Dubai art show blends glamour from LA, Arab cultures
Xinhua, March 17, 2015 Adjust font size:
The annual Art Dubai exhibitions kicked off on Tuesday, bringing together, for the first time in the event's history, Latin American arts and the Arab-Islamic world.
During a week of exhibitions, the event, in its ninth edition, will host some 92 galleries from 40 countries.
Antonia Carver, fair director of Art Dubai, said this year's edition offers for the first time in its history a platform that links Spanish-and Portuguese-speaking culture in Latin America with the Arab-Islamic world.
"We are happy to welcome over 40 artists from Latin America who travelled to Dubai to exhibit their paintings, sculptures and audiovisual projects," Ms. Carver said.
She added that it's an opportunity of discovering "the historical and contemporary connections between Central America, South America and the Middle East and North Africa."
According to Luiza Teixeira de Freitas, a Brazilian art manager of Lebanese origin and also curator of one of the event's program, Arab influence on South America is seen "in every way of life mostly due to waves of immigration by Palestinians and Lebanese during the last 100 years."
De Freitas said the idea to bring Latin America to Art Dubai came up to her when she visited the last edition, which was focused then on Central Asia and West Africa.
Among the exhibiting Latin American galleries is the renowned Bolsa de Arte, or art market, from Porto Alegre, Brazil.
"We showcase contemporary paintings from renowned Brazilian artist Nelson Leimer," said Marga Pasquali, manager of Bolsa de Arte. Leimer's works criticize the influence of the U.S. materialism on its neighbors and the rest of the globe, which is also a common subject among Arab artists.
Art Dubai is supported by the official Dubai Culture and Arts Authority and organized annually under the patronage of the United Arab Emirates vice president, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al-Maktoum.
Last year it attracted some 25,000 visitors, according to fair director Carver. Art Dubai 2015, which runs through Saturday, is the biggest fair ever since its inception in 2007. Endit