The second edition of ArtBahrain is set to open its doors again later this year. It will run from 13-16 October and will bring 50 galleries from the Middle East, Africa, Europe, the Far East and Asia. This art fair is the newest in the calendar of similar events across the Gulf with last year’s inaugural edition seeing nearly 15,000 visitors over the four days and total sales reaching BD170,000 (Dh1.7m) The event featured the works of Arab and international artists and galleries, and introduced diverse media from classic acrylic to sculpture, digital photography and new age installation.
This year, organisers aim is to increase participation by 10-15% and reach out to even more artists and art institutions both regionally and internationally. Kaneka Subberwal, a co-founder of ArtBahrain said: “Based on the positive response we have received so far, we are confident we can achieve this target. The MENA region is fast emerging as a major player in the arts and boasts tremendous creative talent; the flourishing arts scene in this part of the world holds great potential to drive investment and fuel industry growth, making it a viable economic contributor. Events such as ArtBahrain provide a vehicle to drive this development and encourage the next generation of Arab artists.”
