Art Dubai 2009 offers unprecedented lineup

Dubai: Art Dubai, the first contemporary art fair in the emirate, will open its third edition today with a programme that brings together connoisseurs and enthusiasts from the Middle East's prolific contemporary art community.

Art Dubai 2009 is opening the discussion session at Madinat Jumeirah, and aims to unite regional and international players with the highest quality and most diverse offerings to date.

With an unprecedented lineup that combines 68 participating galleries, the third instalment will feature almost 2,000 artworks by 465 artists from around the world, more than 20 hours of arts-related discussions in the Global Art Forum, and 20 hours of video art in the underground Art Park.

Art Dubai will also announce the first three winners of the Abraaj Capital Art Prize 2009, chosen from almost 100 applications representing artists from every country in the Middle East, north Africa and south Asia.

"Art Dubai has created a platform for the global art community to interact and showcase their creations in Dubai," said Dr Omar Bin Sulaiman, governor of the Dubai International Financial Centre and chairman of Art Dubai.

John Martin, cofounder and director of Art Dubai, said: "Dubai is the place for great opportunities - a lot of collectors are totally aware of this - and such an event allows younger artists and collectors to take part especially if we are talking about $1000 to $5000 range."