March 17, 2015
NINTH EDITION OF ART DUBAI FEATURES THE FAIR’S MOST GLOBAL AND
INNOVATIVE PROGRAMME TO DATE
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Taking place at Madinat Jumeirah, March 18-21, 2015, Art Dubai is the leading
international art fair in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia

The most global of art fairs, the 2015 edition grows to include 92 modern and
contemporary galleries from 40 countries
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Marker turns its focus to Latin America and the historical and contemporary
connections between this region and the Arab world

2015 Global Art Forum takes on the theme of technologies, and their impact on
the world of art, culture and beyond
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Part of the fair’s extensive not-for-profit programme, Art Dubai Projects includes
residencies, commissions, radio and film
Art Dubai opens March 18 under the patronage of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al
Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai
Art Dubai offers the opportunity to engage with the work of more than 500 artists from the UAE,
the region and the world across three gallery programmes: Contemporary, Modern, and Marker.
Alongside the gallery halls, Art Dubai presents an extraordinarily extensive not-for profit
programming, including a series of dynamic commissioned site-specific works for Art Dubai
Projects; an exhibition by winners of The Abraaj Group Art Prize; the critically-acclaimed, fiveday conference Global Art Forum; a live radio station; film and video screenings; The Sheikha
Manal Little Artists Program for children and teenagers; plus an engaging programme of
curator-led tours, book launches, talks and collateral events.
Art Dubai is held in partnership with The Abraaj Group and is sponsored by Julius Baer and
Emaar. The Dubai Culture and Arts Authority is a strategic partner of Art Dubai, and supports
the fair’s year-round education programme.
The largest annual showcase of artists from the Middle East, Art Dubai is the go-to event for the
world’s most influential museum directors, curators, critics and collectors looking to connect with
the region’s arts scenes.
At the same time, Art Dubai acts as the annual get-together for arts enthusiasts from the UAE
and across the GCC, and the 2015 features the most extensive community programme to date.
Art Dubai’s preview, Wednesday March 18, will feature the opening of ‘Fada'aat’, a special
exhibition focused on UAE cultural heritage, presented by the Dubai Culture and Arts Authority.
The fair opens for the public at 4pm on Thursday March 19, and continues through Friday and
Saturday: all are welcome to attend Art Dubai at Madinat Jumeirah, and to join in the Art Week
celebrations across the city and the UAE.
Innovation is also a theme that runs through Art Dubai 2015 – from the Global Art Forum’s focus
on technologies, through to gallery booths presenting particularly ambitious multi-media
exhibitions in the Contemporary halls.
Art Dubai 2015 also features an increased focus on performance: the curated Marker
programme sees UAE-based actors and artists re-enacting performances by renowned Latin
American artists, while the Absolut Art Bar includes nightly artists’ performances, as well as live
music. Art Dubai Projects artists Jumana Emil Abboud and Rheim Alkadhi have created ongoing
performance and durational work that are activated intermittently throughout the days of the fair
and that interact with its environment.
Visitors can this year enjoy the most interactive programme to date with an extensive schedule
of curator-led tours, talks, performances and talks. A feature of the collateral programme is RCA
Secret Dubai, the anonymous postcard exhibition that is introduced by Paul Smith will include
over 1000 unique works that will be made available for sale to the public for 500 AED each
during Art Dubai on March 21.
Art Dubai’s 2015 programmes include:
ART DUBAI CONTEMPORARY
Affirming Art Dubai’s reputation as the most global of art fairs, the Contemporary halls include
72 galleries, selected via a stringent independent committee process. In 2015, 30 galleries have
opted to present ambitious solo and two-person shows; audiences will discover the work of
more than 500 artists, from an extraordinarily diverse roster of galleries that includes the world’s
most prominent alongside fresh, upcoming artspaces.
ART DUBAI MODERN
Launched last year, Art Dubai Modern, exclusively partnered with Mashreq Private Banking,
features artists who proved influential in the twentieth century, particularly through the vibrant
modern period of the 1940s to 1980s. Each gallery presents a solo or two-person show, with
work by masters from Africa, the Middle East and South Asia. Art Dubai Modern’s advisory
committee includes Savita Apte, Catherine David, Kristine Khouri, Nada Shabout and Bisi Silva.
