Under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Member of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council and Chairman of Abu Dhabi Executive Office, the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi has announced that the next edition of Abu Dhabi Art will return to Manarat Al Saadiyat in a physical format, from 18-21 November, with an opening reception on 17 November.
Following the success of last year’s virtual fair, Abu Dhabi Art 2021 will continue to have a strong digital presence through a number of online initiatives.
Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman of the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi, stated, “Abu Dhabi Art is a platform for cultural connectivity, bringing together artists, galleries, institutions and arts professionals and fostering innovation and creativity by connecting them. Whilst the last year has brought up many challenges and issues inherent in the art world, it has also raised opportunities to solve these. This pandemic has shown us that our way forward is through collaboration, adaptation and innovation.
For any society to blossom, culture must be part of its DNA, must be integral to its aspirations for progression and development. Abu Dhabi Art will take part in physical format this year not despite, but because of the challenges that have faced the art eco-system during the pandemic, because it has been able to adapt and still contribute to cultural growth and to the art market in these challenging times, returning in renewed form. We look forward to welcoming visitors and community back to the fair this November.”
Saood Abdulaziz Al Hosani, Undersecretary of the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi, added, “Abu Dhabi is one of the safest places in the world to visit in 2021, and we are excited to announce that we will welcome visitors to our programme at Manarat Al Saadiyat at the end of the year, adhering to all necessary health and safety regulations. Abu Dhabi Art is now an important marker in the global cultural calendar, and a key initiative that reflects Abu Dhabi as a culturally active and artistically conscious city.”
This year Abu Dhabi Art will be also showcasing several new commissioned installations at locations throughout the emirate of Abu Dhabi. The art-driven experience will stretch from Liwa and Al Ain to the city centre of Abu Dhabi and is in part a natural extension of the fair’s Beyond: Artist Commissions programme, which launched in 2017 and brings site-specific works to world heritage sites in Al Ain each year. Abu Dhabi Art has been working closely with commissioned artists on their new works, as well as with the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi, to create eco-driven experiences in these unique locations.
Each year, the fair collaborates with artists to create its visual campaign and collateral. The visual campaign art selected for the 13th iteration features works by Emirati artists Ayesha Hadhir, Rawdha Khalifa Al Ketbi and Shaikha Fahad Al Ketbi, first created as part of Beyond: Emerging Artists in 2019. In these works, they jointly explore the idea of transformation in different environments, from seascapes and the desert, to abandoned cityscapes.
2021 Guest Artists and Curators will be announced in the coming months, along with further details on the emirate-wide programme for the fair.
Applications are now open for galleries to exhibit in the 13th edition of the fair in November.
