special tours of local art galleries and culture institutions," the officials said.
The three-day event, which takes place from November 27 to 29 at the Emirates Palace hotel, is being held under the patronage of General Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces.
It is being organised in partnership with the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage and Tourism Development and the Investment Company (TDIC).
Strategy
"Artparis Abu Dhabi is part of our strategy to make Abu Dhabi the cultural destination of the Middle East," said Shaikh Sultan Bin Tahnoon Al Nahyan, Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA), TDIC and ADACH.
"Through the initiatives like Saadiyat Island and Artparis Abu Dhabi we aim to involve arts and culture in education and public life and to position creativity as an active driver in our human, economic and industrial development," he said.
Of the 46 participating galleries, 17 are from Europe and 11 from the Middle East, including the UAE, Lebanon, Bahrain, Syria, Oman, Iran and Tunisia. The Middle Eastern galleries will be offering a panorama of modern and contemporary Arab art.
Conference
An educational programme as part of the fair, Paris Sorbonne-Abu Dhabi University will present a conference by Serge Lemoine, Director of Paris' Musee d'Orsay, about the history of modern and contemporary art. Sotheby's Institute of Art in London will present a three-day intensive courses on modern and contemporary art history, collecting art and investing in art.
A Signs and Calligraphy exhibition will be the other attraction of the fair, organised by Lebanese art specialist Amal Traboulsi, showcasing artists from the Arab world. The exhibition will see UAE-based artists including Abdul Kader Al Rais, Yousuf Dweik and Faisal Samra, displaying their talent on an international scale.
Another highlight of Artparis-AbuDhabi will be an exhibition of the latest creations of Pleyel pianos. Pleyel is the sole manufacturer of pianos in France and the oldest in the world.
The three-day event takes place from November 27 to 29 at the Emirates Palace hotel.