MARKER
In 2015, Marker focuses on Latin America. The programme, curated by Luiza Teixeira de
Freitas, looks at the intersections between Latin America and the Arab world. Marker takes a
dynamic, multidisciplinary approach this year and includes: a group show featuring 35 artists
from across Latin America; a publishing section devoted to artists books, co-presented by
Tijuana, Sao Paulo, and The State, UAE; performance curated by and featuring Colombian
artist Maria Jose Arjona; a film programme curated by Videobrasil; and sound art projects by
Maria Quiroga and Marina Buendia.
THE ABRAAJ GROUP ART PRIZE
The Abraaj Group Art Prize exhibition at Art Dubai, curated by Omar Kholeif, features new work
by the 2015 winner, Yto Barrada, as well as previous works by three shortlisted artists—Sarnath
Banerjee, Setareh Shahbazi and Mounira Al Solh. The Abraaj Group Art Prize is the only prize
in the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia that awards artists on the basis of submitted
project proposals.
ART DUBAI PROJECTS
Art Dubai Projects is a not-for-profit programme that includes residencies and commissions,
curated in 2015 by Lara Khaldi, plus live radio and film. A.i.R (Artists-in-Residence) Dubai, a
partnership between Art Dubai, Delfina Foundation, Dubai Culture and Arts Authority and
Taskeel, sees six artists–Rheim Alkadhi, Mehraneh Atashi, Mohammed Ahmed Ibrahim, Jessica
Mein, Hind Mezaina and Sharmeen Syed–produce new projects for the fair through a three
month residency.
Art Dubai Commissions is a new programme devoted to mid-career artists: Jumana Emil
Abboud, Maria Thereza Alvez, Umashankar and the Earchaeologists, Mehreen Murtaza and
Fari Bradley & Chris Weaver. Their major site-specific works are located at Madinat Jumeirah,
Alserkal Avenue, and around the city, and developed in collaboration with partner organisations
Alserkal Avenue, British Council, Maraya Art Centre and Tashkeel.
In 2015, Campus Art Dubai’s Core class take on producing Art Dubai Radio, with a week-long
programme of sound, music and talks, live at the fair.
Absolut has partnered with Art Dubai to commission Yazan Khalili to conceptualise and create a
large-scale bar installation, the Art Bar by Absolut, on Fort Island.
GLOBAL ART FORUM
Titled ‘Download Update?’, the Global Art Forum 2015 takes on the theme of technologies, and
their impact on the world of art, culture and beyond. The talks programme, the largest such
annual gathering in the Middle East / Asia, is presented by the Dubai Culture and Arts Authority
and supported by Dubai Design District (d3).
Featuring a diverse line-up of more than 50 participants, including artists, curators, musicians,
strategists, technologists and writers, the Global Art Forum is co-directed by Turi Munthe and
Sultan Sooud Al Qassemi, with Shumon Basar as Director-at-Large. The five days of live talks
begin in Kuwait–supported by the Tamdeen Group, March 14-15–where the programme
includes a two-day workshop on digitizing archives, before continuing at Art Dubai, March 1820, where a day is devoted to the youth movement 89plus.
EDUCATION
Art Dubai Education features programmes for children through to arts professionals. The
Sheikha Manal Little Artist Program is an artist-led set of workshops and tours for children and
teenagers. Art Dubai also works with colleges on specialist tours at the fair.
In 2015, Forum Fellows, an intensive series of workshops led by Tirdad Zolghadr, is supported
by Julius Baer, and focuses on an exceptional group of upcoming writers from the region.
Campus Art Dubai is a year-round art school for artists, curators and writers featuring Core and
Community classes, run in partnership with Dubai Culture and Arts Authority and supported by
Dubai Design District (d3).
Notes to the Editor:
About Art Dubai:
Art Dubai is held under the Patronage of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, VicePresident and Prime Minister of the UAE, Ruler of Dubai.
Art Dubai is held in partnership with The Abraaj Group and is sponsored by Emaar and Julius
Baer. Madinat Jumeirah is home to the event. Mashreq Private Banking is the exclusive partner
of Art Dubai Modern.
The Dubai Culture and Arts Authority is a strategic partner of Art Dubai, and supports the fair’s
year-round education programme.
Maserati is Art Dubai’s official Automotive Sponsor.
