Tickets for World Art Dubai are available on Platinumlist: https://shorturl.at/ekqI8

Dubai, UAE, 26 April 2024: World Art Dubai (WAD), the largest contemporary art fair in the region, is poised to celebrate its 10th edition. This year WAD will unveil 12 international pavilions dedicated to showcasing the vibrant artistic diversity from different countries and regions. From 2^nd to 5^th May 2024, art enthusiasts will have the opportunity to explore artworks from different pavilions. Namely, the UAE, America, Asia, China, Europe, GCC, India, Iran, Japan, Russia, and the UK, highlighting the universal language of art that transcends borders.

The fair, held at Dubai World Trade Centre in partnership with Dubai Culture, will feature over 4,000 artworks from over 65 countries. It will be presenting a dynamic snapshot of Dubai’s unique blend of local and international influences. The fair will be reinforcing the city’s position as an arts powerhouse for the Global South, elevating the global positioning of WAD

As a matter of fact, the international pavilions also stand as cultural gateways. Each offers a unique window into the country or region’s artistic heritage and contemporary creativity. From the traditional to the avant-garde, these pavilions curate a rich tapestry of artistic expressions. They underscore the universal language of art that unites us all. Each pavilion is a testament to the global nature of World Art Dubai and its commitment to fostering cultural exchange and appreciation. Moreover, it is adding positive economic impact to a city where 9% of the GDP comes from tourism.

World Art Dubai’s landmark 10^th edition will showcase a diverse array of pavilions and artists from around the world.

UAE and GCC Pavilion Highlights

The UAE and GCC Pavilions will spotlight both the talent of residents who call Dubai home and talented citizens. Undoubtedly, this demonstrates how the two populations exist and interact through their creative drives. These artists include Daria Avdeeva, Javeria Khan, and Francine Kaspar. They present their vibrant artworks, harmoniously blending classical techniques with contemporary interpretations, reflecting the UAE’s multicultural identity. Additionally, Hend Rashed, a Dubai-based abstract artist, will present her dynamic creations. Distinctly, with a repertoire spanning seven years at prestigious exhibitions worldwide, including in Singapore, Oman, and Italy, Rashed’s artistry has garnered recognition. She has earned nominations for the UAE Residence Artist Award by World Art Dubai for three consecutive years.

Bahraini artist Leena Al Ayoobi, Iraqi artist Nabil Ali, and Lebanese artist Lydia Moawad will showcase their unique artistic visions. They blend cultural influences and personal experiences to create compelling artworks. Specifically, their pieces demonstrate the wide variety of styles and cultural influences in Middle Eastern art.

Representing Diverse Global Regions

The pavilions of World Art Dubai feature artistic fusion among cultures, continents, and art schools that converge in Dubai from diverse global regions. The Europe Pavilion is curated by Tablinum Cultural Management. It presents innovative contemporary art, with artists like Tatiana Kramarenko, Follow Med, and Petr Shebarshin exploring themes of chaos, spirituality, and life’s profundity. China’s presence, facilitated by Artaflo Collective from Hong Kong, reflects the belief in art as a universal language. India’s offering showcases the dynamic art scene. This includes Sanuj Birla’s pop art, Raihan R Vadra’s immersive installations, and Niyati Parekh’s art and interior design.

Japan Promotion’s ‘Japan Tide’ project presents a curated blend of traditional and contemporary Japanese arts. The Russia Pavilion, featuring Igor Kirillov and IMMI Art, offers immersive experiences in romantic hyperrealism. Iran’s pavilion, represented by Ronas Gallery and Negara Group, highlights the vibrant contemporary art scene. In addition, insights from America, Asia, and the UK are incorporated, including contributions from the Museum of Modern Renaissance, Art Muse Gallery, and Lenny Lopes, respectively. These offerings provide fresh perspectives and innovative approaches to art.

Asma Al Sharif, Assistant Vice President at Exhibitions, Dubai World Trade Centre remarked about the fair. She said, “World Art Dubai’s 10th edition underscores our commitment to making art accessible and celebrating the diversity of the global art scene. The 12 international pavilions serve as portals, inviting visitors to immerse themselves in a vibrant mosaic of artistic expressions and explore a rich tapestry from around the world.”

Spotlight on Legacy and Innovative Artists

Notably, legacy exhibitors include Japan Promotion and Art Plus Photographers Production who have been loyal exhibitors at the fair for the past eight years. This signifies their longstanding commitment to World Art Dubai. Alongside them, new artists like Rinko Lim and Liz Ramos-Prado bring fresh perspectives to the Dubai art scene.

