Art Dubai to offer works from nearly 500 artists

The most expensive collection ever offered in Art Dubai's history is an installation by American Abstract Expressionist Sam Francis courtesy of New York-based gallery L&M Arts. One of 68 galleries taking part in Art Dubai, L&M Arts will exhibit a select group of paintings from Francis' most coveted years in the fifties, highlighting his monumental 1955 masterpiece, "Black", with ten related works carefully complied over the last five years. Shown together for the first time in Art Dubai, the paintings in this historic installation can be acquired individually or together for a special price which L&M Arts will be extending to museums and private foundations from the region in a committed effort to keep this one-of-a-kind ensemble intact.

"One of Art Dubai's defining values is our broad appeal - bringing museum-quality pieces such as the Sam Francis collection alongside attractively-priced emerging artists, and encouraging debate and education through the Global Art Forum, complimentary discussions in the Art Park, and a range of new book launches with special concessions for Art Dubai visitors," said John Martin, Co-Founder and Director, Art Dubai.

On the other end of the spectrum, art enthusiasts wanting to start their own collections can pick up drawings from BISCHOFF/WEISS gallery, or an installation piece from Parisian duo M/M, offered by London-based gallery Haunch of Venison. Art lovers can further feed their habit affordably by taking part in the six book launches scheduled in the Bidoun Lounge at Art Park, the underground art space dedicated to experimental and site-specific artwork.

This year will see the return of popular events, open to the public, such as the Global Art Forum, which will start in Doha on 16 March, continuing beach-side in Dubai from 18 March to 20 March. Global Art Forum attendees will have the opportunity to participate in the Arabic version launch of Owning Art: The Contemporary Art Collector's Handbook, co-authored by speaker, collector and arts patron Judith Greer.

The trend towards translating successful English publications into Arabic will be reflected in the launch of several books during the fair. Emirati artist, Lamya Gargash, will launch the Arabic version of Presence at Art Park on 20 March from 6pm to 6:45pm, in collaboration with The Third Line, the Presence series is a photographic documentation of recently vacated houses and dwellings in the United Arab Emirates that have been recently abandoned or left for demolition. Judith Greer, the co-author of Owning Art: The Contemporary Art Collector's Handbook, will launch the Arabic version during the Global Art Forum at Art Dubai from 18 March to 20 March. Greer, a speaker, collector and arts patron, will be on the "Building on Collecting" panel on 19 March from 5pm-5:30pm.

An extensive, affordable and previously unavailable range of books will be available during Art Dubai, from the international scholarly journal Third Text Asia, Arts, Scholarship and the Islamic World, to OUT, the entertaining book by New York columnist Bob Colacello, who will be speaking at the Global Art Forum, to the Thames & Hudson publication Different Sames, New Perspectives in Contemporary Iranian Art.

Artists, such as Tarek Al-Ghoussein, will also present their work as projects during the fair. Al-Ghoussein will be signing copies of his photography book In Absentia on 21 March at 2pm at Art Books.

Art Park, an educational initiative that aims to provide a forum for relevant issues in the arts world such as curatorial practice in the Middle East, online art journalism and corporate initiatives such as the Abraaj Capital Art Prize, will provide a forum for creative expression by all members of the community.

The free-of-charge talks, taking place in the Bidoun Lounge of Art Park, will include 'Foundations: Who is Supporting Art Production in the Gulf?', from 7pm-8pm on 20 March and a design focus by the Khatt Foundation, 'Typographic Matchmaking in the City V2.0 Project, with Huda Smitshuijzen AbiFarès, René Knip and Jeroen van Erp', from 3:30pm-4:15pm on 21 March.