As the year wraps up with the last major art event in the region, Abu Dhabi Art Fair 2023, there’s cautious optimism in the air. In its 15th edition, the art fair has surpassed expectations, with double the number of galleries participating since its early days. “The presence of so many new galleries at the fair signifies how dynamic the local and regional art market has become over the last 15 years. By working closely with curators, gallery representatives, galleries and artists, we ensured that our presentations offered access to art histories and research for a better understanding of these wide-ranging global positions,” says Dyala Nusseibeh, director of Abu Dhabi Art.
Dynamism in the art market also means changes in demand, which is reflected in the volume of art being sold in the region. “The regional market has softened a bit over the last couple of months. What we observe is that collectors are reverting back to true and tested names, which they now favour, instead of younger up-and-coming artists,”says Sylvain Gaillard, Director of Opera Gallery, Dubai. Socio-political conflicts and events around the world have further affected the mood. Interest rates have risen, and a mix of global factor shave shifted the collector’s focus in 2023. Leila Heller, founder and president of the globally-renowned Leila Heller Gallery, concurs: “Due to the times we are living in politically, economically and socially, people are being conservative with their spending. Art is a luxury and not a necessity, so we have definitely seen a trend of less expensive art selling at the moment. Because of this, our artists have pivoted to adapt to the times and find new ways to sell more accessible forms of art.” However, globally, the year also saw the sale of a Picasso masterpiece for US$139 million (Dhs510 million), making it the second most expensive work by the artist sold at auction. The Emily Fischer Landau sale in New York and the A Long Journey sale in Hong Kong were other global highlights of 2023.
In the local art market, the mood is restrained but not pessimistic.“Undoubtedly, there are some headwinds in the global art market which have been particularly evident in the auction houses,” says Pablodel Val, artistic director of Art Dubai. “Most experts are attributing this to being more of a market correction following recent boom years but, overall, the art market in the Middle East is strengthening. Many wealthy individuals, including ultra-high-net-worth individuals, now call the UAE home. Many artists are developing their markets, both locally and internationally, and there’s been a steady rise in the quality and diversity of galleries and artists who now have a base in Dubai. We feel confident that the market here is growing increasingly resilient.”
Digital art is an area that’s piquing the interest and appetite of art collectors in the region and fairs such as Art Dubai are responding with a sharper focus on this area. “In 2024, Art Dubai Digital will be curated by the highly dynamic duo Alfredo Cramerotti and Auronda Scalera, who champion diversity in art and advanced technologies. The lineup is both thrilling and diverse, featuring presentations by Nifty Gateway x Morrow marketplace for digital artists, showcasing their top crypto artists to commemorate the first decade of NFT art,” says Pablo. Leila Heller shares a similar vision for the region's approach to the newest technologies: “The UAE is very open to NFTs and AI and is quite advanced in it. I feel the younger generation has become very interested in the art world as well as the digital world. I have seen a big interest in photography, film, and light sculpture such as neons."
“In November, the gallery showed digital artist Maxi Cohen’s work. As part of her ongoing research into the majesty of water, Maxi has been creating bio-responsive art. Demonstrating that our thoughts impact our biology, she uses EEG headsets, haptic vests and goggles to enable viewers to experience their own thoughts getting translated in water through electromagnetism. To create her mixed reality and bio-resonant art pieces, Maxi is collaborating with the renowned team from dArt NYC, founded by William Wong. These images of the viewers’ experience are then permanently preserved in a digital asset and given to a collector, along with an accompanying art print,” she adds.
Sculptures are also rapidly gaining importance among local art collectors. “I’ve observed a resurgence of historical techniques infused with a highly modern sensibility,” says Maliha Tabari, founder of Dubai-based Tabari Artspace gallery, which just completed 20 years in the region. “Artists are delving into traditional materials like bronze and marble, yet their approach is distinctly contemporary. There’s a growing trend of combining these classical mediums with unconventional materials, pushing boundaries through innovative processes. This juxtaposition creates a dynamic tension, bridging the gap between historical artistic methods and the contemporary issues that their practices eloquently embody.”
Emerging artists form an integral part of the art ecosystem and the local art scene is brimming with new talent, adds Maliha: “The depth of expression and the diverse concerns exhibited by the next generation of artists from the region never ceases to impress me. In 2023 we spotlighted the solo exhibition of Emirati artist Almaha Jaralla, who was subsequently featured at Abu Dhabi Art as part of their Beyond programme. Additionally, we presented a group exhibition featuring the works of Talal Al Najjar, Ziad Al Najjar and Miramar Muhd at ICD Brookfield, a result of their residency under the ICD Brookfield Place’s art programme.”
Emirati emerging artists Azza Al Qubaisi and Zeinab Al Hashemi, both represented by Leila Heller Gallery, are making a global statement. “Azza Al Qubaisi just participated in this year’s edition of Forever is Now at Art D’Egypte,” says Leila. “She has had public installations at the DIFC sculpture park and was just commissioned this September for Bulgari’s relaunch of their Serpenti collection. She has been commissioned by the Sharjah Foundation and has done many public commissions and installations in the UAE and AlUla in Saudi Arabia. Zeinab Al Hashemi was recently exhibiting at the Louvre Abu Dhabi with the Richard Mille Art Prize, Noor Riyadh, Desert X AlUla, the DIFC sculpture park, the Sustainability Pavilion for the World Expo in Dubai, and at ADMAF’s Portrait of a Nation in Abu Dhabi.”
International exposure and collaborations with the global art community remain to be a focus for local galleries and art festivals.“The real needle shift we’ve started to see is the representation of artists from this region in leading international biennials beyond the region, such as Venice and Lyon,” says Pablo del Val. “There is also a growing number of top-class institutional exhibitions, which help to significantly expand the audiences for these artists and their work. We’re also finally starting to see curators with deep knowledge of this region’s art scene taking over in senior positions internationally. For our 2024 edition of Art Dubai, taking place from 1 to 3 March, we will be bringing together top galleries not only from this region but also the Global South, for our audiences and communities. This will span more than 60 cities, and has a particular regional strength — from Dubai’s top galleries, to Istanbul to Ramallah to Tehran, and to Riyadh and beyond, fully reflecting the artistic strength and importance of these art centres.”
Going forward, the convergence and collaboration of these distinct cultural scenes will aim to shape the creative landscape in this region, for the next generation. The changing demographic and shifting collector base are fuelling the highly dynamic local art market, making it one to watch for the coming year.
