RIYADH: Misk Art Institute and Art Dubai, the leading international art fair in the region, have begun a partnership to celebrate the flourishing Arab contemporary art scene.
The institute, directed by the celebrated Saudi artist Ahmed Mater, was set up last year.
This is one of the largest partnerships in the region for the institute, which has announced a series of collaborations with high-profile international organizations.
Misk Art Institute, established by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s Misk Foundation, will be the main supporter of the fair’s modern section and the symposium, which was added last year.
The partners will organize exhibitions and talks documenting and celebrating the modern and contemporary art of the Arab world, Nada Al-Tuwaijri, Misk spokeswoman said.
The collaboration will include Misk Art Institute’s exclusive partnership of Art Dubai Modern, with a non-selling exhibition exploring significant modern art movements from the region entitled “That Feverish Leap into the Fierceness of Life.” The exhibition will be curated by Dr. Till Fellrath and Dr. Sam Bardaouil.
Elsewhere in the fair, Misk Art Institute will take a look into contemporary movements shaping Saudi Arabia through a limited-edition publication produced in partnership with Saudi Art Guide.
“Reframe Saudi,” a virtual reality film that takes a look inside the working studios of artists in the Kingdom, will be previewed at the fair.
Ahmed Mater commented: “It feels particularly fitting to forge this partnership through the presentation of Art Dubai Modern.
“When considered in the context of wider Arab visual arts narratives, both Misk Art Institute and Art Dubai are relatively young, yet it is through these historical channels that we have come together.
“Though we are newly inaugurated, our focus does not depart from the past. We embrace regional art histories and cultural archives as the substantial and essential foundations of sustainable future growth.
“In many ways, the very existence of our institution is predicated on the strength, understanding and preservation of these cultural narratives, and with them, we can build new, rooted stories for the future.”
Art Dubai Director Myrna Ayad commented: “We are delighted to partner with the MiSK Art Institute, an organization which shares our support for educational initiatives in the arts and culture sector.”
The partnership, and its physical manifestation at Art Dubai, aims to strengthen and celebrate some of the objectives that Misk Art Institute and the fair have in common — education on art from the region, creating a platform for the regional cultural scene, and acting as an ambassador for modern and contemporary art.
Art Dubai, a leading international art fair, is the preeminent place to interact with contemporary art from the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia.
The 12th Art Dubai fair will be held from March 21-24 at Madinat Jumeirah. Art Dubai presents 105 galleries from 48 countries, presenting galleries from new markets rarely seen on the international stage alongside leading galleries from established art centers.