Art Dubai, the Middle East’s leading international art fair, held under the patronage of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, took place from 18 – 20 April (previews on 16 and 17 April) at Madinat Jumeirah.
Art Dubai is a unique model that serves as a catalyst and driving force for the growth of Dubai’s cultural scene and creative economy. The 2025 edition reflects the rapid maturing of the cultural scene in the Gulf region. Dubai is home to communities from all over the world, and the fair is the most significant platform and commercial marketplace for supporting galleries and artists from these diverse geographies.
An important gateway for discovery, learning, and exchange, the 19th Edition featured an impressive, multi-faceted lineup of over 100 gallery presentations from 50 countries and five continents, alongside a curated program of commissions and installations, talks and conferences, and special events.
Here are some highlights from Art Dubai 2025:
ART DUBAI CONTEMPORARY
Over 70 galleries, ranging from emerging art scenes to established centres, exhibited some of their most ambitious and finest artworks in the Art Dubai Contemporary section. The dynamic lineup included The Why Not Gallery, a Tbilisi-based contemporary art gallery, showcasing works by brilliant Georgian female artists Tamaz Nutsubidze, Gvantsa Jishkariani, Erekle Chinchilakashvili, Tornike Bendeliani, and Garbage Kids. From tapestry and mosaic to wood carving and oil painting, the intriguing presentation brought together an eclectic mix of works and mediums that engaged in unexpected, thought-provoking dialogues about heritage, resistance, imagination, and transformation.
BAWWABA
Bawwaba, a section of the fair that always demands attention, was curated by Mirjam Varadinis, writer and curator-at-large at Kunsthaus Zürich. Designed to foster connections between different geographies, traditions, and perspectives, it featured 10 solo presentations by artists hailing from 10 countries spanning five continents South America, North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia. Creating a rich, multisensorial experience for visitors, the artists’ practices connected with their origins rooted in craft traditions and use this ancient knowledge to re-think the future. Showcasing a wide range of techniques, the presentation featured Tomás Saraceno, the renowned Argentinian artist, with an immersive installation of hanging cloud sculptures-an extension of his ongoing ‘Cloud Cities’ concept-alongside Abdullah Al Othman, one of the region’s most significant artists, who presented a new version of his work shown at the Lyon Biennial. Rooted in his study of Riyadh, Al Othman's piece continues his exploration of forgotten places and profound human concepts through diverse artistic media.
ART DUBAI MODERN
Art Dubai Modern curated by Magalí Arriola and Nada Shabout, featured notable showcases by the region’s Modern masters. The nine stellar presentations included landmark works by Nabil Kanso and Maqbool Fida Husain and explored themes of migration, cross-cultural relationships, and shared cultural narratives that have shaped modern art across these regions.. Richard Saltoun Gallery displayed works by Bertina Lopes, a Mozambican-born Italian painter and sculptor. Her artworks were characterised by saturated colours and bold compositions of mask-like figures and abstract geometric forms. Throughout her career, Lopes explored themes of identity, womanhood, and tradition, often addressing the political contexts of her time, including colonialism and Mozambique’s struggle for a national identity. After relocating to Europe, her art evolved to express her individuality, along with a desire for independence and an end to colonialism.
ART DUBAI DIGITAL
Led by Gonzalo Herrero Delicado, the fourth edition of Art Dubai Digital 2025, After the Technological Sublime, focused on the pioneering artists, collectives, galleries, and platforms shaping today’s digital art world. One of the most unique sections of the fair, it featured presentations that explored how artists and creative practitioners are using advanced technologies-including artificial intelligence, virtual and augmented reality-to address key environmental, social, and political challenges of our time. Renowned data and kinetic artist BREAKFAST debuted a monumental new sculpture, Carbon Wake, which examined the state of our climate crisis and energy transition, marking a major moment in the evolution of data-driven kinetic art. Crafted from gold-mirrored stainless steel and powered by a custom-built mechanical system, Carbon Wake was driven by real-time energy data from over 100 cities around the world. The sculpture interpreted these fluctuations through dramatic physical motion: as fossil fuel usage rises, kinetic tiles ripple upward; when cleaner energy prevails, the surface calms and descends. The piece also responded to nearby viewers, creating a fully immersive, reactive experience.
COMMISSIONS AND INSTALLATIONS
The site-specific works and interventions by a handpicked selection of artists were an unmissable feature of Art Dubai 2025. A main highlight was the mesmerizing performance by Mexican artist Héctor Zamora with performers interacting with terracotta objects and engaging with questions of human culture and social dynamics. Total Arts by The Courtyard-comprising artists Fereydoun Ave, Shaqayeq Arabi, and Dariush Zandi-unveiled Reconstructed Landscape, marking the first collaborative outdoor public display by the artist trio since 2009. Their installation weaved together fragments from the mountains and urban environments of the UAE to create a reimagined terrain, reflecting on the fragile relationship between humans and their environment, urging visitors to consider how we shape, and are shaped, by the world around us.
Written by: Saira Malik
