What to see at Abu Dhabi Art 2024

Dynamic programme includes unique curatorial perspectives and powerful regional representation

Artworks by Jasem Alsane are one of the many on display at Abu Dhabi Art. All photos: Victor Besa / The National

Abu Dhabi Art features more than 100 regional and international galleries from 31 countries

Matchikmen by German artist Wolfgang Stiller

Detail of Secret Beauty by Ran Hwang which is made from crystals, beads and pins on Plexiglass

Precarious Place by the Indian multidisciplinary artist Simrin Mehra Agarwal

Palestinian artist Michael Halak's hyper-realist work, which showcases the fruit of his homeland

The art festival features both emerging and established artists from the region and abroad

Mac Gate 2019 by Egyptian painter and sculptor Moataz Nasr

This week's Abu Dhabi Art festival showcases works from more than 100 local, regional, and international galleries.

A highlight of this year's UAE art calendar, the festival will be feature 102 regional and international galleries from 31 countries.

Taking place at Manarat Al Saadiyat from tomorrow to Sunday, the event will feature both emerging and established artists from the region and abroad, exhibiting work in various mediums and in specifically dedicated sections.

Here’s is everything you need to know about Abu Dhabi Art 2024.

New Sections

Seven sections will cover various facets of modern and contemporary art. Three of them are new.

The first, Something Bold, Something New, will focus on modern artists from the region. The second, the Collector's Forum, will be a space where galleries can showcase artefacts, historical objects, manuscripts and artworks. The third, Silk Road: Drifting Identities, will highlight galleries and artists from Central Asia and the Caucasus.

The returning sections are: Modern and Contemporary, which showcase galleries that represent a wide range of works by different artists; Special Projects in which a solo or two artist presentation by galleries are presented; Emerge, which has artworks by galleries that are sold for under $3,000; and Bidaya, which focuses on emerging galleries that have been operating for less than three years and are participating at the fair for the first time.

Beyond: Emerging Artists

The annual programme organised by the art fair provides a platform for emerging artists based in the UAE to develop their practice and create ambitious projects.

This year the initiative is curated by Lorenzo Fiaschi, co-founder of Galleria Continua. Three UAE-based artists – Fatma Al Ali, Dina Nazmi Khorchid and Simrin Mehra Agarwl – were selected from more than 100 proposals to produce commissioned works with funding and curatorial support. The exhibition will showcase the year-long mentorships the three artists experienced under Fiaschi.

Gateway

The annual Gateway exhibition, which forms a significant part of Abu Dhabi Art’s programming, is a showcase of both local and international artists through a unique and often curatorial perspective.

This year the Gateway exhibition is entitled Otra Orilla (Another Shore) and examines the connections between Latin America and the Arab world. Curated by Odessa Warren and Carine Harmand, the exhibition will feature works by South American artist Emilia Estrada; Kuwaiti-Puerto Rican visual artist Alia Farid; Amsterdam-based artist of Palestinian and Chillian heritage Francisca Khamis Giacoman; and Iraqi and Chilean-Costa Rican director and artist Ishtar Yasin Gutierrez, as well as a new commission by Chinese and Palestinian artist Mandy El-Sayegh.

The exhibition and works won’t approach the connections between the Arab world and Latin America from a historical perspective, but will delve into the exchanges between these two regions covering themes such as diaspora, identity and personal and collective memory through various mediums.

The Arab Presences Exhibition

This year The Farjam Foundation, one of the most comprehensive collections of Islamic and contemporary Middle Eastern art, will be presenting an exhibition entitled Arab Presences: Modern Art and Decolonisation, Paris 1908-1988 – Farjam Collection Close-Up.

Co-curated by Morad Montazami and Madeleine de Colnet, the exhibition will include up to 50 artworks from The Farjam Collection, including works by modern masters and pioneers. These include Syrian painter and one of the leaders of the modern movement Fateh Moudarres; Iraqi artist Mehdi Moutashar; Lebanese painter Bibi Zogbe; the pioneering Algerian artist Baya and many more.

The Farjam Foundation will also be the sponsors for the Abu Dhabi Art Talks portion of the fair’s programme, which includes panel discussions, talks and book launches.

Abu Dhabi Art will run at Manarat Al Saadiyat from November 20 to 24.