An unprecedented take-off
Local and regional production is booming since 2005. Among the artists to follow, the young photographer Farah Al Qassimi, the painter and photographer princess Lateefa Bint Maktoum, the photographer of Palestinian origin Tarek Al Ghoussein, the very famous and late Hassan Sharif founder of the Flying House (deceased in 2016), the artists of his entourage Abdullah Al Saadi, Mohammed Ahmed Ibrahim, presented at the Venice Biennale, Mohammed Kazem, the Dubai photographer Reem Al Ghaith and the author of abstract compositions Abdul Rahim Salem are known or rising values. Although the themes of these artists are sometimes rather prosaic, a real craze seems to be emerging in favor of abstract and conceptual art. More and more contemporary art galleries are opening their doors and presenting the work of local artists. The Middle Eastern art market is estimated to be worth $10 billion. From 10 galleries in 2008, Dubai now has about 50 galleries spread over several districts.
In the Al Fahidi district. Don't miss the XVA Gallery to see the big names in regional art and treat yourself to a work by local artists at the Majlis Gallery.
At the DIFC (Dubai International Financial Centre), galleries, as well as two auction houses, sit alongside lawyers' and bankers' offices. Moving on to the Damac Park Towers, one can acquire works by Central Asian artists at the Andakulova Gallery.
In the industrial wasteland of Al-Qhoz, in Alserkal Avenue, about thirty art galleries, installed in old warehouses, surround a huge concrete exhibition building, "Concrete", designed by Rem Koolhaas. Among these galleries, which are worth the trip, you can visit Isabelle van den Eynde's gallery to see regional conceptual art, Lawrie Shabibi's gallery, which supports African art and is the representative of Mohammed Ahmed Ibrahim and also of Iranian artists, The Third Line gallery, which presents internationally recognized artists and others very promising.
Let us point out the Zawyeh Gallery, founded in Ramallah in Palestine, in 2013, with a second address opened in Alserkal Avenue since June 2020. Its main objective is to promote Palestinian artists, from Palestine and elsewhere, through local and traveling thematic exhibitions. Modern and contemporary Palestinian art is thus shown all over the world on the occasion of fairs and cultural projects.
The Ishara Foundation, still on Alserkal Avenue, is now heading for Asia. On two floors, it presents art from South Asia, a term understood in its broadest sense. One discovers in this space works coming from India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka or Nepal. Whether the exhibitions are individual or collective, most of them travel around the world to bring the voice of artists from these countries in other countries.
A little further down Al-Qhoz, just 5 km from Aserkal Avenue, don't miss Meem Gallery, which showcases works by local artists such as Sohrab Sepehri, Parviz Tanavoli, Mahmoud Obaidi, Kamal Boullata, Dia Azzawi.
To the east of Downtown, the Tashkeel contemporary art center, gathers numerous studios and artists' residences. A small building lost in the neighborhood of Nad Al-Sheba, near the racetrack, Tashkeel is a real melting pot of the Emirati art scene where the future great artists of the region gather. Its modest exhibitions are worth a visit, if only to get a clear picture of local contemporary art. Artists like Nasir Nasrallah, El Seed and Ammar Al Attar have passed through Tashkeel.
Dubai Design District, better known by the acronym D3, has been developing at a very high speed and is still growing. Launched in 2013, this new district is dedicated to promoting new talent, creativity in design, luxury and fashion. It includes restaurants, galleries, retail stores and offices. It is very pleasant to stroll through its shaded alleys with unique street furniture. In the coming years, D3 is expected to include residential areas, international boutique hotels, an amphitheater.
Dubai International Art Fair
Dubai is not only a business center, it is also a hub for contemporary art! The high attendance of the Art Dubai and Design Week fairs, which take place every year, only confirms this trend. Dubai is now one of the major cities for the art market. Launched in 2006, Art Dubai was born from the merger between DIFC and Gulf Events. The first year, it was chaos, visitors were asking if the works were for sale! In 2008, the fair received 12,000 visitors and 68 galleries from the Middle East, India and North Africa. In 10 years, the number of galleries and visitors has continued to grow (in 2018, 105 galleries from 48 countries and 28,000 visitors). Today, the fair is the first international crossroads of the Middle East, not only through the participating galleries (some come from Iceland, Ethiopia or Kazakhstan), but also through the artists present. During the fair, a program, the "Global Art Forum" opens discussions to define certain artistic notions. The innovation of 2014 was the creation of a second exhibition space dedicated to modern art, 20th century art from the Middle East, South Asia and North Africa, of museum quality. And in 2018 Art Dubai launched a new program, " Residents. Eleven artists were invited to create in the Emirates for four to eight weeks. Their works are exhibited at the fair alongside those of international artists. Today, Art Dubai has acquired an educational vocation and has become one of the most important cultural events in the Emirates, a key player in the world of contemporary art beyond Europe and America, visited by curators from the most important museums, the MET, LACMA, the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Louvre Museum, etc.
Street art
The same folie des grandeur animates urban art. The walls of the city are covered with multicolored paintings at full speed. As for the other art forms, the graffiti here is high-flying, although a little polite. Building facades, parking lots and subway pillars are home to frescoes by some of the biggest names in the genre. Don't look for tags or graffiti on the sly, you're unlikely to find any. On the other hand, an official project has commissioned urban artists to redecorate the metro. What to brighten up your travels. Here are a few more landmarks to guide your explorations through Dubai.
City Walk. A wide variety of public artworks unfold along City Walk. All are impressive in size and construction. On imposing facades, there are two colorful birds, a giraffe that seems to jump out of a wall along a park staircase, a child holding an umbrella in a rainbow shower, or jellyfish splashing on the pillars of a bridge. Artists from all over the world, such as Rone or Nick Walker, have joined their brushes and their bombs to color the long artery.
Satwa neighborhood. A government-funded project brought together 16 street artists to beautify the Satwa District: an old man on a boat, children galloping in the street, among others. The Lithuanian Ernest Zacharevic collaborated with the Tunisian The Inkman, known for his calligraphic frescoes. The theme of this open-air gallery is the heritage and history of the Arab Emirates. Calligraphy, royal portraits, golden dallah, children's games compose this beautiful album of traditional images. No less than 16 facades along2nd December street show an explosion of creativity.
The Emirati artist Ashwaq Abdullah executed a fresco in homage to the founders of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikhs Rached Al Maktoum and Zayed Al Nahyane. " Mural art speaks to everyone, regardless of social background," she observes. "It was an opportunity for me to express my love for my country. Hopefully it will spread through the streets of Dubai.
D3. Myneandyours chose the walls of Dubai as his favorite playground. His smiling clouds, and multiple touches of originality reach their peak in the entrance of a D3 parking lot. This once gloomy setting is now transformed into a milky way full of fluorescent planets and unusual astronauts.
Myneandyours can be found at JBR, in an installation erected in the heart of a traffic circle. It consists of three cylindrical structures, the highest of which is four meters high, decorated with geometric shapes in bright colors.
Karama. A must-see address for street art fans, Karama is home to breathtaking frescoes. Its buildings reveal sharks, falcons, lions all along 18b street, for the greatest pride of the inhabitants.