The ninth edition of Art Dubai takes place March 18-21, 2015. The gallery halls include 92
galleries from 40 countries, presented through three programmes - Contemporary, Modern and
Marker. Art Dubai’s extensive not-for-profit programme includes Art Dubai Projects; an
exhibition of works by winners of the annual The Abraaj Group Art Prize; a range of educational
programmes including The Sheikha Manal Little Artists Program and the community school
Campus Art Dubai; and the critically-acclaimed Global Art Forum.
artdubai.ae
Art Dubai Partners and Sponsors:
The Abraaj Group is a leading private equity investor, purpose-built for operating in the growth
markets of Africa, Latin America, the Middle East, South Asia, South East Asia, Turkey and
Central Asia. Through its Sustainability and Stakeholder Engagement Track, the company
values social investing, thought leadership and value creation as key catalysts for sustainable
development and inclusive growth across communities.
The Abraaj Group Art Prize was founded in 2008 and is now in its seventh edition. The aim of
the prize is to empower potential and give often under-represented contemporary artists the
resources to further develop their talent. Following the application and jury process, four artists
are shortlisted for the prize and one (of the four) artists awarded the $100,000 commission. The
three shortlisted artists receive a cash prize and are represented in a group exhibition at Art
Dubai (March 18-21,2015) through previous works, which will be carefully selected by the guest
curator in liaison with the artist. The prize reflects Abraaj’s own investment philosophy, which is
to take viable businesses with great potential, and create regional and global champions. To
date, the 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014 works were presented at Art Dubai and
artworks then gone on loan to exhibitions at Biennale de Montreal, Montreal; Boshossian
Foundation, Brussels; Villa Arson, Nice; Wien Kunsthalle, Vienna; Singapore Art Museum,
Singapore; Hangzhou Triennial of Fiber Art, Hangzhou; Tensta Konstall, Stockholm; Kochi
Muziris Biennial, Kochi; Parasol Unit, London; Sharjah Art Foundation, Sharjah; among other
venues.
For more on the history and future of the prize, visit www.abraajgroupartprize.com. Stay
connected on Twitter @AbraajArtPrize and on Facebook Abraaj Art Prize.
abraaj.com
Julius Baer is the leading Swiss private banking group, with a focus on servicing and advising
sophisticated private clients and a premium brand in global wealth management. Julius Baer’s
total client assets amounted to CHF 396 billion at the end of December 2014, including CHF
291 billion of assets under management. Bank Julius Baer & Co. Ltd., the renowned Swiss
private bank which celebrates its 125th anniversary in 2015, is the principal operating company
of Julius Baer Group Ltd., whose shares are listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange (ticker symbol:
BAER) and form part of the Swiss Market Index (SMI), comprising the 20 largest and most liquid
Swiss stocks.
Julius Baer employs a staff of over 5,000, including more than 1,000 relationship managers, and
is present in over 25 countries and some 50 locations. Headquartered in Zurich, we have offices
in key locations including Dubai, Frankfurt, Geneva, Hong Kong, London, Lugano, Monaco,
Montevideo, Moscow, Singapore and Tokyo. Our client-centric approach, our objective advice
based on a unique open product platform, our very strong financial base and our entrepreneurial
management culture make us the international reference in private banking.
juliusbaer.com
Emaar Properties PJSC, listed on the Dubai Financial Market, is a global property developer
and provider of premium lifestyles, with a significant presence in the Middle East, North Africa
and Asia. One of the world’s largest real estate companies, Emaar has total assets of nearly
US$ 20 billion and a land bank of more than 238 million sq m in key international markets.
With a proven track-record in delivery, Emaar has handed over 38,600 residential units in Dubai
and other global markets since 2001. Emaar has over 690,000 sq m of recurring revenue
generating assets, and 12 hotels and resorts, with over 1,900 rooms. Today, 54 per cent of the
company’s revenues come from its shopping malls & retail and hospitality & leisure subsidiaries
and international operations.
Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest building, and The Dubai Mall, the world’s largest shopping and
entertainment destination, are among Emaar’s trophy developments.
emaar.com
Follow us on: www.facebook.com/emaardubai; www.twitter.com/emaardubai; and
www.instagram.com/emaardubai
Set on a private beach, Madinat Jumeirah Resort is an authentic recreation of ancient Arabia,
capturing the natural beauty of the region. Madinat Jumeirah features two grand boutique
hotels, Al Qasr and Mina A’Salam, accommodation in 29 traditional summer houses in Dar Al
Masyaf, conference and banqueting facilities including two grand ballrooms, a 1000-seat
amphitheatre and the region’s only dedicated entertainment centre and multi-purpose venue,
Madinat Arena. The facilities are interconnected by 3km of waterways and landscaped gardens.
