Art Dubai opened its 2025 edition on Wednesday, showcasing the familiar elements of a global art fair. The exhibition hall filled with VIPs, polished presentations, and plenty of champagne. Notable attendees included Indian businesswoman Usha Mittal, Christie’s CEO Bonnie Brennan, and London dealer Ivor Braka.
The fair featured around 120 exhibitors from over 60 cities, emphasizing regions not extensively represented in European or American events. Galleries from the Middle East, Gulf, India, Iran, Morocco, China, and Singapore were featured. Antonia Carver, director of the Jameel Arts Centre, noted that in the last 20 years, what was once considered the periphery has become the center, including both Dubai and the fair itself.
Blue-chip galleries like Almine Rech and Peres Projects made the trip to Dubai, presenting diverse artists from around the world. Local galleries also took the spotlight, with Carbon 12 and Experimenter Gallery reporting strong sales. A.R.M., an Emirati holding company, announced $275,000 in acquisitions, including works by Rana Begum and Christine Safa.
Diverse global talent showcased
The Leila Heller Gallery presented a sweeping program of contemporary and modern artists from the Middle East and its diaspora. Dubai’s Efie Gallery, dedicated to contemporary African art, brought a standout showing featuring works by María Magdalena Campos-Pons, Hugh Findletar, Abdoulaye Konaté, and J.
K. Bruce Vanderpuije. The fair’s most ambitious section may be Art Dubai Digital, curated by Gonzalo Herrero Delicado.
It featured nearly 30 presentations using AI, VR, and mixed reality to explore issues from ecological collapse to algorithmic divination. As the first VIP day drew to a close, the aisles were still buzzing with activity. Pablo del Val, the fair’s artistic director, observed, “This is not a market for trophies.
It’s not about fighting to win the waiting list.”
Art Dubai 2025 opened with strong foot traffic and numerous sales, showcasing its unique position and growing influence in the global art market.