Rinko Lim uniquely blends art, design, and energy therapy. She harnesses her experiences from the United States to delve into themes of self-discovery and spiritual wellness. Meanwhile, Liz Ramos-Prado seamlessly merges graphic design with fine art, bridging the gap between commercial and personal artistic expressions. With a decade-long career in the UAE’s media and design landscape, Ramos-Prado’s work delves into the intricacies of human emotion.

With Hotel Indigo Dubai Downtown, the first certified boutique hotel in the UAE, proudly serving as the fair’s Art Hotel Partner. Additionally, Al Hathboor Group have joined WAD as Artistic Sponsor. There is an anticipated turnout of over 15,000 visitors at World Art Dubai 2024. The fair promises an immersive cultural journey, celebrating the transformative impact of art and its ability to forge global connections. Secure your tickets for World Art Dubai now on Platinumlist: https://shorturl.at/ekqI8.

For more information, visit www.worldartdubai.com

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The Casablanca Art School emerged after Morocco gained independence in 1956 and played a pivotal role in shaping a new visual culture. The artists associated with the school embarked on a revolutionary approach, breaking away from Western academic traditions and drawing inspiration from local culture. The exhibition explores the transformative impact of the artist-professors who encouraged experimentation and instilled a sense of social awareness within the institution.

At the Casablanca Art School, traditional Berber skills, materials, and visual languages were combined with modernist influences from Europe and North America. This fusion created a unique space for reimagining Moroccan contemporary art and its connection to everyday life. The exhibition delves into the diverse artistic practices of the school’s teachers and students, encompassing painting, sculpture, graphic design, architectural mural painting, and various other media.

A central theme of the exhibition is the artist’s commitment to bringing art into public spaces and promoting it as a shared experience. The showcased works by 22 artists include vibrant abstract paintings, urban murals, craft, typology, graphics, and ceramics. Alongside the artworks, the exhibition also features rarely-seen print archives, vintage journals, and photographs, providing deeper insights into the artistic and cultural context of the Casablanca Art School.

Notable artists participating in the exhibition include Carla Accardi, Malika Agueznay, Hamid Alaoui, Mohamed Ataallah, Herbert Bayer, Farid Belkahia, Fouad Bellamine, Mohammed Chabâa, Saâd Ben Cheffaj, Ahmed Cherkaoui, André Elbaz, Abdellah El Hariri, Abdelkrim Ghattas, Mustapha Hafid, Anna Draus-Hafid, Mohamed Hamidi, Mohammed Kacimi, Miloud Labied, Mohamed Melehi, Houssein Miloudi, Abderrahman Rahoule, and Chaïbia Tallal.

Curated by Morad Montazami and Madeleine de Colnet for Zamân Books and Curating, in conjunction with Anne Barlow (Director) and Giles Jackson (Assistant Curator) from Tate St Ives, the exhibition is a collaborative effort between Tate St Ives and Sharjah Art Foundation. The exhibition’s presentation in Sharjah, scheduled for February 2024, will be in partnership with the Sharjah Art Museum and curated by Hoor Al Qasimi, the President and Director of the Sharjah Art Foundation.

This exhibition marks a significant moment in the ongoing international research into the Casablanca Art School, which was initiated in 2020 by KW Institute for Contemporary Art and Sharjah Art Foundation, in collaboration with Goethe-Institut Marokko, ThinkArt, and Zamân Books and Curating.

With its exploration of the Casablanca Art School’s artistic legacy and its role in shaping a postcolonial avant-garde, this exhibition promises to be a captivating journey into Moroccan art history. By showcasing the fusion of traditional and modern influences, the exhibition highlights the school’s contribution to redefining Moroccan contemporary art and its enduring relevance in the global art landscape.

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The report’s findings described the 2022 picture for dealers, auction houses, and others in the trade as one of “muted growth,” even though the overall sales figure for this year was higher than the market’s pre-pandemic level. The survey found that the US remained the largest national market, occupying 45 percent of the total value share, up 2 percent from last year. In second and third place were the UK and China, accounting for 18 and 17 percent of sales, respectively. This year saw the UK replace China as the second-largest market hub, which fell by 3 percent in market share from 2021. The US saw sales increase by 8 percent, to around $30.2 billion, in 2022, while sales in the UK increased by 5 percent, reaching $11.9 billion. For the market in China, numbers were down significantly as prolonged lockdown policies stalled business, with sales declining by 14 percent to $11.2 billion in 2021.

