Benedetta Ghione, the Executive Director at Art Dubai, discusses the fair’s impactful approach to art.
Can you describe the purpose of Art Dubai?
Art Dubai stands as the premier global art event in the Middle East, with its 2025 edition set to feature approximately 120 galleries from over 40 countries across four unique sections: Contemporary, Digital, Modern, and Bawwaba. Visitors can anticipate a rich experience filled with performances, installations, and experimental works by artists like Mohammed Kazem, Héctor Zamora, and Ania Soliman. Activities will also include discussions as part of the Global Art Forum and the Digital Art Summit. Scheduled for April 18–20, 2025, with preview days on the 16th and 17th, the fair perpetually supports the arts community through initiatives like the A.R.M Holding Children’s Programme and Campus Art Dubai, focusing on nurturing future art professionals.
How has Art Dubai transformed since its inception?
Since its launch nearly two decades ago, Art Dubai has grown beyond just a week-long event into a pivotal hub for the global art community, bringing together artists, collectors, and institutions. As an incubator for emerging artists, we take on the responsibility of influencing innovation and thought leadership within the arts sector. Throughout our existence, we have prioritized amplifying voices from underrepresented regions, with around 76 percent of our program this year focusing on the MENA and South Asia regions.
What are the main highlights from this year’s offerings?
The evolution of Art Dubai continues with the 2025 event, marked by a new collaboration with Alserkal Avenue, launching with the acclaimed Mexican artist Héctor Zamora. He will present a striking performance that delves into themes of transformation and liberation, which will coincide with a specific installation at Alserkal Avenue. Additionally, we are intensifying our focus on digital art and the influence of new technologies on creative practices.
In the Digital Summit, themed ‘After the Technological Sublime’ and curated by Arts Dubai Digital 2025’s Gonzalo Herrero Delicado, we will explore how AI and digital art are pushing creative limits. This edition is anticipated to be one of the most vibrant yet, featuring expansive ideas, profound discussions, and innovative experiences. Our expanding Modern section now includes representations from Latin America for the first time, exemplified by Venezuelan artist Darío Pérez Flores, whose work will highlight shared themes between Latin America and the regions of West Asia and North Africa.
“Art Dubai has become a significant institutional platform and a driver of Dubai’s cultural economy”
The theme ‘The New New Normal’ for this year’s Global Art Forum promises insightful dialogues. What significant ideas and discussions will it engage with?
This year, the Global Art Forum will focus on how ongoing changes are reshaping our reality, making ordinary life feel surreal and uncertain in a way reminiscent of science fiction. Over its nearly two-decade history, the Global Art Forum has maintained its forward-thinking ethos and serves as a center for cultural exchange and innovation. This year’s edition is commissioned by Shumon Basar and curated by UK-based duo Y7, comprised of Hannah Cobb and Declan Colquitt, promising sharp perspectives and significant ideas from today’s leading thinkers and creatives.
As we navigate a period of rapid technological advancement, how does Art Dubai ensure a balance between innovation and artistic integrity?
From the emergence of early digital art to today’s cutting-edge names, Art Dubai Digital has chronicled the evolution of this art form. We are witnessing unprecedented growth in digital art as artists redefine the very concepts of contemporary art and culture. Expect to see works that investigate how artists engage with advanced technologies such as AI, virtual reality, and augmented reality to confront pressing environmental, social, and political issues.
What role does Art Dubai play in nurturing creative talent in the UAE?
Art Dubai acts as both a catalyst and cornerstone for the flourishing art scene and creative economy in the UAE and its surrounding regions, fostering connections for global art collectors and creative professionals alike. The city’s vibrant cultural landscape and the thriving community of artists and creatives based in Dubai are evident in the diverse lineup showcased at this year’s fair. Among the 23 Dubai galleries participating are innovative local artists like Sara Al Haddad, Sara Ahli, and Faris Abdulla Alshafar, as well as celebrated figures such as Hassan Sharif and Mohammed Kazem at Gallery Isabelle.
Beyond the fair, the Dubai Collection, initiated by Dubai Culture & Arts Authority and overseen by Art Dubai, serves as the emirate’s first institutional art collection. Featuring over 1,000 pieces from both private collections in Dubai and the broader region, this collection enhances the city’s artistic prominence. While it predominantly focuses on Middle Eastern art, it includes works from artists across more than 40 countries, reflecting its international scope.
In what ways will this year’s summit transform perceptions of art and technology?
Art Dubai Digital, introduced four years ago as the first major international fair to have a dedicated digital section, continues to showcase the evolution of this art form. This year’s summit promises engaging discussions surrounding ecological activism in media art, the inherent biases in AI, and the prospective future of museums in an increasingly digital era. Through public talks, lectures, and breakout sessions, insights will be shared by museum directors, curators, artists, and technology innovators regarding the trajectory of art and its challenges.
This year will feature a variety of digital installations and hybrid works—“phygital” art—that blend traditional artistry with digital elements, reshaping our understanding of both forms. A notable example is the work titled Kahrabaa by the Egyptian/Polish/American artist Ania Soliman, a large-scale installation that explores the intricate relationships between technology, nature, and memory, featuring colossal canvases that merge technological and organic themes through a series of performance acts. Additionally, the kinetic artist BREAKFAST will unveil Carbon Wake, a groundbreaking interactive installation at the entrance of the Digital gallery section.
Alfred Basbous, Le mysterieux, Ed.8, 1991, Bronze, 46.5 x 21 x 16 cm, Courtesy of Alfred Basbous Foundation
How do you envision blockchain, AI, and immersive technology shaping the future of Art Dubai Digital?
The 2025 Art Dubai Digital section, curated under Gonzalo’s theme ‘After the Technological Sublime’, unites artists and creators employing digital technologies to confront contemporary challenges facing humanity and the planet. The artworks in this year’s exhibition raise critical inquiries and highlight the significance of digital technology now and in the future. Our focus has shifted to artists engaged with artificial intelligence, virtual and augmented reality, and other technological advancements, aiming to address significant environmental, social, and political concerns.
In what ways is Art Dubai influencing the region’s presence in the global art dialogue?
Art Dubai remains the foremost global art event in the Middle East, connecting artists and galleries to a worldwide audience and creating opportunities for dialogue on an international scale. This year, participation includes representation from 67 cities across 39 countries. Over the years, Art Dubai has solidified its status as a critical institutional platform and a driver for Dubai’s cultural economy, significantly shaping its artistic landscape.
This year features a focus on design aesthetics—what can we expect in terms of art with a design influence?
This year’s presentations will showcase a wide array of mediums, including textile art, marble and resin sculptures, and glass wall installations. French artist Joana Vasconcelos, known for her textile sculptures wrapping animals in handmade cotton crochet, draws inspiration from the ceramic artworks of Rafael Bordalo Pinheiro, a renowned Portuguese artist from the 19th century. Thomas Brambilla Gallery will also present American sculptor Bryan Hunt, featuring his series of wall installations at this year’s fair.