Flip through the latest issue of Gulf Weekly.
ORGANISERS of what has become one of the Middle East's largest contemporary art events is encouraging Bahrain's community of artists, galleries and collectors to play a greater role this year.
Art Dubai takes place from March 19-22 and so far more than 10 of the 70 galleries participating in Art Dubai 2008 are based in the region.
John Martin, co-founder and director, Art Dubai, highlighted the role that the wider regional arts community is now playing in the event.
He said: "We were fortunate to welcome a significant number of visitors from Bahrain to the DIFC Gulf Art Fair last year. By visiting with artists and galleries in Manama this week, we aim to foster even greater participation by Bahrain's leading arts figures in Art Dubai this March and in the coming years.
"While global interest in Art Dubai is important to our long-term success, we are actively seeking wider attendance and participation from regional arts hubs like Bahrain to foster a pan-Arab cultural exchange and celebrate the diversity of art being created and encouraged within the Middle East."
During his visit to Manama last week, Martin and Art Dubai's managing director Asmaa Al Shabibi also discussed a number of Art Dubai components set to attract the country's art supporters to the event, including:
Participation by nearly 70 of the world's leading contemporary art galleries from Seoul to Sao Paolo, including 12 galleries from the Middle East and North Africa.
New for 2008 - Art Dubai's Art Park - a space devoted to experimental and site-specific work with particular emphasis on video work from nonprofit organisations within the Middle East. This year Art Dubai will show case both international and Middle Eastern video work, while the contemporary arts organisation Bidoun will curate three video programmes in a special space designed by regionally-based design team Traffic.
The Global Art Forum: 2, the five-day discussion and debate series featuring 50 of the regional and international art world's leading minds, set to foster links between the Middle East and the wider global arts community through candid debate on the evolving business of art.
START - Art Dubai's charitable initiative in association with Al Madad foundation, which uses the international language of art to educate and heal less privileged children.
'Desperately Seeking Paradise' - an art project featuring 11 contemporary Pakistani artists, curated by Salima Hashmi
The event takes place at Madinat Arena, Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai. For further details visit www.artdubai.ae
