Dubai – Masaader News
Warehouse421 announces the return of Galleries Week, which will take place from 7-11 March 2018, in partnership with Abu Dhabi Art and Festember, to offer commercial galleries the opportunity to exhibit and sell works by local and regional artists with prices starting at AED 650.
Galleries Week is a celebration of art and culture in the industrial neighborhood of Mina Zayed in Abu Dhabi. This year, creatives from a variety of disciplines including visual arts, design and music will be invited to engage with Warehouse421 and Abu Dhabi community.
Launched in 2017, the popular community art event this year will feature six commercial galleries including first-time participants Meem Gallery from Dubai and Etihad Modern Art Gallery from Abu Dhabi and four returning galleries namely Abu Dhabi based Salwa Zaidan Gallery, Dubai-based Cuadro Fine Art Gallery as well as Jeddah-based Athr Gallery and Hafez Gallery.
Visitors to Galleries Week will be treated to a number of exciting opportunities for creative discovery in a welcoming atmosphere that encourages them to learn more about the various aspects of the art world through meaningful encounters with gallery owners, and a series of insightful workshops and activities. Creative partner Festember, a UAE-based platform for showcasing local and regional entrepreneurs and emerging brands and products, have brought together a thoughtfully selected mix of entertainment, dining and a range of retail products by local and regional designers especially for the occasion. The Festember programme, will further enhance the event’s unique community flavour – making every visit to Galleries Week a truly enjoyable experience for the whole family.
Following the five-day event, participating galleries will then present curated exhibitions of artworks for sale, for a period of one month each and on a rotation basis – strengthening Warehouse421’s role as a platform for supporting the local and regional art eco-system.
Faisal Al Hassan from Warehouse421, said, “We are delighted to bring Galleries Week to Abu Dhabi’s creative community for a second consecutive year. From giving participating galleries another strong platform to exhibit and sell their work, to making it more accessible for collectors to pursue their passions, and supporting local and regional emerging talent – the objectives of Galleries Week fall perfectly in line with Warehouse421’s on-going diversification project and commitment to playing a more active role in the creative economy. We encourage visitors to make the most of this not-to-be-missed experience.”
Dyala Nusseibeh, Director, Abu Dhabi Art, said, “Events like Galleries Week offer an important occasion for the creative community to convene and discover works by emerging artists in a dynamic environment. With works available from AED 650, we are hoping to draw in a range of potential art buyers. We are also pleased to be showcasing etchings and lithographs by more established artists that are available at lower price points than their larger scale works. Whether it is through bringing commercial galleries closer to art collectors or expanding the reach of these galleries to the UAE’s wider community – Galleries Week broadens opportunities for the purchase and sale of artworks in the UAE, and in doing so, strengthens the creative ecosystem. Through this event, we are pleased to support upcoming artists and nurture a community of new art collectors in the UAE. It is our great privilege to work in collaboration with Warehouse421 in this endeavour.”
Latifa Al Hamed, Co-Founder and Co-Owner at Festember, said, “At Festember, our mission is to highlight home-grown talent and brands that have something unique to share, and our participation at Galleries Week will support this goal by allowing us to showcase their offerings to the wider UAE community. We are confident that Warehouse421 visitors will enjoy the array of entertainment, F&B and retail experiences that we have carefully hand-picked and curated for this highly anticipated event.”
Enabling easy access to a diverse array of well-known commercial galleries, Galleries Week offers the UAE community an exciting gateway to the world of art, allowing them the opportunity to collect or invest in a wide range of artworks on a budget.