With over 25,000 visitors including 75 museum groups and 300 individual museum and institutional representatives, organisers are heralding this year's Art Dubai as the most successful fair yet.<br/> The seventh edition ended on Saturday after a jam-packed four day schedule of workshops, lectures, interactive art and of course, the all important exchanging hands of art. With a diverse participation of 75 galleries from 30 countries, including a curated introduction to varied art scenes across West Africa, Art Dubai is certainly bigger than it has been before and now it is also better.<br/> "The growth of Art Dubai over the past seven years reflects the rising prominence of the UAE as a centre of art and cultural discourse," Antonia Carver, the fair's director, said today in a statement. "We see Art Dubai as a powerful venue for regional and international talents to reach out to new audiences, explore new markets and connect with like minded collaborators."<br/> A compelling sculpture from Galerie Nathalie Obadia An estimated 45 million USD worth of artworks were exhibited and strong sales - including major acquisitions by collectors and visiting museum groups - were reported at Pilar Corrias (London), Nubuke Foundation (Accra), Athr Gallery (Jeddah), Gallery Isabelle van den Eynde (Dubai), and Galerie Rodolphe Janssen (Brussels). Art Dubai 2013 also featured the largest not-for-profit programme in the fair's history, with over 40 artists participating in Art Dubai Projects - including residencies, commissions, performances, screenings, and a mobile art gallery, as well as dXb store, an initiative that supports UAE based designers.
