DIFC Gulf Art Fair declared 'outright success'
Published 21 March 2007
The DIFC Gulf Art Fair (8 -10 March 2007) at Madinat Arena, Madinat Jumeirah - The Arabian Resort, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, was declared an 'outright success' by the organisers. Participating galleries and artists also appeared satisfied with the outcome.
The Fair attracted more than 9,000 visitors. According to the organisers, 40 new galleries have already applied for next year’s event, effectively doubling the size of the DIFC Gulf Art Fair for 2008.
Dr Omar Bin Sulaiman, Governor of the Dubai International Financial Centre, cited UAE Vice-President Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum's vision for "for the people of the nation and the environment around them." Education and art is the main focus of the government endeavours, he added.
“The initial DIFC Gulf Art Fair has exceeded our expectations on every front -- in terms of the international interest, attendance, and overwhelmingly positive response from the regional and global arts communities. We have achieved our stated objective to create an event that enables a meaningful dialogue and arts exchange between East and West,” said Dr Omar Bin Sulaiman, Governor.
Proceeds from the DIFC Gulf Art Fair’s ticket sales plus a charity auction raised approximately $500,000 on behalf of the Prince’s Drawing School and Al Madad Foundation for START, a project to fund children’s art workshops in deprived communities.
The inaugural DIFC Gulf Art Fair has also had a galvanizing effect on the UAE’s burgeoning community of galleries. The B21 gallery in Dubai reported that it sold all 18 of the Jaffer Khaldi works on display at an exhibition held concurrently with the DIFC Gulf Art Fair.
“The DIFC Gulf Art Fair has generated an extraordinary response -- one that appropriately mirrors the growth and potential of the Middle East’s arts landscape. We will build on the success of this year’s event to present a broader range of public arts projects, galleries and artworks, and educational programmes for the DIFC Gulf Art Fair 2008,” said John Martin, director of the Fair.
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