On a recent trip to the Middle East, I had the pleasure of attending the 16th edition of the Abu Dhabi Art Fair at Al Saadiyat Island. The island, which also houses the Louvre and is known as the cultural district of Abu Dhabi, is slowly but surely becoming a place of lure and interest amongst art collectors and investors.
The fair itself has had a vast increase in the number of participating galleries with approximately 40 per cent of the galleries being first-time participants. I was surprised to see the majority of the galleries being from the Middle East itself, testament to the growing art market with the grace of the local Emirati collector as well as the welcoming expat community. Even galleries from India, such as Galerie Isa from Mumbai were seen at the fair, marking their presence with the Middle Eastern collector.
Alongside the fair, the Louvre is cementing its place in the global art world with exhibitions ranging from Cartier's, ‘The Cartier, Islamic Inspiration and Modern Design’ exhibition, which explores over a century of artistic influence’ to an ongoing exhibition titled, ‘Post-Impressionism: Beyond Appearances’.
The exhibition, in collaboration with Musée d’Orsay and France Muséums, brings to Abu Dhabi over 100 Post Impressionist works borrowed from nine international institutions. Sparking a dialogue on the Post-Impressionism movement that began in France in 1886, the exhibition features artists across the globe, reflecting the influence and impact of the movement globally. Perhaps this is what gives Louvre Abu Dhabi a double-edged sword. The iconic and historic name of the Louvre, which the museum is allowed to keep up until 2047, definitely invites visitors and helps bring more people to the exhibitions. The museum recorded a whopping 1.2 million visitors last year.
However, being a new institution gives it the freedom to present itself in a more inclusive and fluid manner, making Louvre Abu Dhabi a global connector of art, and expanding the art history canon.
Parallel to the fair Abu Dhabi also has the first edition of the Abu Dhabi Biennale currently taking place. Organised and funded by Abu Dhabi Department of Culture and Tourism (DCT Abu Dhabi), a government agency, the Biennale, aims to bring together over seventy international and UAE-based artists.
The public art initiative spans across various locations of the city, accessible to the diverse community that call Abu Dhabi their home. Artists such as Farah Al Qasimi bridge cultural heritage with contemporary art. Her exhibition, ‘Untitled 2024’, a unique auditory sculpture invites visitors to engage with the sound as she pays homage to the vitality of the ocean in the dry, arid desert.
Alongside Abu Dhabi other major players in the Middle East, such as Riyadh and Dubai, are also creating their niche with new cultural institutions, exhibitions and fairs. Riyadh Art, for example, is the world’s largest public initiative, transforming urban spaces into creative landmarks. In a short span of five years, the initiative has managed to host over 6,000 events, engaging over 6 million visitors. Its most recent project on the Riyadh Metro, turns metro stations into iconic cultural points.
Needless to say, a cultural revolution is taking place. But it is decades of investment, public as well as private that is fueling ambitious, strategically driven projects. Value is being created and ornate structures such as Abu Dhabi’s Presidential Palace are being built. Auction house Sotheby’s stated that 2023 was the most successful year of their Middle East Department. With the sale of collections such as Al Zayani, doubling on estimates and bringing a total of 3 million dollars. In August, the auction house even struck a one billion dollar deal with the wealth fund, ADQ and will soon be hosting its first auction in Riyadh on the 8th of February 2025.
The overwhelming scale of projects continues with Guggenheim Abu Dhabi and Zayed National Museum nearing completion and an ambitious project being built in the UNESCO heritage site of Al Ula in Saudi Arabia.
While the patronage of the Medici family in Italy almost single-handedly fueled the Renaissance, the Middle East has now embodied an inclusive cultural approach, with both private and public patronage to successfully sow the seeds for a cultural revolution. One wonders how bright this epoch will burn.
How the Middle East became centre of art and culture in the world
