Abu Dhabi Art kicks off in Manarat Al Saadiyat

ABU DHABI - Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman of the Department of Culture and Tourism, has inaugurated the 11th edition of Abu Dhabi Art at Manarat Al Saadiyat.

The opening of the event - which is being held under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Khalid bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Member of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council and Chairman of Abu Dhabi Executive Office - also saw the attendance of Zaki Nusseibeh, Minister of State; Mohammed Al Murr, Chairman of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Library; Saif Saeed Ghobash, Undersecretary of the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi; Mubarak Al-Nakhi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Culture and Knowledge Development and Sheikh Salem Al Qasimi, Assistant Undersecretary for the Arts and Heritage Sector at the Ministry of Culture and Knowledge Development.

Abu Dhabi Art is open to the general public from today until 23rd November, with this year’s edition seeing participation from 50 leading galleries from across the world. Visitors can also enjoy two specially curated sections: New Horizons offers curated gallery sectors which explore Chinese and Indian art, while Focus: Drawing, Tracing, Mapping, curated again this year by Dr. Omar Kholeif, will explore maps, unique cartographies, dreams and the imagination.

Abu Dhabi Art 2019 once again offers an exciting and engaging public programme, with the leading art fair presenting a series of stimulating talks on such topics as the role of art and cultural identity, rising Contemporary art centres and the perspective of new artistic generations. The programme will also feature daily performances, workshops and master classes that will provide visitors with the opportunity to engage with participating artists and learn more about their experiences.

Gateway, Abu Dhabi Art’s annual visual art exhibition, will invite a unique curatorial perspective from guest curator Paolo Colombo. The Beyond: Artist Commissions programme will present large-scale sculptures and installations, by international artists Oliver Beer and Leandro Erlich, at heritage sites across the emirate; while Emirati artists Ayesha Hadhir, Rawdha Khalifa Al Ketbi and Shaikha Fahad Al Ketbi will present their work through the Beyond: Emerging Artists initiative.