The resort also provides extensive leisure and health facilities including Talise Spa and Talise
Fitness, as well as Souk Madinat Jumeirah, a traditional retail and dining experience with 90
boutiques and restaurants showcasing the best of Arabia, including nightlife destination Pacha
Ibiza Dubai.
jumeirah.com/madinatjumeirah
Art Dubai’s Strategic Partner:
Dubai Culture and Arts Authority (Dubai Culture) was launched on March 8, 2008 by His
Highness
Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President & Prime Minister and Ruler of
Dubai.
Dubai Culture plays a critical part in achieving the vision of the Dubai Strategic Plan 2015 of
establishing the city as vibrant, global Arabian metropolis that shapes culture and arts in the
region and the world.
The organisation has announced several initiatives that strengthen the historic and modern
cultural fabric of Dubai. These include: Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Patrons of
the Arts Awards: A first of-its-kind regional initiative to honour patrons of the arts from around
the world for their valuable support in encouraging and strengthening the cultural scene of the
Emirate; Sikka Art Fair: An annual art fair aimed at promoting Emirati and local artists in the
UAE; and Dubai Festival for Youth Theatre: An annual festival that celebrates and fosters the
art of theatre in the UAE.
dubaiculture.ae
Art Dubai Modern Exclusive Partner:
Mashreq Private Banking, the second oldest bank in UAE and the largest private sector bank
in the Middle East was founded in 1967. The bank has established itself as a leader in corporate
banking, consumer banking and wealth management and continues to play a pioneering role in
the evolution and advancement of the Regional banking industry.
Mashreq has been actively growing its extensive network in UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and
Egypt in addition to its presence in Europe, USA, Africa, and the Far East.
Mashreq’s traditions and values also extend to its Private Banking arm offering clients safety,
delivery, consistency, confidentiality and above all continuity. The Private Bank covers a large
client base from the region and the rest of the world extending a deep suite of solutions and
services that include red carpet banking, investments, financing and wealth structuring.
Mashreq’s Private Banking is committed to its client’s diversified needs and with the growing
interest in art, client’s have traditionally purchased art for passionate as well as a variety of other
personal reasons. We believe we can play an important role in ensuring that our investors’
views on art are understood, preserved and embraced whilst channeled and rationalized
suitably.
The Private Banking business has established its presence among clients and industry peers by
participating to a wide range of events and summits, for example the Global Gift Gala during the
Dubai International Film Festival and through sponsoring Art Dubai Modern in 2015.
Maserati is an Italian luxury car manufacturer which was established on December 1, 1914, in
Bologna (Italy) by its founder Alfieri Maserati and his brothers. Their passion and talent
contributed to the company DNA: innovation, excellence, and challenge, which are reflected in
the brand’s claim “The absolute opposite of ordinary”. Today, the company's headquarters and
main production location are in Modena (Italy). A second state-of-the-art production location,
based on the highest quality standards of the World Class Manufacturing (WCM) concept, was
inaugurated in Grugliasco, near Turin (Italy), in 2013. Maserati has been owned by the Italian
car giant Fiat S.p.A. since 1993.
Its emblem, the trident, was inspired by the fountain on the Piazza del Nettuno in the center of
Bologna (Italy). It is a symbol that ties together the brothers, their hometown, and the artistry
and craftsmanship for which Bologna and Emilia-Romagna are known.
Through major investments into product development, production facilities as well as its
worldwide dealer network, Maserati has hit a turning point. In addition to the successful
GranTurismo and GranCabrio ranges, the latest generation of Maserati’s flagship sedan, the
Quattroporte, and the new sports executive sedan, the Ghibli, provide the cornerstones to the
brand’s strategy of producing some 50,000 units annually and gaining a significantly
strengthened presence in the global luxury car market.
Vertu aims to deliver the world’s best luxury mobile phone experience for its customers by
combining expert craftsmanship and peerless materials with innovative technology and unique
services. Vertu mobile phones are handmade in England using the world’s finest materials, with
each one assembled by a single craftsman.
Vertu is renowned for its curated services; a suite of carefully selected exclusive offers, content
and assistance especially selected to enhance the Vertu customer’s lifestyle. At the heart of
these services is Vertu CONCIERGE, offering luxury lifestyle assistance and enrichment.. Vertu
LIFE offers personalised recommendations and privileged access to experiences and events.
Vertu CERTAINTY delivers security for customers, their data and their phones.
For photos, please visit the Press Gallery section on our website:
artdubai.ae/press-images
For media enquiries, please contact:
Jessica Mason
Communications and Marketing Manager, Art Dubai
[email protected]
+97143842026