Art Dubai Announces Strong Selection Participating Galleries for 2010

DUBAI.- Art Dubai announced a strong selection of more than 60 of the worlds’ most exciting emerging and established contemporary galleries for the fourth edition of Art Dubai. Whilst the selection of galleries confirms Art Dubai’s diverse geographical connections, the fair has capitalised on the successful introduction of solo projects in 2009 with nearly a third of all participants now presenting exhibitions by individual artists.

The international reach of galleries originating from 30 countries demonstrates a continued confidence in the central role Dubai as the principle centre for art commerce within the region.

Trends in the Art Dubai 2010 Gallery Selection Include:

• Over half of the galleries are returning to Art Dubai in 2010, including Galerie Chantal Crousel, Paris; Sfeir-Semler, Hamburg/Beirut; and Continua, San Gimignano/Beijing/Le Moulin.

• New galleries include Peres Projects, Berlin/Los Angeles; Galeria OMR, Mexico City; Paradise Row, London; Carbon 12, Dubai; and Galeria Animal, Santiago.

• A new initiative for 2010 showcases ‘Artist focus stands’ where selected galleries will exhibit one to two artists. These galleries include Rose Issa Projects, London; Green Art Gallery, Dubai; Chemould Prescott Road, Mumbai; Rossi + Rossi, London; and Frey Norris, San Francisco.

In addition to the more than 60 art galleries participating in Art Dubai 2010, there will also be a new area within the fair devoted to museum-quality painting and sculpture from the 1950’s to 1970’s providing an important contextual framework to the achievements of contemporary artists.

Highlights of the fair will also include the unveiling of the artwork by this year’s recipients of the Abraaj Capital Art Prize. The three artist/curator teams will reveal their winning projects, enhancing their global reputation and widening their international network. In its second year, the Abraaj Capital Art Prize is one of the most generous art prizes in the world, and provides an exciting opportunity for creative collaboration between international curators and artists from the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia (MENASA) region.

On the occasion of the publication of its new book, The Poetry of Time, Van Cleef & Arpels is organising a prestigious exhibition covering almost a century of watch making creations, exclusively for Art Dubai.

In addition, Art Dubai has invited not-for-profit arts organisation Bidoun Projects to curate its programme of special projects highlighting the importance of collaboration in the region. With ‘Bazaar’ as its theme, the 2010 guest curators are Aram Moshayedi, of LAXART, and the curatorial team of Sohrab Mohebbi and Ozge Orsoy. In addition, Antonia Carver and Masoud Amralla Al Ali, Artistic Director of the Dubai International Film Festival and founder of the Emirates Film Competition, will curate a programme of films by UAE directors and artists, focusing on the exploration of the surreal and the spiritual in a series of short films and videos