Art Dubai 2025: Your ultimate starter guide to the region’s principal art show
What to see and where to see it…
It’s back. One of the biggest, boldest, and most unmissable events on the global art calendar, Art Dubai is where creativity, culture, and cutting-edge ideas collide. Expect jaw-dropping installations, world-class galleries, and a serious dose of inspiration. But it’s not just for art insiders, there’s a packed schedule of talks, performances, digital art explorations, and even fun activities for the little ones.
All of this unfolds over three electric days at Madinat Jumeirah from April 18 to 20, with previews on April 16 and 17. So, ready to dive in?
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Here’s your go-to guide to making the most of Art Dubai
What’s the big deal?
This year, Art Dubai brings together 120 galleries from 67 cities across 39 countries, with nearly half hailing from the GCC and the rest spotlighting underrepresented voices from the Global South. Expect fresh perspectives, bold statements, and an art experience that goes way beyond the white cube.
*A new arts festival is gracing Bluewaters Island this April*
The art
Contemporary
This is where the action is. Art Dubai Contemporary showcases the best in global contemporary art, with a focus on artists and galleries from regions often overlooked by the Western mainstream. Expect experimental, thought-provoking works from across Africa, South Asia, the Middle East, and beyond.
Bawwaba
Bawwaba (Arabic for “gateway”) is a curated deep dive into solo presentations from artists tackling big themes of displacement, identity, and global transformation. Curated by Mirjam Varadinis (Kunsthaus Zürich), the 2025 edition explores how artists are imagining new ways of living in an increasingly fractured world.
Modern
Modern art, but make it meaningful. Curated by Magalí Arriola (Museo Tamayo, Mexico) and Nada Shabout (University of North Texas, U.S.), this section explores 20th-century artistic movements from the Middle East, North Africa, and other postcolonial regions. Expect powerful conversations on migration, resistance, and cross-cultural influences.
Digital
Where tech meets creativity. Art Dubai Digital – curated by Gonzalo Herrero Delicado (Central Saint Martins, London) – dives into how AI, virtual reality, and digital culture are reshaping the art world. From AI-generated works to immersive virtual environments, this is a glimpse into the future of creativity.
The Talks: Big ideas, bold voices
Global Art Forum: The New New Normal
Art Dubai’s flagship conference returns, tackling the wild ride of modern life. Commissioned by Shumon Basar, this year’s edition explores how reality now feels more unpredictable than a sci-fi movie. Expect insights from a stacked lineup of speakers, including legendary architect Rem Koolhaas, sound artist Lawrence Abu Hamdan, and the internet’s most chaotic brainchild, Postpostpost (aka “the most unhinged meme account out there”).
Digital Summit: After the Technological Sublime
What happens when art and tech collide? This summit digs into AI, media art, and the future of museums in the digital age, with insights from museum directors, artists, and cultural pioneers. Expect hot takes on everything from AI bias to ecological activism in digital art.
Collector Talks
Why do people collect art? And what even is ‘impact collecting’? These insider sessions offer a peek into the minds of some of the biggest art collectors around, revealing the quirks, passions, and personal stories behind their acquisitions.
Modern Talks
Deep dives into the forgotten histories and cultural connections between West Asia, North Africa, and Latin America. Expect smart discussions on postcolonial art, migration, and shared artistic movements.
New: Conversations with Artists
Want to get inside an artist’s head? This brand-new series of intimate artist talks brings you face-to-face with the creatives behind the works, offering unfiltered insights into their practice, inspirations, and challenges.
*Buckle up: The coolest motor event in Dubai returns this April*
Don’t miss
Some installations and exhibits demand extra attention. Here’s what you absolutely can’t skip:
1. Ouchhh
No, that’s not a typo. Ouchhh Studio from Istanbul is a pioneer of data paintings, sculptures, and AI-powered public art. After a standout debut in 2024, they return with MotherEarth, a monumental AI-driven data sculpture that transforms raw climate data – including air quality, CO2 emissions, and temperature changes – into an imamersive sensory experience.
2. Mohammed Kazem – Directions (Merging) – اتجاهات (تمازج)
In this newly commissioned digital installation, Emirati artist Mohammed Kazem places the coordinates of Dubai at the centre of the space, drawing visitors into an immersive microcosm of the city. Surrounded by walls lined with static coordinates set against waves in motion, the piece symbolises Dubai’s borderless flow and interconnectedness.
3. Héctor Zamora
Famed for his site-specific interventions, Mexican artist Héctor Zamora presents a new series of performances and sculptural works, where performers interact with terracotta objects to explore symbolism and ritual. His Art Dubai performances are complemented by a site-specific installation at Alserkal Avenue, marking the start of a multi-year partnership focused on performance art.
4. Breakfast
New York-based data and kinetic artist Breakfast presents Carbon Wake, a digitally controlled kinetic installation that transforms real-time energy data from global cities into motion and interaction. Energy production from a new city is visualised every minute – showing the immediate impact of energy consumption worldwide.
5. Ania Soliman – Kahrabaa
Taking its name from the Arabic word for ‘electricity,’ Kahrabaa is a site-specific installation exploring the connections between technology, nature, and memory. Created in response to Beirut’s energy crisis, the work features five-metre-high canvases marked by the movement of artificial and real plants, thrown onto the surfaces in a performative act.
6. Piaget x Alyamamah Rashed
Luxury meets art as Piaget returns to Art Dubai with a commission by Kuwaiti surrealist artist Alyamamah Rashed. Her signature dreamlike style is infused with Piaget’s 1960s and 1970s aesthetic, blending jewellery craftsmanship with radical artistic energy.
7. The Dubai Collection
Dubai’s first institutional collection of modern and contemporary art is making a grand appearance at Art Dubai 2025. This initiative inspires and educates both residents and visitors – cementing Dubai’s role as a global art hub.
Images: Supplied