McAndrew described some of the report’s findings as a “mixed bag” of financial performances across various parts of the business. However, the vendors taking part in seven-figure art sales are benefiting from increased concentrations in billionaire wealth. There is a part of the business where the number of sales of works priced over $1 million has been doing much better than everything below that. McAndrew described that finding as an “extreme” part of a longer-term trend that’s seen bigger commercial players dominating smaller peers.

Gallery sales reached $37.2 billion in 2022, marking a 7 percent increase from 2021. Surveys of the dealer community found that larger galleries (ones that have an annual $10 million turnover) saw a 19 percent increase in their average sale figures in the last year. Meanwhile, smaller galleries struggled, with rising operating and logistical costs for dealers and collectors putting increased pressure on deal-making, where discounts were a growing request. Gallerists with annual sales of $250,000 or less saw a 3% drop in sales in 2022. For mid-to-small-sized dealers, the bulk of sales made to new buyers also fell in 2022, the report found.

Meanwhile, public auction sales reached $30.6 billion, down 2 percent from 2021, but still 11% higher than the pre-pandemic 2019 level. Private sales at auction houses generated $3.8 billion, down from the $4.1 billion reported in 2021. Despite the drop, the market continues to be top-heavy, with the high-end of the trade faring well even when economic forces present hurdles. At auction houses, the number of sales of artworks with price tags over $10 million rose by 12%, while artworks at lower-value tiers saw those volumes drop between 2022 and 2021.

NFTs saw the market’s starkest decline in the last year. Since the boom in 2021, many collectors appear to be shifting focus away from art-related NFT sales. NFT sales via online platforms accounted for sales of close to $1.5 billion

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“The depiction of Arab women plays a pivotal part in art. Artists find it easy to carry their message through their depiction of the Arab women” Says Maisoon

Her artwork is rooted in her Iraqi heritage and takes inspiration from famous artists such as Isam Alsaeed. Her abstract pieces evoke images of old Baghdad, the faces of its people all seamlessly intertwined with the Kufic calligraphy that envelopes the walls of so many mosques and palaces of that region. There are hints of nostalgia in her pieces, borne out with modernist brushwork, creating a special appeal for those who yearn for the land between the two rivers.

From an Architect to an International Artist, she paints Iraqi women specifically and Arab women in general. The artist uses traditional and cultural references which add a rural touch and she also paints women in an urban environment. Ultimately, Maisoon reflects themes such as nostalgia, care, family, homeland, passion and love in her paintings.

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The Spanish Gallery’s inaugural exhibition, designed by the Edinburgh-based Studio MB and created with Durham University’s Zurbarán Centre for Spanish and Latin American Art and Culture, will embody works by Spanish Golden Age painters and a space dedicated to an imposing old master crucifixion noninheritable with support from Art Fund. Alternative galleries explore the enduring Spanish theme of death and also the fruitful fusion of Spanish and Islamic art, with facsimile objects and interiors created when 3D scans by the Madrid-based Factum Foundation.

Several items are from the non-public assortment of dessert apple Ruffer, the financier who is that the main backer of the £150m metropolis Project. Extra loans are planned from Museo Del Prado, the Hispanic Society of America, and alternative major collections of Spanish art. Ruffer is leading the steward team, the primary time he has to contend such a role, and says he’s not an instructional however a storyteller. He argues that the gallery cannot fail on its terms: “Most folks within the sector have to be compelled to pay way an excessive amount of time worrying concerning who can come. Being made permits you to see things in another way. We’ve got a set here that’s terribly authentic, full of truths, terribly powerful—and we’ve got the advantage of not giving stuff concerning who comes.” However, this can be not the complete story. Ruffer has long been gripped by the ability and religious intensity of Spanish art. once the Church Commissioners, who manage the Church of England’s assets, planned in 2012 to sell twelve monumental Zurbaráns that had remained the walls of the bishops’ palace since 1756, Ruffer paid £15m to stay them together. He then bought the for the most part derelict palace to preserve their home, and since then the project has matured remorselessly. The new gallery can show the sole painting separated from the palace set since the eighteenth century, on loan from the Grimsthorpe and Drummond Castle Trust.

 “It’s all concerning regeneration,” Ruffer insists. “It all has got to serve what I’m interested in, the city finding out once more as a thriving place.”

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Having received no formal art training, her work has evolved in an entirely self-taught manner since launching her career. Her high-impact sections highlight a surprising level of detail and show a special interest in the interaction between light and dark. Amber often incorporates high-gloss resin into her work as the final step in her process. She finds that resin heightens the colours and contrasts of the artwork in addition to giving a distinctive contemporary finish.

