DubaiArt Guide
Your guide to Dubai and the city's most important art fairs, museums, private collections, non-profits, and galleries, with tips on shows to see and artists to knowDubai is a node for arts and culture in the Middle East. Since Christie’s held its first auction of modern and contemporary art in the region in 2006, the emirate has established itself as a market centre, bolstered by galleries, non-profits, and international art events.
Supported by institutional collecting bodies Sharjah Art Foundation and Art Jameel, Dubai’s art scene comprises studios and residencies that fuel local artistic production in an otherwise transient locale—the expatriate community makes up over 90 percent of the city’s population.
Most galleries are based in Alserkal Avenue: a buzzy cultural district in the Al Quoz industrial area. Dotted between pop-ups and eateries, the district comprises international galleries such as Lawrie Shabibi, Gallery Isabelle van den Eynde, Grey Noise, Custot Gallery Dubai, Carbon 12, and Leila Heller Gallery, among others, spread across 500,000 square feet.
Since 2008, Alserkal Avenue has held the highest concentration of galleries and creative spaces in the region, taking over from Dubai International Financial Centre—still home to Christie’s, Andakulova Gallery, Opera Gallery, Sconci Gallery, and The Farjam Foundation.
The cultural district also houses Alserkal Art Foundation and Concrete, a multidisciplinary space designed by Rem Koolhaas’ OMA. The latter holds exhibitions, performances, and public events, such as FIELD MEETING in 2019, an annual forum for arts professionals organised by Asia Contemporary Art Week. Its staging at Concrete marked the first time the event was held in MENASA (Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia).
Outside of Alserkal Avenue, Dubai’s first non-commercial and non-governmental institution is the Jameel Arts Centre, located on the waterfront of the city. Unveiled by Serie Architects in 2018, the centre is dedicated to exhibition-making and research in contemporary art.
It joins Tashkeel, located on the outskirts of the city, as a non-profit institution, containing studios and workspaces, and fostering arts and design practices of the U.A.E. Dubai Design District, which hosts the Dubai Design Week each November, provides further opportunities to encounter the region’s design talents.
Art Dubai, which prides itself on being the most global fair in the world, takes place in March each year at the hotel Madinat Jumeirah. It is supplemented by the Global Art Forum—a renowned summit that helps fuel growth in the gulf’s art scene.
Discourse is furthered a 90-minute drive away in Sharjah, where the Sharjah Biennial has provided an international platform for artistic experimentation since 1993 in a large-scale exhibition comprising installations, films, and performances. Past curators include Zoe Butt, Omar Kholeif, Claire Tancons, Christine Tohme, Eungie Joo, and Yuko Hasegawa.
What's On in Dubai's Galleries & Institutions
Follow Dubai's Important Museums, Private Collections, Galleries and Non-Profit Art Spaces.
Dubai offers a myriad of art galleries to explore. Contemporary art can be found all across the city, from Downtown Dubai’s art districts: Al Quoz, Alserkal Avenue, and the Design District, to Al Fahidi’s historic neighbourhood further West.
Most galleries in Dubai are located in the warehouse compound of Alserkal Avenue, in Al Quoz’s former industrial zone. A number remain in Dubai International Financial Centre downtown, alongside Christie’s and The Farjam Foundation.
Established in 2008, the Alserkal Avenue arts district is home to local and international galleries such as Lawrie Shabibi for Contemporary Middle Eastern Art, the cosmopolitan Green Art Gallery, and New York-founded Gary Tatintsian Gallery.
There, Ayyam Gallery supports established and emerging contemporary Middle Eastern artists, while non-profit institutions such as Alserkal Art Foundation, Ishara Art Foundation, and Gulf Photo Plus encourage local participation.
Downtown, the lifestyle destination Gate Village, known for its luxury hotels and art galleries, is home to the blue-chip Perrotin. The internationally acclaimed gallery has exhibited artists such as Takashi Murakami, Keith Haring, and KAWS.
Read More On Dubai's Exhibitions, Artists, Galleries
Our team regularly covers shows and art news relevant to Dubai. Ocula has interviewed many of the world’s leading artists who show regularly in Dubai galleries and museums, including Sara Naim, Sabih Ahmed, and Monira Al Qadri. Our editorial team also covers exhibitions via Insights and Features.
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