Art Dubai 2025: between Global South, digital art and Italian excellence

The 18th edition of Art Dubai (18 to 20 April at the Madinat Jumeirah), the most consolidated art fair in the Gulf area, has come to a close. More than 120 galleries took part in the now well-known Contemporary, Bawwaba, Modern and Digital sections, including 30 for the first time. The latest appointment with artistic director Pablo Del Val who over the years has focused collectors' attention on art from the Global South by presenting artists from galleries from lesser-represented geographical areas. As of next year, the fair will have two new directors: Dunja Gottweis, Art Basel's global head of gallery relations, has taken over as fair director, while Alexie Glass-Kantor, previously executive director of Artspace in Sydney, will be the new executive director of curating. Supporting Art Dubai over the years is a ten-year partnership with the Swiss asset management company Julius Baer and from 2021 the investment company A.R.M. Holding as the first patron of the Dubai Collection, the emirate of Dubai's institutional art collection. A.R.M. Holding, like every year, purchased artworks totalling $275,000, including works by London-based Bangladeshi artist Rana Begum (at Dubai's Third Line gallery) and French artist Christine Safa (at Bortolami).

«Fisherman #2», 2018 di Vasantha Yogananthan, black and white C-print, hand-painted, 34 x 42 cm. Courtesy Jhaveri Contemporary

In addition to the good representation of local art, in particular female art, this edition's artistic proposal achieved a better balance between emerging and established artists, creating a dynamic and intergenerational dialogue. On the price side, the offer in the different sections embraced all price ranges from a few hundred euros to higher prices in the Contemporary section where, among others, the French gallery Perrotin was present. A few days before the opening of the fair, it inaugurated its new space in the heart of the Dubai International Finance Centre, close to Sotheby's and Christie's. At the fair, the gallery presented works by Monira Al Qadiri, currently at the Sharjah Biennial, an Emir near Dubai, as well as pieces byTakashi Murakami, Lee Bae, Shim Moon-Seup and others, with prices ranging from €4,000 to €400,000.

There was no shortage of Italian galleries at the fair, more numerous every year, from Thomas Brambilla to the ever-present Galleria Continua, Cortesi Gallery, Franco Noero, P420, Plan X, Studio G7, and in the Bawwaba section, Pinksummer, Secci and Federica Schiavo. "This was our third participation," says Giulia Biafore director of Galleria Studio G7 in Bologna, "and it was undoubtedly the most positive: great energy, excellent feedback from local and international collectors, and several works acquired in the first few days. The fair did an excellent job by increasing the presence of local and especially international institutions with whom a dialogue has begun'. "Compared to previous editions," continues the director, "we noticed a more aware and curious public. As for the new direction, Biafora expects a clear and courageous vision, capable of enhancing the curatorial component even more, while maintaining the international scope that makes Art Dubai so unique". The gallery presented works in the stand with a price range between 3,000 and 25,000 euro, especially the young artists including Jacopo Mazzonelli and Caterina Morigi and sold out for the Dutch Anneke Eussen, the gallery's new proposal with prices between 3,500 and 15,000 euro.

«Circle Stripe Study #3 (w/ Radial cones)», 2024 di Zach Lieberman, Giclée su Hahnemühle Photorag accompagnata da un token ERC-721, 59,4 x 84,1 cm, prezzo 2mila euro. Courtesy Gazelli Art House

The presence of 30 new entries among the galleries is certainly a positive sign for the fair considering the not particularly bright moment for the art market. Their participation, besides the fact that the curated sections are by invitation only, was determined by their curiosity to test one of the most interesting and growing markets, especially to start collaborations with institutions, foundations and private collections in the area. Among the new entries were two Italian galleries, Federica Schiavo Gallery (Rome) and Pinksummer (Genoa). "Lots of requests and good contacts," says Federica Schiavo, "especially curators and institutions, perhaps also due to the nature of the work of the artist Karthik Pandian with a new body of works in walnut ink, watercolour pastel and metal, which relates the geographies of Turtle Island and Palestine. The works reflect Pandian's deep and ongoing relationship with indigenous activists in the Midwestern United States, who refer to North America as Turtle Island, and his engagement in liberation struggles related to those in Palestine (prices from EUR 10 to 50,000). It went very well for La Galerie 38 (Casablanca / Marrakech), with the only show dedicated to the artist Ghizlane Agzenaï whose very colourful works were priced between 16,000 and 33,000 USD and were much appreciated by collectors based in Dubai and Lebanon.

The Digital section at the fair since 2022 has been "an annual snapshot of the industry," explains curator Gonzalo Herrero Delicado as "each edition of Art Dubai Digital has reflected, sometimes consciously, sometimes less so, the zeitgeist or obsession of the moment: the first edition was launched during the NFT boom, while subsequent editions have focused more on the technologies artists work with and how they are becoming more mainstream. These are blockchain technologies, robotics, VR or AI'.