“Acrylics are my chosen medium. Despite remaining curious and experimenting with new techniques, I have yet to find another medium that lends itself quite as well to the detailed, layered approach to my wildlife work. The animal kingdom offers unlimited inspiration. From familiar favorites such as tigers and lions to less-represented species like pangolins and okapis, I find every species has a story to tell and an intriguing set of behaviors to reveal. Whatever the subject may be, I want my pieces to be bold- capable of celebrating the incredible beauty of the natural world,” says Amber.

Amber has been a finalist in the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation ‘Wildlife Artist of the Year’ competition for the past three consecutive years, receiving highly-commended awards from the judging panel on each occasion. Her jaguar piece ‘Closing In’ was also voted the ‘People’s Choice’ winner in the 2019 competition. Amber was selected as the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation’s first ‘Artist of the Month’ during July 2020, with sales raising over £2000.00 for the charity during this time.

Supporting conservation efforts remains at the heart of her work, and over the past three years artwork sales have raised over £9000.00 for projects across Africa and Asia. She views her art as a way to connect with unfamiliar and endangered species, and to in turn raise awareness for their precarious position within the world.

-feature@magzoid.com

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Through her artworks, Doina wishes to showcase how beautiful nature and the world around us are. “I want people to understand how important it is to protect nature and be responsible for what we leave behind. With my paintings, I want to help people relax and to reconnect with nature,” she says. Currently, she is working on a series called “exod” which aims to highlight the problem of wild animals that are driven out of their natural habitats due to overcrowding and urban construction.

Doina can sit for hours watching the shapes of the clouds, how the branches of a tree grew or how the waves break. It seems miraculous to her how the shapes do not repeat themselves. This planet is filled with many extraordinary wonders that are quite often left unnoticed but Doina takes it as her greatest inspiration which leads her to create beautiful artwork.

She is extremely proud of the fact that her artworks have reached people from countries like Canada and Germany to Spain and Holland. “Whether you choose to visit a gallery or you paint, art can relax you”, she says. Doina is convinced that for every painting there is a lover, there is a wall and a welcoming house. She is a firm believer that there is beauty in every single artist’s artwork, regardless of the style or medium used.

-feature@magzoid.com

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Jerkface derives inspirations from the vivid palette and bold design of Memphis style and combines the dynamism of youth with the clean, contemporary aesthetic of geometric abstraction.  The Maddox Gallery facade was decked with an iconic Jerkface motif, the Simpsons’ pink donut. The theme continued inside, with the rosy glaze and giant sprinkles covering the ceiling and walls, as if the goop were slowly dripping. The effect is stunning, immersing audiences in an alternative, twisted Disney experience.

Like the legendary MF Doom, whose album Madvillainy rocked New York and the world beyond in 2004, Jerkface assumes the alter ego of a cartoon villain haunting the edges of Gotham.  By bringing in the familiar mascots of global capitalism, Jerkface challenges his audience to simultaneously confront the commercialization of life while diving into the heady comforts of nostalgia. Though his work is rooted in the themes and struggles of his native city, Jerkface expects that his work will translate well to London, a city with a deep and difficult past. “My work is universal in many regards and seems to strike a chord throughout the world. New York and London are also very similar, and I’ve had a following in London from the beginning. London has always been at the top of my list to leave my mark on, so I’m very excited for my upcoming show,” Jerkface said.

Jerkface’s global appeal connects to his longtime influence, the Memphis Group. The Memphis Group, a design and  architecture collective in 1980s Italy,  also pushed the boundaries of commercial and fine art with its works. Once called “the shotgun wedding between Bauhaus and Fisher-Price,” the group used bold, colorful, geometric designs that have come to represent global commercial aesthetics. Like Jerkface, the Memphis Group designers had great respect for and interest in middle-class tastes, an engagement that led to their enormous success. And while Jerkface’s intervention as a graffiti artist was an act of reclamation for his city, his canvas works aim to subvert the rigidity of the art world, opening up space for a more egalitarian rule.

The prolific artist took inspiration from Banksy’s 30-day run in New York back in 2018, Jerkface produced work one after another. The consistency evolved his works into even more whimsical and nostalgic images that take advantage of his prodigious control of acrylic to re-create graphic illustrations. Maddox Gallery CEO John Russo says that “the evolution and popularity of the work by Jerkface is phenomenal. He has become one of the most sought-after artists of our generation due to his commitment to iconography, and his reinvention of characters that inspire us to feel whimsical and nostalgic.” The results of this 30-day exercise, titled “30 days of Jerk,” are available at the “Villainy” exhibition.

