The prospect of buying a piece of contemporary art can be daunting. If you want to go beyond the merely decorative and buy something that has meaning or is a reflection of a deeper message, it can become even more of a minefield. Yet it really doesn’t have to be.
If you follow your heart and buy something that looks and feels right to you, personally, other factors such as price and ranking of the artist become less important. That said, cost is of course often a barrier. Art is expensive and as an artist grows in popularity, prices reflect this.
With this in mind, there is good news for art fans in the UAE this week. Abu Dhabi’s inaugural Galleries Week kicks off at Warehouse421 on Wednesday (April 12), as does the third edition of World Art Dubai, the country’s only affordable-art fair. Both events aim at helping new collectors get started, by offering a chance to buy lower- priced artworks.
Galleries Week
Abu Dhabi Art has teamed up with Warehouse421 to reach fresh audiences with this new pop-up event, which runs until next Wednesday. Organisers have enlisted local and regional galleries to showcase works by emerging artists, which have lower price tags than the more established names.
The galleries include: Salwa Zeidan from Abu Dhabi; Cuadro Fine Arts Gallery and El Marsa from Dubai; Athr and Hafez Gallery from Jeddah; and Galleria Continua – an international giant with branches in Italy, France, China and Cuba. All of them are regular participants at Abu Dhabi Art, and therefore very familiar with the market.
“We offered the opportunity to existing exhibitors with Abu Dhabi Art, as they are all strong galleries and we wanted to ensure the quality of work was maintained,” says Dyala Nusseibah, the director of the annual art fair. “We invited them on condition that they bring exciting works by emerging artists at low price points.
“By partnering with galleries that have a serious programme, rather than bringing in unknown exhibitors, we have already ‘filtered’ the artworks.
“We are bringing good artists who are at the start of their careers, or more established artists whose works on paper come at a more affordable price point.”
As such, this is a great opportunity for someone who is interested in buying a piece of art from a promising artist at a good price.
Also, this is a public programme, so people can enjoy the event without feeling the need to reach into their pockets.
Tonight’s opening night schedule includes a panel discussion featuring some of the region’s leading collectors, as well as live music performances, film screenings, family workshops, a young designers’ market and food trucks.
“With Galleries Week, our vision is to make art more accessible to the whole community through interactive educational initiatives, while also introducing young collectors and art enthusiasts to the art scene to allow them to start their own collection,” says Shamma Al Mheiri, the project co-ordinator at Salama Bint Hamdan Al Nahyan Foundation.
World Art Dubai
Supported by Dubai Culture & Arts Authority, this event will feature booths hosted by galleries and individual artists.
This year, the third edition, there will be more than 3,000 paintings, prints, sculptures and photographs on offer. Prices range from US$100 to $20,000 (Dh367 to Dh73,450), with a special wall dedicated to works under Dh3,000.
As part of the fair there will be a curated exhibition featuring contemporary Islamic artworks by artists from Iran and the Arab world, as well as a new event that opens tonight – the Wearable Art Fashion Show.
This will showcase the creative efforts of the region’s top fashion students. Other highlights include Creative Learning Workshops, which will offer a range of arts and crafts masterclasses, a series of art talks, and the Ripe Contemporary Design & Craft Market.
“World Art Dubai is essentially bridging a gap in the Middle East and UAE market for affordable art and complements the existing art scene in Dubai,” says Trixie LohMirmand, the senior vice president, exhibitions and events management, Dubai World Trade Centre.
“The event reflects the city’s growing prominence as a leading cultural and artistic hub with local, regional and international galleries and artists offering a spectacular array of artworks.”
• Galleries Week runs from Wednesday (April 12) until next Wednesday (April 19) at Warehouse 421 in Abu Dhabi. World Art Dubai takes place from Wednesday (April 12) until Saturday (April 15) at Dubai World Trade Centre
aseaman@thenational.ae