Abu Dhabi Art, an influential platform anchored in the Wanasa region art scene, is welcoming galleries across the globe for the 15th edition of the fair, taking place from 22 to 26 November 2023 at Manarat Al Saadiyat in Abu Dhabi.

Abu Dhabi art is held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council.

New and returning galleries have submitted proposals via the Abu Dhabi Art website for the upcoming 2023 edition. Exhibitors applied to sectors including Modern & Contemporary, which is open to Modern and Contemporary galleries who have been operating for at least seven years; Special Projects, where galleries which have been operating for at least three years can present solo or two-artist exhibits; and Emerge, where galleries present artworks under $3,000.

Alongside these is the Focus sector, showcasing galleries which have been invited to participate with specific artists chosen by a guest curator. The 2022 fair featured its largest and most diverse gallery line-up to date, with 80 galleries from 28 countries presenting more than 900 artworks by 300 artists from around the globe.

Abu Dhabi Art has also announced the selection of Emirati artist Mohamed Ahmed Ibrahim, who represented the United Arab Emirates at the 59th International Art Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia in 2022, as this year’s visual campaign artist. As in previous years, a selection of works by the artist will be used to create a global campaign for the fair, enabling a wide international audience to discover his works while also forming the overall visual identity for the fair in November. Ibrahim’s works reveal his own form of language – inscriptions, lines and abstract forms that are reminiscent of ancient cave drawings – marking time and memory through meditative repetition.

Dyala Nusseibeh, Director of Abu Dhabi Art, said: “We are already building on the diversity and depth of booth presentations at the fair for the upcoming edition, together with our galleries and guest curators. Visitors will discover contemporary artists from around the world, consider the context of the UAE hosting COP28 this year and the relationship of certain artists to the environment, whilst also encountering a platform for further research on Modern Wanasa artists. The contribution of Mohammed Ahmed Ibrahim as our visual campaign artist sets the tone for Abu Dhabi Art 2023 from the outset, as he has an extraordinary relationship to the landscape around him and to nature, one that has evolved in the fullness of time to represent a connection to the UAE that is both singular and collective, local and global in its resonance. As we look forward to our 15th edition in November, our visual campaign signposts the way for a fair that has taken root in the community in lasting ways.”

As one of the foremost artists in the UAE today, his appointment as this year’s visual campaign artist is a continuation of an on-going relationship with the fair, from his role in creating a special commission for the fair’s exhibition Gateway in 2017 to curating Abu Dhabi Art’s Beyond: Emerging Artists programme in 2018, as well as having a solo booth at the fair with his gallery Lawrie Shabibi in 2020.

Ibrahim said: "As one of the most important platforms for art, Abu Dhabi Art has tremendous value and visibility for local and global artists and art lovers. Having personally participated in its exhibitions since its inception and seen its growth over the years, I have always believed in its prominence and distinction. The same can be said of the organisers, who champion a community of culture and position it prominently as one of the most important international art exhibitions worldwide. Abu Dhabi Art is a pillar of the local and international art community and we are proud, as its host to welcome Abu Dhabi Art visitors to our city of culture”.

Previous artists who have participated in the art fair’s annual visual campaign were Farah Al Qasimi (2022); Ayesha Hadhir, Rawdha Khalifa Al Ketbi and Shaikha Fahad Al Ketbi (2021); Ebtisam Abdulaziz (2019); Monira Al Qadiri (2018); and Tarek Al-Ghoussein (2017).