Art Dubai’s independent business model and innovative approach has always sought to reframe what an art fair can be, and the institutional role a fair can play in building and supporting local cultural ecosystems. Education and thought leadership programming are central to this aim, and Art Dubai works in partnership with government and business to develop and deliver ambitious long-term initiatives to support the long-term growth of the UAE’s cultural sector.

ART DUBAI

Art Dubai is the most significant global art gathering in the Middle East, providing an important gateway for discovery, learning and exchange. Championing galleries and artists from less-represented geographies, each year the fair presents around 120 contemporary, modern and digital exhibitors alongside ambitious artist commissions and the most extensive education and thought leadership programme of any international art fair.

ART DUBAI DIGITAL

Art Dubai Digital is a unique curated section of Art Dubai dedicated to the pioneering artists, collectives, galleries and platforms who are shaping today’s digital art world. Representing a broad geographic base and diverse perspectives, the section explores how artists and creative practitioners are working with advanced technologies – including artificial intelligence, virtual and augmented reality – to interrogate the key environmental, social and political challenges of our time.

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

Since its foundation, Art Dubai has championed thought leadership and professional development opportunities for artists and art professionals. Flagship initiatives include the  Global Art Forum – Art Dubai’s annual transdisciplinary conference, Digital Summit, the Art Business Conference Dubai, and ambitious, year-round Artist, Modern and Collector programmes.

PUBLIC ART STRATEGY

In partnership with Dubai Culture, Art Dubai Group is developing a multi-year public art strategy to transform the city of Dubai into an extensive artistic canvas. This unique programme, developed in collaboration with Dubai’s leading institutions, invites artists from or based in the UAE to deliver ambitious new commissions across the city.

EDUCATION

Key to Art Dubai’s institutional role is professional development, supporting the next generation of artists and cultural professionals. Key initiatives include Campus Art Dubai, a professional development, training and mentoring programme now in its 12th year, and the A.R.M. Holding Children’s Programme, which is now the largest cultural education programme in UAE, reaching more than 15,000 students and 100 schools.

DUBAI COLLECTION

Dubai Collection is the first institutional art collection for the city of Dubai. Held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum, the Dubai Collection is a museum without walls that reimagines traditional processes of creating, curating, collecting and preserving modern and contemporary art. It has a patron-led model – in which artworks are loaned by collectors – and a shifting physical presence, with exhibitions and talks programming taking place in Dubai and internationally.