Art Dubai announces gallery line-up for 2023

The event in March will champion art and artists from the Middle East and Global South

Art Dubai will return to Madinat Jumeirah. Photo: Art Dubai

Art Dubai has announced its participating galleries for 2023, with more than 100 institutions taking part from 43 countries around the world.

The 16th Art Dubai will take place from March 3 to 5 at Madinat Jumeirah and will include 30 first-time participants. The event will champion art and artists from the Middle East and Global South, with more than 60 per cent of the event’s programme showcasing work from the latter region.

“Art Dubai is a global fair, and the strength of the applications we received for our 2023 edition reflect Art Dubai’s increasing importance as the region’s premier art event, the gateway to the Global South and the maturing of the art market here in Dubai,” says Art Dubai’s artistic director Pablo del Val.

“We’re particularly pleased to welcome so many first-time exhibitors into the Art Dubai family. Dubai is rapidly developing into a global financial and technology hub — the city is booming, and is a place that generations of people from all over the world call home.”

Held under the patronage of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, and curated by Singapore educator and arts writer Clara Che Wei Peh, the expanded 2023 event welcomes galleries with innovative new media programmes, as well as digital platforms building virtual art spaces and traditional brick-and-mortar galleries.

Art Dubai Contemporary will presents the best in contemporary art from 72 galleries from 33 countries. First time exhibitors include Concept (Paris, France), Barakat Contemporary (Seoul, South Korea), First Floor (Harare, Zimbabwe) and ko (Lagos, Nigeria), Piedras (Buenos Aires, Argentina), Shrine Empire (New Delhi, India), and Barbara Thumm (Berlin, Germany).

Several other galleries, including Albareh Art Gallery (Manama, Bahrain), Ruth Benzacar Galeria de Arte (Buenos Aires), Chemould Prescott Road (Mumbai, India), Taymour Grahne Projects (London, UK), GVCC (Casablanca, Morocco), October (London), and Project 88 (Mumbai), will return to the event after a hiatus. There will also be a record 21 Dubai galleries exhibiting.

Art Dubai Digital will also return for 2023 after a successful induction this year. The programme will provide an overview of the digital art landscape, explore the connection between the art and technology worlds, and explore how artists have utilised new, immersive technology. There will also be an extensive talks and education programme.

Art Dubai’s Bawwaba section will be curated by Vipash Purichanont from Bangkok. Meaning “gateway” in Arabic, Bawwaba features artworks made in the past year or specifically for Art Dubai and comprises solo presentations by 11 artists hailing from across the Global South.

Across a variety of mediums, from painting and tapestry to filmmaking and performance, the section explores topics such as socio-cultural issues, the legacy of colonisation on environment and human relationships, and language in the region.

Art Dubai Modern, meanwhile, is curated by Paris critic and curator Mouna Mekouar and Italian art historian Lorenzo Giusti and features solo presentations by regional artists whose works have retrospectively played a key role in today's art and contribute to the cultural diversity of the region.

The programme will feature a series of talks that examine the life, work and influences of leading 20th century artists from the Middle East and Africa.

The full programme for Art Dubai 2023 will be announced in December.