Abu Dhabi Art announces curators and artists participating in 9th edition

Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority, TCA Abu Dhabi, today announced details of the 9th edition of Abu Dhabi Art, the annual art fair and exhibition platform taking place at Manarat Al Saadiyat from 8th – 11th November. Abu Dhabi Art, under the leadership of Director Dyala Nusseibeh, will once again offer a diverse public engagement programme, including art installations and exhibitions, talks and events that take place throughout the duration of the fair and beyond.

A varied programme of events will take place in different locations throughout the year before culminating with the modern and contemporary art fair in November. Building on the international offering of the 2016 edition, Abu Dhabi Art 2017 will see new and established sections of the fair curated by local, regional and international art world personalities.

Saif Saeed Ghobash, Director-General of Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority, commented, "Abu Dhabi Art is a cornerstone in the mission and vision of TCA Abu Dhabi to create a vibrant and sustainable cultural ecosystem in the capital. Each year, we see the finest creative minds in the region gathered together on Saadiyat Island to offer visitors fascinating and inspiring experiences. This year will be no different as we see the Abu Dhabi Art programme expand into a more diverse offering than ever before."

"Beyond" is an annual exhibition of large-scale sculptures and installations organised by Abu Dhabi Art and located in exhibitions throughout the city of Abu Dhabi. This year, in an extended off-site programme that will become an annual part of "Beyond", Abu Dhabi Art has announced the launch of "Beyond: Artist Commissions". The new initiative will introduce artist commissions for Manarat Al Saadiyat, Abu Dhabi city and Al Ain. For 2017, established contemporary artists Manal Al Dowayan, Magdi Mostafa and Nasser Al Salem have been commissioned to make works for this initiative.

In a further development to the "Beyond" sector, Abu Dhabi Art has invited established artist Mohammed Kazem and artist and curator Cristiana de Marchi to spearhead a new initiative called "Beyond: Emerging Artists". The project will see Mohammed and Cristiana select three emerging UAE based artists to undertake a tailor made artist programme with them. At the end of the programme, the artists will be commissioned to create works for exhibition at Abu Dhabi Art 2017 and the works will remain on exhibition for an additional 2 months afterwards. "Beyond: Emerging Artists" is dedicated to supporting and providing opportunities for UAE artists.

Chief Curator at New York University Abu Dhabi, Maya Allison, has been invited to curate an exhibition at Abu Dhabi Art as part of the Abu Dhabi Art exhibition section "Gateway". The exhibition will remain on display after the November dates and will draw curatorial connections between established UAE artists and their international peers.

Guggenheim Abu Dhabi Curator Munira Al Sayegh has been invited to curate the "Talks Programme" for Abu Dhabi Art this year with a focus on debating and documenting local and GCC wide art histories, and narratives.

Dr. Omar Kholeif, Manilow Senior Curator at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, will create a curated Galleries section at Abu Dhabi Art entitled "Focus: Beyond Territory", which will introduce a group of inter-generational artists and major projects from both emerging and leading galleries to a Middle Eastern audience for the first time, offering them an international platform.

Dyala Nusseibeh, Director of Abu Dhabi Art, said, "As we move towards Abu Dhabi Art’s ninth edition, we are confident that this will be the most engaging edition to date. The fair continues to grow and expand upon its offering to the public through exhibitions, talks, partnerships, events and of course the installations that take us out of the fair space and into the city itself.

"Working with local and regional galleries, institutions, curators and artists, remains a key focus for us. We are laying the foundations for initiatives that we hope will contribute in a meaningful way to the existing and evolving art eco-system of the emirate and the UAE."

Highlighting Abu Dhabi Art’s location in the heart of Saadiyat Cultural District, a series of images by the photographer Tarek Al Ghoussein, which document the development of the district over the past seven years, will be used in the Abu Dhabi Art advertising and branding campaigns this year. Al Ghoussein began photographing sites on Saadiyat Island in 2010, capturing the early and later phases of the new culture hub where the Louvre Abu Dhabi and the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi are located. Seven of his works will be used on the fair website, and as part of its advertising campaign across print and digital platforms.

Abu Dhabi Art 2017 will once again offer visitors and collectors the opportunity to engage with contemporary performance art through the fifth edition of "Durub Al Tawaya", Abu Dhabi Art’s performing arts programme curated by Tarek Abou El Fetouh. The programme will see site-specific performances throughout Abu Dhabi Art and in different locations throughout the city.

Curated by Fabrice Bousteau, the returning "Street Art" programme will bring together local and international street artists presenting artworks throughout the urban zones of Abu Dhabi. First instigated in 2016, Bousteau will continue to explore street art this year through a series of new commissions.