Art Dubai a Qualified Success
In light of the current global economy, many anticipated that this year’s Art Dubai would struggle to make a splash. While sales on big ticket pieces were down from the previous year, overall, participants and organizers were optimistic about the event’s success.
One of the surprises of the event was the success of European and American artists at this year’s show. The culture clash between Middle Eastern sensabilities and Western subjects caused a few problems at the event. Works with overt sensuality or displaying images considered inappropriate to Muslim traditions were carefully screened ahead of time. However, some confusion over the standards meant that a few galleries had to cover, hide, or remove some pieces during the event.
New York gallery Goff + Rosenthal sold out their exhibition inventory while Galerie Michael Schultz (Berlin) registered two of the event’s highest sales: a piece by SEO (Korea) for $95,000 and one by Huang Min (China) for $63,000.
The four-day event attracted art buyers from across the Emirates and the rest of the Middle East as well as serious collectors from around the world. The event provided a bit of a bump for Dubai. No doubt the luxury hotels Dubai UAE saw an increase in business as did high end restaurants and retail locations.
While overall sales may have been down, organizers are optimistic that 2009 is still a building year for Dubai‘s premiere art event. They were pleased to see many new faces, both in exhibitors and buyers and feel that this year’s buzz will continue to build the reputation of the event in the contemporary art world.
The event, which began in 2007, featured over sixty international galleries and showcased contemporary art. Art Dubai includes workshops and artist projects as well as a separate program for children, called START. 2009 marked the debut of the Abraaj Capital Art Prize.
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