DUBAI: Taking place this year for the first time in Dubai’s DIFC (Dubai International Financial Center), the 14th Art Dubai fair opened on March 29 against the continuing backdrop of the coronavirus pandemic. Dubai, it seems, always finds a way to surprise its sceptics: Art Dubai is one of the first large-scale art fairs to take place outside of the virtual realm. Its success will indicate the strength of the market during these continually trying times.
As with other events now underway in the UAE, fair organizers have banked on the UAE’s high vaccination rate, with more than 50 percent of the population now vaccinated, a number second only to Israel, as ground to hold host the annual event for collectors and art enthusiasts that have, just like in previous years, flown in from around the world.
And it’s packed with exhibitions, commissions and talks…
Alserkal Avenue is one of those spots in Dubai that’s always bustling and it’s about to get busier next week as Alserkal Art Week is back from March 22 to 27.
Last year, the event went virtual in an attempt to stem the spread of Covid-19. This year, Alserkal Art Week is back to a live event with all the safety and precautionary in place and it’s packed with art exhibitions, commissions and talks.
Here’s what to watch out for during the six-day event.
Art exhibitions
When: March 22 to 27
Jafri’s record-breaking canvas, ‘The Journey of Humanity’, scales over 17,000 square feet was created in the ballroom at Atlantis, The Palm during the COVID-19 lockdown. It took seven months, 20 hours a day, for Jafri to complete, with the use of 1,065 paint brushes and 6,300 litres of paint.
February 2021 503 British artist and philanthropist Sacha Jafri has officially set the Guinness World Records title for ‘The Largest Art Canvas’ in the world, with his painting ‘The Journey of Humanity’ scaling over 17,176.6 sq feet, Guinness World Records confirmed. Jafri, one of the most celebrated artists of our time, has been able to reach more than 2.5 billion people worldwide through this single piece of art which took seven months, 20 hours a day, to complete. He used 1,065 paint brushes and a whopping 6,300 litres of paint to create the extraordinary painting. Jafri’s record-breaking painting, now described as ‘The Modern-Day Sistine Chapel’, is part of his charitable initiative ‘Humanity Inspired’, supported by over 100 A-list celebrities. It was launched under the patronage of Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan, UAE Cabinet Member, Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence, in partnership with Dubai Cares, part of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al