Over 60 carefully selected galleries will gather in the beach resort of Madinat Jumeirah for the third edition of Art Dubai.

The event will be held from March 19 to 21, 2009.

Emphasis will be placed on galleries representing artists from the Middle East, South and Central Asia and the Far East, showing along side established artists from the West. Selected from over 300 applications, the participating galleries were chosen by an international selection committee that considered the merits of each individual exhibition proposal to create an innovative and diverse event, appealing to new and experienced collectors alike, said an official spokesman.

“The quality and strength of the applications from galleries round the world offers continued proof of the growing importance of Dubai as a new art market centre.” said co-founder and director of Art Dubai John Martin.

“In an economic downturn, the best galleries still require a global presence and must take advantage of the opportunities that Art Dubai offers them to engage with the changing face of the regional and international collecting community.”

“Accompanied by the Abraaj Capital Art Prize the critically acclaimed Global Art Forum as well as a comprehensive programme of projects, films, performance, events and tours, Art Dubai provides visitors an unrivalled vantage point onto the shifting global art scene,” added Martin.

Amongst the international participants there is strong presence of the most important galleries from the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia (MENASA) region.

These galleries include: Agial Art Gallery, Galerie Janine Rubeiz, Sfeir-Semler (Beirut), Anant Art Gallery (New Delhi), Atassi Gallery (Damascus), B21, The Third Line, Elementa (Dubai), Bodhi, Chemould Prescott Road, Project 88, Sakshi Gallery (Mumbai), Dirimart, Galeri Artist (Istanbul), Galerie El Marsa (La Marsa, Tunisia), and Silk Road Gallery (Tehran).

Art Dubai is helping foster the UAE’s reputation as a meeting place for the international art world. In the last two years, the art fair has witnessed robust growth in the number of art collectors, artists, dealers, curators, critics and art enthusiasts from around the world visiting the event.

With the added benefit of the newly opened Museum of Islamic Art in Doha and coinciding for the first time with the Sharjah Biennial, Art Dubai is seeking to attract more than 5000 visitors from overseas, doubling the number of international visitors from Art Dubai 2008.

Located beside the beach at the stunning Madinat Jumeirah resort, Art Dubai presents a unique opportunity for international and regional art lovers to experience the vibrancy of the region’s thriving cultural scene. – TradeArabia News Service