Art Dubai has announced the galleries that will take part in its 2021 fair, which has been delayed, extended to six days and moved to DIFC.
Organisers have said that the bespoke structure at DIFC will allow for greater safety measures than the regular venue at the Madinat Jumeirah. The three tents installed will have better ventilation, more outdoor facilities for amenities such as information booths, and the fair will offer daily testing for all galleries and staff.
"Remote booths" – in which trained staff from Art Dubai will liaise between on-the-ground collectors and galleries abroad – will be put in place to aid galleries that are unable to travel. Out of an announced 50 galleries, six have taken up this remote option.
Because travel restrictions are mostly in place for European countries and the US, the fair’s gallery list is predominantly from the Global South – accelerating the position shift that the fair itself has attempted over the past few years, with new curated programmes meant to capitalise on Dubai’s location between East and West and historic links to Africa.
Ten Dubai galleries will be at the fair, in addition to galleries from the Middle East (Saudi Arabia, Lebanon and Palestine), from Africa (Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Morocco and Tunisia), and from further east, in India, Vietnam and the Philippines.
These include Gallery 1957 from Accra, Ghana; Addis Fine Art from Addis Ababa and London; Experimenter from Kolkata; Sfeir-Semler Gallery from Beirut and Hamburg; Galerie Nathalie Obadia from Paris; and Mono Gallery from Riyadh, the first gallery from the Saudi Arabian capital to show at the fair.
Galleries from Dubai include Ayyam Gallery, Lawrie Shabibi, Gallery Isabelle van den Eynde and The Third Line.
You can read the full list here.
Art Dubai will be held in-person from Monday, March 29 to Saturday, April 3
The BIO
Favourite piece of music: Verdi’s Requiem. It’s awe-inspiring.
Biggest inspiration: My father, as I grew up in a house where music was constantly played on a wind-up gramophone. I had amazing music teachers in primary and secondary school who inspired me to take my music further. They encouraged me to take up music as a profession and I follow in their footsteps, encouraging others to do the same.
Favourite book: Ian McEwan’s Atonement – the ending alone knocked me for six.
Favourite holiday destination: Italy - music and opera is so much part of the life there. I love it.
UAE v Gibraltar
What: International friendly
When: 7pm kick off
Where: Rugby Park, Dubai Sports City
Admission: Free
Online: The match will be broadcast live on Dubai Exiles’ Facebook page
UAE squad: Lucas Waddington (Dubai Exiles), Gio Fourie (Exiles), Craig Nutt (Abu Dhabi Harlequins), Phil Brady (Harlequins), Daniel Perry (Dubai Hurricanes), Esekaia Dranibota (Harlequins), Matt Mills (Exiles), Jaen Botes (Exiles), Kristian Stinson (Exiles), Murray Reason (Abu Dhabi Saracens), Dave Knight (Hurricanes), Ross Samson (Jebel Ali Dragons), DuRandt Gerber (Exiles), Saki Naisau (Dragons), Andrew Powell (Hurricanes), Emosi Vacanau (Harlequins), Niko Volavola (Dragons), Matt Richards (Dragons), Luke Stevenson (Harlequins), Josh Ives (Dubai Sports City Eagles), Sean Stevens (Saracens), Thinus Steyn (Exiles)
Groom and Two Brides
Director: Elie Semaan
Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla
Rating: 3/5
Scoreline
Al Wasl 1 (Caio Canedo 90 1')
Al Ain 2 (Ismail Ahmed 3', Marcus Berg 50')
Red cards: Ismail Ahmed (Al Ain) 77'
UAE rugby in numbers
5 - Year sponsorship deal between Hesco and Jebel Ali Dragons
700 - Dubai Hurricanes had more than 700 playing members last season between their mini and youth, men's and women's teams
Dh600,000 - Dubai Exiles' budget for pitch and court hire next season, for their rugby, netball and cricket teams
Dh1.8m - Dubai Hurricanes' overall budget for next season
Dh2.8m - Dubai Exiles’ overall budget for next season
