Dubai: You don’t have to be a millionaire to buy art. World Art Dubai, which opened at the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) on Wednesday, features artworks priced between $100 (Dh367) and $10,000.
First-time buyers and collectors will find a range of contemporary paintings and art installations at the annual exhibition.
There are 140 exhibitors, representing more than 300 artists, from over 30 countries, including the UAE, Lebanon, the US and South Korea, said Pravin Punjabi, director of World Art Dubai at DWTC, the show’s organiser.
Among the exhibitors at the second edition of the show are Nina Torres Fine Art, Signet Contemporary Art, Andakaluva Gallery, Cross Borders Art Gallery, Jade Flower, Anna Dudchenk and Petra Kaltenbach.
“We are trying to open up the art market for everyone, so this is an affordable art fair…a lot of people think that art is very expensive and we want to banish that [perception],” Punjabi said. “The art scene [in the UAE] is developing.”
Lamiatos Gallery, which is based in Dubai’s Emirates Financial Towers, is displaying artworks priced between Dh1,500 and Dh28,000.
“We want to introduce art to new collectors or people who are collecting regularly with a limited budget,” said Nathalie Higueret, the gallery’s manager.
She sees a growing number of new artists in the local art scene.
“We receive submissions almost every day from young artists. They want to exhibit…they are not established — they just finished their studies or they worked in a different field but want to concentrate on art now,” she said.
UK-based Signet Contemporary Art is showcasing pieces priced between Dh3,000 and Dh25,000 by artists including Paul Treasure, David Farren and Jackie Philip.
The growing art market in Dubai is what attracted Signet to the show, according to its owner, Signe Giles.
“It’s an up and coming art market…we have lots of clients based in London that directed us to Dubai,” she said.
Artist and curator Xenia Gazi said that contemporary art dominates the local art market.
“The art scene in Dubai is booming,” she said, driven by growing demand for art in the city.
“There are a lot of galleries and good quality art here,” she added.
The show also features talks on different art-related topics, such as digital art and digital painting techniques, as well as workshops.
World Art Dubai was opened by Shaikh Hasher Bin Maktoum Al Maktoum, director-general of Dubai’s Department of Information. It runs until Saturday, and is open to the public, with an admission fee of Dh15. More than 10,000 visitors are expected to attend the event in the coming four days.
