Urban Art DXB with a spray can.

Muhammad Yusuf, Features Writer

World Art Dubai, one of the most diversified and the region’s biggest affordable contemporary art fair, will see over 300 artists from more than 50 countries display 4000+ pieces in its 2022 edition (Mar. 16 – 19, Dubai World Trade Centre).

Held under the theme ‘Unplug Yourself’, which aims to encourage inspired thinking, the show brings together the art community, including a roster of talented local and international established and emerging artists. It could also be the ideal place for collectors and buyers, both corporate and first-time. 

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A packed roster of features include the return of Urban Art DXB and the launch of the NFT platform, W.A.D NEXT. The retail art fair doubles up as a platform for urban culture influencers, digital art fans as well as for families. “World Art Dubai embodies local culture and spirit through its features and is a vital platform for the nurturing of both international and regional talent,” say the organisers. “The event acts as an important platform for emerging artists attending their first fair, urban artists searching for a space to allow their creativity to flow, and established international artists flying in specifically to exhibit to the region’s diverse audience.”

The event sees a wide cross-section of disciplines come together under one roof including mixed media, fashion, music, dance, sustainability, digital art, photography, graffiti, sculptures and more. It is supported by Dubai Culture. “World Art Dubai is now in its eighth edition and each year grows exponentially while adapting to global interests and trends, provoking inspired thinking and the exploration of feelings, which in turn enables visitors to engage in mind-opening experiences that only art can catalyse,” said Trixie LohMirmand, Executive Vice President - Dubai World Trade Centre.

  World Art Dubai brings together the art community.

Debut features include NFTs, which will make their presence felt with a section dedicated to digital art. The zone will see talks by MENAtech, the largest Arabic Tech website in the Middle East and Crypto Sheikhs, the podcast dedicated to blockchain education, enabling visitors to learn all about the digital assets growing in popularity. It is a place for amateurs and experts to brush up on their understanding and make purchases, be it adding to a collection or their very first NFT. 

First time installations include UNESCO’s Global Gate by Leon Löwentraut, where visitors can take a selfie with a replica of the largest mobile artwork in the world. The gateway makes up the entrance to the fair and consists of 17 motifs, representing UNESCO’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals. Further aligning with World Art Dubai’s ‘Unplug Yourself’ theme, the gate is also part of the #Art4GlobalGoals campaign, which encourages connection and transformation. An all-new display from creative duo, Sister Octopi, will see transparent hanging pieces as well as projects, where visitors can add their personal contributions, using wood and string.

The fair has named Japan as its brand-new Around the World series partner. The partnership honours a Japanese presence that will include the Japan Pavilion, a space with 68 artists, an array of aesthetic live performances, workshops on calligraphy, the cherry blossom stamp, as well as a Kimono fashion show. Artists exhibiting at World Art Dubai for the first time include photographer Jalal Abuthina, whose work is displayed across hotels in the region; Ahsen Küçükçalık, Turkish artist displaying her personal transformation-themed ‘ALCHEMY’ collection; and Cedric Dub, a contemporary artist specialising in abstract fluid art, whose work flourished during the pandemic.

Local artists include Hend Rashid, who will display her “Ocean Secrets” collection inspired by Arabian Nights tales; Atiqa Kayed, whose works focus on UAE culture and heritage; and Raud Al Shamsi, scientist and artist, whose work focuses on classicism, symbolism, and abstract expressionism.

Participating galleries include Atelier Art Gallery, which is representing five artists from Spain; ArtSmiley, the UAE based online gallery whose artworks depict local culture, pop art and sculptures, among others; and Nile Art Gallery, which is exhibiting Egyptian abstract modern paintings for the first time in Dubai. 

Urban Art DXB will present new performances and competitions including break dancing and freestyle, a Voguing Dancefloor where dancers can enter in groups or solos; a make-up extravaganza contest encourages budding cosmetic artists to demonstrate their creative skills; Kuwaiti street artist and art director Ahmed Al Rashid and team offer art for purchase, as well as live graffiti performances with masters of the spray can battling it out on a range of canvases, including for the first time a battle on real life-size mannequins; and visitors can get involved with the People’s Choice vote, being presented with paddles scoring from 1-10, which they can use to award points to their favourite performances. Robot art makes a return following a successful launch in 2021 with AI Norn, a robot created by Russian data scientists Anna Mischenko and Nikolay Gavrilin, that interprets and visitors’ personal images to create new artworks. Workshops for all ages, including a live sketching workshop, garment stitching, and a photography workshop by Nikon, where all material is provided to participants and anything created can be taken home, are other highlights of the fair. Powerhouse quartet, Batool Jafri, Samar Kamel, Petra Kaltenbach and Ahmed al Rashid, curate the show. They will also exhibit their own work, including art on the human mind and soul from Jafri, circus themed artworks from Kamel and NFTs from Kaltenbach.