Exhibitor numbers up 40% for this year's Abu Dhabi Art fair

The number of exhibitors taking part in Abu Dhabi Art fair in November has surged by 40 per cent compared to last year, as the event goes from strength to strength.

More than 140 galleries from 37 countries will be represented, a record for the annual fair that was first held in 2009. Cultural space Manarat Al Saadiyat will once again host the event, which runs from November 19 to 23.

The increase in the number of galleries “reflects Abu Dhabi’s rising stature in both institutional and private collecting circles”, said the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi, which is organising the event.

“Over the years, the fair has evolved into the region’s most influential platform for art and ideas, a cultural moment where the UAE’s pioneering spirit engages with the global art community,” said Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, the chairman of DCT – Abu Dhabi.

“The upcoming edition of Abu Dhabi Art fair promises to be the most ambitious yet, featuring a record number of galleries from around the world.”

Emirati artist Shaikha Al Mazrou has created the visual theme and marketing material for this year's event. Antonie Robertson / The National

This year, the event will spotlight the art scenes in Nigeria, Turkey and the Gulf. Galleries from several other countries, including Algeria, Senegal, Netherlands, Peru and Tanzania, will make their debuts.

Galleries presenting leading Gulf artists include Gallery Isabelle (Hassan Sharif, Mohammed Kazem and Alia Zaal); Wusum Gallery (Tarek Darwish); Hunna Art (Alymamah Rashed, Joud Fahmy and Zayn Qahtani); Sapar Contemporary (Rashid Al Khalifa); Iris Projects (Nasser Al Salem, Juma Al Haj and Shamsa Al Omaira); Hafez Gallery (Sami Al Marzoogi, Sara Alabdali and Raeda Ashour) and Albareh Art Gallery (Nasser Al Yousif).

“Our curatorial focus continues to centre on under-represented art histories and foster equity in global art narratives through the platform of the fair,” said Dyala Nusseibeh, director of Abu Dhabi Art.

Emirati artist Shaikha Al Mazrou, a notable figure in the country’s contemporary art scene, was tasked with creating Abu Dhabi Art Fair's “visual identity”.

Her 2023 work, Beyond All Measures, will be among the highlights at the fair. Using oxidised brass, it depicts the horizon while exploring its symbolism as a threshold and point of transformation.

“Shaikha has become one of the most successful artists of her generation in the UAE,” Nusseibeh said in April. “The series we have chosen to work with for the visual campaign and visual feel of the fair offers an exploration of materiality and a repurposing of discarded matter from fabrication sites in the UAE.”

Artworks by Jasem Alsane are one of the many on display at Abu Dhabi Art 2024. 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

Chatham House Rule

A mark of Chatham House’s influence 100 years on since its founding, was Moscow’s formal declaration last month that it was an “undesirable
organisation”.

The depth of knowledge and academics that it drew on
following the Ukraine invasion had broadcast Mr Putin’s chicanery.

The institute is more used to accommodating world leaders,
with Nelson Mandela, Margaret Thatcher among those helping it provide
authoritative commentary on world events.

Chatham House was formally founded as the Royal Institute of
International Affairs following the peace conferences of World War One. Its
founder, Lionel Curtis, wanted a more scientific examination of international affairs
with a transparent exchange of information and ideas.

That arena of debate and analysis was enhanced by the “Chatham
House Rule” states that the contents of any meeting can be discussed outside Chatham
House but no mention can be made identifying individuals who commented.

This has enabled some candid exchanges on difficult subjects
allowing a greater degree of free speech from high-ranking figures.

These meetings are highly valued, so much so that
ambassadors reported them in secret diplomatic cables that – when they were
revealed in the Wikileaks reporting – were thus found to have broken the rule. However,
most speeches are held on the record.

Its research and debate has offered fresh ideas to
policymakers enabling them to more coherently address troubling issues from climate
change to health and food security.

The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.

Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins

Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative

Read part one: how cars came to the UAE