Organisers of Art Dubai will donate 25 per cent of ticket sales from its 2022 event to Ukrainian refugees.
The 15th art fair opens on Friday and will run until Sunday. More than 100 galleries from around 40 countries are participating across three sections, one of the annual event's biggest showing yet.
The donation initiative was first reported in The Art Newspaper. During a VIP preview ahead of the opening, Tbilisi's Gallery Artbeat draped the blue and yellow Ukrainian flag on its booth table to show solidarity with the country. A representative for the fair responded to this gesture, saying it believes in the rights of participants to express support for the country and added that a portion of the ticket sales would go towards “help[ing] the plight of Ukrainian refugees”.
Art Dubai confirmed to The National that the donations would go through Unicef.
“Over the years, the Art Dubai Group has helped a number of charitable initiatives and the appeal for funds for the refugee situation unfolding today is something we feel we should support,“ a representative said.
Scroll through the gallery below for more pictures from Art Dubai 2022:
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Art Dubai has returned to Madinat Jumeirah this year, with its most extensive list of participating galleries to date. The fair opens to the public on March 11 and runs until March 13. All photos: Antonie Robertson / The National -
Photographer Dia Mrad at the Zawyeh Gallery booth where his works are on view. -
The Postmasters booth at Art Dubai's inaugural digital art section. -
Aicon Gallery's booth features a solo presentation of works by Indian modernist KS Kulkarni. -
Volte Art Projects’ booth includes works by Nalini Malani, Wim Delvoye, Anish Kapoor, Sujata Bajaj, Studio Drift and more. -
Green Art Gallery's booth at Art Dubai includes works by Maryam Hosseini. -
Tonia Nneji’s paintings at Rele Gallery. -
Murat Palta's miniature paintings at the X-ist Istanbul booth at Art Dubai. -
Canvas Gallery is showcasing vivid works by miniaturist Wardha Shabbir. -
Commissioned work by James Clar at the Julius Baer lounge at Art Dubai. -
Agial Art Gallery is presenting works made from 1930-1975 by the late Lebanese artist Bibi Zogbe -
This year's Art Dubai includes more than 100 contemporary, modern and digital galleries from 40 countries. -
Works by Mit Jai Inn at the Silverlens booth. -
Art Dubai is presenting its inaugural digital art section, with 17 galleries specialising in the medium, as well as NFTs. -
Works by Radhika Khimji at the Experimenter Kolkata booth. -
Art Dubai features commissioned presentations that can be found throughout Madinat Jumeirah. -
More than half of the galleries are made up of names from the Global South, as the fair furthers its aim of becoming the go-to for art outside of the typical western circuit. -
Among the highlights of this year's fair is the modern section curated by Sam Bardaouil and Till Fellrath, who opted for muted gray walls instead of the usual bright white. -
Art Dubai Digital will be the fair's first digital art section. -
Three galleries from Tehran will bring together artists that have shown with them in the past. -
A visitor during a preview of Art Dubai 2022.
Prior to this year, there have been no publicly known donations from Art Dubai to other causes or conflicts, including humanitarian crises within the region. When asked by The National regarding previous initiatives, the fair representative said: “We would like to keep our focus on this year’s donation.“
As of March 9, more than two million people have left Ukraine to neighbouring countries such as Poland, Hungary and Slovakia following Russia’s invasion of the country. Poland has the highest number of refugees registered at 1.4 million. Ukrainians are also fleeing to Russia, Romania, Moldova and Belarus.
The crisis is expected to continue, with the UN estimating that more than four million will eventually be displaced owing to the war.
Currently, Ukrainians can stay in the UAE for 30 days with no prior need to apply for a visa. The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation also announced it would donate Dh18 million in humanitarian aid to Ukraine.
In recent weeks, the US and UK have placed bans on Russian oil as part of economic sanctions aimed at quelling Russian aggression. The EU has not yet announced a total ban, though the European Commission has stated it would speed up its move to alternative supplies in order to end dependence on Russian energy.
When it comes to arts and culture, a number of institutions around the world have made gestures in support of Ukraine. This week, Vladimir Potanin, a Russian business oligarch and a benefactor of the Guggenheim in New York, has stepped down from his role as a museum trustee.
Auction house Phillips, initially a British business that was purchased by Russian luxury retail conglomerate Mercury Group in 2008, recently condemned the Russian action in Ukraine. On March 3, Phillips stated that it would donate proceeds from a recent auction in London to the Ukraine Red Cross, a total amount of $7.7 million, according to Artnet News.
Russia’s Ministry of Culture has asked Italian museums to return loaned artworks after Italy imposed sanctions on Russia this week.
Elsewhere, a number of Russian writers, composers, artists and filmmakers have been subjected to various boycotts and dismissals. Critics have pointed out that such cultural boycotts can encourage further division and do little to help the Ukrainian people.
Art Dubai will take place from 2pm to 9pm on March 11 and 12, and noon to 6pm on March 13 at Madinat Jumeirah. Tickets cost Dh60 for one-day entry, and Dh100 for a three-day entry, and are available at artdubai.ae