The exhibition is opened in London from June 24 and will run till July 15. This exhibition will mark a new relationship between the artist and Gallery: as of 2020, Jerkface is represented exclusively and globally by Maddox Gallery. Maddox notes that, while the world opens up and travel continues to be a challenge, an immersive online twin to the IRL exhibition makes the unique artistic venture available to viewers around the world. You can also expect to see Jerkface out in the wild once more. “Being that everything has been shut down, I made a choice to stay in the studio and out of the street. It’s given me a lot more time to focus on developing the style on canvas, which is where I thrive. As much as I love painting walls, it can be disruptive to having a healthy routine,” Jerkface says, “but as nice as it’s been to have this time, I’m ready to get back to the walls.”

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The well-preserved marble statue, dating from the second century BC and probably depicting Persephone, would have been fixed to a tomb in a cemetery in the ancient Libyan city of Cyrene. She has snake bracelets carved into her wrists and is holding a small doll, making it, the museum said, “one of the rarest of the Cyrenaican funerary statues”.

Peter Higgs, a curator, recalled going to Heathrow and knowing straight away what it was and where it was from. “It is stunning,” he said. “It is a beautiful, three-quarter-length statue, very well preserved with just a few fingers missing. It is technically brilliant in the way it has been carved, with very sharp details, and the face is very well preserved considering many Greek statues have lost noses.”

Museum officials gave evidence for the prosecution in a court case in 2015 when the judge ruled that the sculpture was owned by “the state of Libya”. Experts at the BM confirmed that the statue was a “genuine archaeological artefact due to its distinct recognisable marble”, say officials from the Libyan embassy. “Since 2009 we have helped to repatriate over 2,300 antiquities, to Afghanistan, to Uzbekistan, and to Iraq,” says a BM statement.

The doll figure probably represents a keepsake taken into the afterlife, while the bracelets showing snakes are associated with death and rebirth. The freshness of the statue’s surface suggested it had been illegally excavated only recently, and it was probably exported during the upheavals of 2011 when the dictator Muammar Gaddafi was deposed and killed.

Hartwig Fischer, the director of the British Museum, said: “An important part of the museum’s work on cultural heritage involves our close partnership with law enforcement agencies concerned with illicit trafficking. This case is another good example of the benefits of all parties working together to combat looting and protect cultural heritage”.

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It is subjective to people; it can be a piece of writing by your favourite author, a little kid’s dance performance, or music by famous artists. When we are subjected to such pieces of art, they invoke emotions in us. We find the meaning of interpretation in the artist’s brilliant piece of work—Mr. Zulfi Alarakhia’s attempts to capture a whole ensemble of emotion with each of his portraits.

Mr. Alarakhia is a contemporary self-taught portraiture artist who lives in the UK. Until seven years ago, Mr. Alarakhia had not created anything, then he saw some art on a friend’s social media page, and something clicked inside him, which reminded him of his love for creating. In the summer of 2013, he started creating small space paintings with spray paints, slowly moving to draw portraits, and he has not stopped since then.

The pandemic had a stimulating effect everywhere. Mr. Alarakhia got redundant in his 9-5 in the summer and decided to create art as a full[1]time artist. “I said to myself if I don’t do this now, when will I,” says Mr. Alarakhia. Since then, he has made portraits for people worldwide and is very proud of the work he does. As the artist explains, “The fact that people across the Globe contact me to create for them, that is so special, and I am super proud of that.”

He idolizes Rembrandt van Rijn, who was one of the most critical and well-known Dutch Baroque artists. Rembrandt van Rijn conquered the market with his portraits and made a place for himself in this genre. Mr. Alarakhia draws insights and encouragement from his pieces. Although the artist’s biggest inspiration is his mother, “She is such a strong human being!” told Mr. Alarakhia. His advice for the young artist is, “Don’t worry about what other Artists are doing, just be the best you can be. Always compete with yourself.”

His Instagram handles @iamzulf is engulfed in dynamic and exciting portraits curated for people across the globe. Recent pictures of Instagram show that Mr. Alarakhia is also making beautiful portraits of pets, a testimony to his skills and talent. Over the years, he has adapted and developed his own distinctive personal sense of style to suit his needs. Through his portraits, he expresses his perspective on beauty and emanates joy and grace and yet captures distinct, powerful, and compelling stories through his harmonious compositions.

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