• A UNIQUE FUSION OF ART, ENTERTAINMENT AND EDUCATION
• From USA to Jordan, Congo to Japan, art fair to feature cosmopolitan and stylish
• works from around the world as Dubai contemporary art market generates US$4 million

Dubai, United Arab Emirates: The second edition of World Art Dubai fair is sure to generate a buzz among the booming Middle East contemporary art scene when it presents its unique selection of over 140 international galleries and artists from five continents praising Dubai as the ultimate cultural destination where East meets West.

The much awaited show, run at Dubai World Trade Centre between 6-9 April, will feature prominent international galleries spanning the globe from countries such as USA, Congo, Spain, France, UK, Switzerland, Jordan, Singapore, Philippines, Vietnam, Korea and Japan.  Art work available throughout the fair will range from US$100 to US$10,000.

The four-day fair focuses on bringing unique and affordable contemporary art to Dubai, underlining the emirate’s strengthening prominence as a dedicated art advocate. Its thriving art scene generated impressive turnover at $4 million last year, placing Dubai among the 20 leading art marketplaces for contemporary art worldwide.

Galleries, featured at World Art Dubai 2016, include Galerie Mecanica, France; Japan Promotion, Japan; In and Out Art, South Korea; Nina Torres Fine Art, USA; and Signet Contemporary Art, UK.

“World Art Dubai is of crucial importance for us. We have been following the news and events taking place on the Dubai art scene with a huge admiration as it is where East meets West and the art market is growing at a phenomenal speed,” said Aleksandra Lis, Art Director of In and Out Art, South Korea.

In and Out Art will bring to the exhibition more than 30 pieces of artwork, including paintings and sculptures of emerging and established contemporary artists from Asia and Europe priced between US$3,000 to US$6,000.

Lis added: “Our art brings beauty, joy, colours and happiness to the stylish audience in Dubai. We hope that visitors will laugh when they see our Barcode Zebra Paintings by KY Huang and silver etched aluminium chess knight sculptures by Andrew Huang from Korea as well as urban paintings by Miguel Angel Iglesias Fernandez from Spain.”

Returning to the exhibition for the second time, Valeriy Kirsanov, representing his own gallery in Switzerland, also sees Dubai as a thriving and internationally-recognised hub for contemporary art.

“The perception of art in the Middle East is much more vivid and sharp than in the rest of the world and World Art Dubai is one of the leading art fairs for affordable art globally. In Europe, where I live, everyone knows of it,” he said.

Kirsanov’s exhibition will feature unique photographs adorned with citations from the instructions on the survival after a nuclear attack.
Similarly, Daxa Khandwala from Art Mudra, India, believes Dubai is ‘the place to be’ when it comes to exhibiting art of contemporary eminent and emerging artists.

“We’re joining World Art Dubai as we have always received a great response from the Dubai art lovers for our Indian artworks,” she said.
Daxa sees World Art Dubai as the ideal bridge between artists, art galleries and art lovers.

“We strongly believe that art is for everyone and a large platform like World Art Dubai, where art comes together from every part of the world, allows people to find their special piece of art and own it. This event makes a perfect point of connection for artists and buyers.”

Art Mudra will display more than twenty art pieces of Indian artists, with prices ranging from $250 for charcoal drawings to $2,750 for oil paintings.

Other highlights of the show will include Peter Klasen’s Tesla Art Car presented by Galerie Mecanica from France as well as the works of Mariam Alakbarli, an internationally acclaimed Azerbaijani artist, whose unique paintings are characterised by colour-complementary contrasts and recently on show in Paris and Baku.

Trixie LohMirmand, Senior Vice President, Exhibitions & Events Management, DWTC, said: “The impressive number of galleries flying into the UAE for World Art Dubai underscores our commitment to delivering a truly global art fair in the heart of the Middle East.  The demand for affordable, contemporary art in this region continues to rise and feedback from our participating galleries tells us that this is one of the most lucrative markets in the world.  We want all visitors to the fair to have the opportunity to view and fall in love with art pieces they can afford and take home.”

From 6-9 April, the four-day fair will make Dubai the centre of international attention, creating a unique platform for worldwide galleries to present art lovers with works costing from $100 to $10,000, banishing the stigma of art as a luxury exclusively for the rich.

World Art Dubai 2016 is supported by Microsoft as its Digital Art Partner, and hosted at the Dubai World Trade Centre. Entry to the fair is AED15 for a daily pass and tickets can be purchased onsite during the fair at the welcome desks.  Children of 16 years and under are admitted free of charge, upon showing a student ID.