黑料不打烊

From humble beginnings to international art fair extravaganza, the sixth annual Art Dubai fair returns to its roots this March. 2012鈥檚 Art Dubai promises to be its strongest edition yet, with a variety of artistic and educational programs, satellite fairs, commissioned projects, and performative tours. Featuring 75 galleries from 32 countries, the event has become a fundamental feature in the MENASA region (Middle East/North Africa/South Asia), expanding to include art from across the globe.

What鈥檚 on the menu at this Middle-Eastern hotspot event? is back for its second turn, highlighting the works of emerging Emirati artists. Also in the spotlight are a slew of artist and curator residencies, the unveiling of the Abraaj Capital Art Prize winners, and the critically acclaimed Global Art Forum. And let鈥檚 not forget the debuti of Design Days Dubai, a cutting-edge new art fair part of Art Dubai that we explored last week. (Left: "Faces of Your Other 29," (2010) by Zakaria Ramhani/Artspace).

2011鈥檚 edition welcomed over 20,000 visitors, and fair organizers expect even more at this year鈥檚 highly anticipated event. Recently, 黑料不打烊 spoke with Art Dubai director Antonia Carver, who shared some of the highlights of this year鈥檚 show, and why she believes the Gulf is fast-becoming a cornerstone of breakthrough artistic production.

Mutualart: Middle-Eastern art has often been under-represented in the market. How is Art Dubai attempting to resolve this issue?
Antonia Carver: While Middle-Eastern art was chronically under-represented ten years ago, a lot has changed. Art Dubai acts as a hub for the region...Dubai is a commercial art city now, with over 40 galleries, and home to auction houses and the region鈥檚 biggest fair. We aim to feature the most dynamic galleries, but also support and promote artists, through our residencies, talks and commissioning program. Since Art Dubai began, we鈥檝e seen international interest in Middle-Eastern art deepen and diversify; many of these institutions now have acquisition committees for contemporary Middle Eastern art, and feature artists from the region alongside others, in thematic or solo shows 鈥� this is a major breakthrough. Art Dubai has played a role in this, but it鈥檚 thanks to the passion and dedication of curators all over the region.

MA: How has modern Middle Eastern art changed over the last decade? Has the Arab Spring had an affect on the art that is produced?
AC: Modern Middle Eastern art has risen in popularity and become highly sought-after. Contemporary artists have also entered the international art world in a very different way than ever before 鈥� but many of the artists have opted to refocus on their own concerns, be they domestic, national, personal, and so on 鈥� rather than pander to a stereotype of what makes an artist 鈥淢iddle Eastern鈥�. Last year we saw artists producing work that reacted to what was happening in Egypt and Tunisia, in particular. But these are seismic shifts in the Arab world, and they will take time for artists to absorb. (Above: "Smoke Bombs II (2011) by Olaf Bruening/Carbon12).

MA: Can you talk a little about the, and this year鈥檚 nominees?
AC: The Abraaj Capital Art Prize is now in its fifth year, and is the only prize that鈥檚 dedicated towards awarding a proposal, an idea, rather than a finished work. It鈥檚 thus a very artist-centric prize, and is awarded to an artist from the region. This year鈥檚 winners are the Palestinian photographic artist Taysir Batniji; Beirut/Paris-based filmmakers and installation/photographic artists Joana Hadjithomas & Khalil Joreige; Wael Shawky, who recently won great plaudits for his animated film work, Cabaret Crusades, at the Istanbul Biennial; Pakistani textile artist ; and Raed Yassin, who works across different media, and who has a brilliantly witty eye. They鈥檝e been working with Guest Curator Nat Muller, who is also producing a book on the creation of their art. The winning artists were announced in September, and they worked for seven months on producing these major new works, which are unveiled at Art Dubai. (Above Left: "First One to Trust Last One to Live,' (2011) by Amir H. Fallah/The Third Line).