DUBAI.- Taking place from March 19-21 2009, over 65 carefully selected galleries will gather in the beach resort of Madinat Jumeirah for the third edition of Art Dubai. Emphasis will be placed on galleries representing artists from the Middle East, South and Central Asia and the Far East, showing along side established artists from the West. Selected from over 300 applications, the participating galleries were chosen by an international selection committee that considered the merits of each individual exhibition proposal to create an innovative and diverse event, appealing to new and experienced collectors alike.

“The quality and strength of the applications from galleries round the world offers continued proof of the growing importance of Dubai as a new art market centre.” said John Martin, Co-founder and Director of Art Dubai. “In an economic downturn, the best galleries still require a global presence and must take advantage of the opportunities that Art Dubai offers them to engage with the changing face of the regional and international collecting community.”

“Accompanied by the Abraaj Capital Art Prize the critically acclaimed Global Art Forum as well as a comprehensive programme of projects, films, performance, events and tours, Art Dubai provides visitors an unrivalled vantage point onto the shifting global art scene.” said Martin. “The quality of the event and the tightly selected group of galleries reaffirms Dubai’s reputation as one of the most exciting and stimulating new centers for art in the world,” he added.

An exclusive selection of more than 60 of the world’s leading contemporary galleries from more than 30 countries will gather in Dubai next March for the third installment of the Art Dubai 2009 contemporary art fair.

Trends in the Art Dubai 2009 gallery selection include: Over a third of the galleries are returning to Art Dubai in 2009, including Galerie Krinzinger (Vienna), Bodhi Art (Mumbai), White Cube (London) and The Third Line (Dubai). Galleries new to Art Dubai 09 include BREENSPACE (Sydney), Almine Rech Gallery (Brussels), Galerie Emmanuel Perrotin (Paris), Max Protetch, (New York), Fredric Snitzer Gallery (Miami) Goff + Rosenthal (New York) and Elementa (Dubai). A strong selection of US and European galleries pioneering exhibitions of Middle Eastern and Asian aritists include Albion, BISCHOFF/WEISS, Rossi & Rossi, Green Cardamom, Aicon Gallery, Bitforms Gallery, Goff + Rosenthal, Frey Norris Gallery and Salon 94. Amongst the international participants there is strong presence of the most important galleries from the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia (MENASA) region. These galleries include: Agial Art Gallery, Galerie Janine Rubeiz, Sfeir-Semler (Beirut), Anant Art Gallery (New Delhi), Atassi Gallery (Damascus), B21, The Third Line, Elementa (Dubai), Bodhi, Chemould Prescott Road, Project 88, Sakshi Gallery (Mumbai), Dirimart, Galeri Artist (Istanbul), Galerie El Marsa (La Marsa, Tunisia), and Silk Road Gallery (Tehran).

Art Dubai is helping foster the UAE’s reputation as a meeting place for the international art world. In the last two years, the art fair has witnessed robust growth in the number of art collectors, artists, dealers, curators, critics and art enthusiasts from around the world visiting the event. With the added benefit of the newly opened Museum of Islamic Art in Doha and coinciding for the first time with the Sharjah Biennial, Art Dubai is seeking to attract more than 5000 visitors from overseas, doubling the number of international visitors from Art Dubai 2008.

Located beside the beach at the stunning Madinat Jumeirah resort, Art Dubai presents a unique opportunity for international and regional art lovers to experience the vibrancy of the region’s thriving cultural scene. Quotes from participating galleries about Art Dubai: “Being a contemporary art gallery from India, Dubai is close enough to be a hub for markets around the area. As the fair has gained significant status from the moment it was conceived, it has become relevant for galleries from within India to be part of such a fair. . . . In order to develop the growing interest of persons from the Middle East as well as expat Arabs in Indian contemporary art, our participation at Art Dubai gained particular significance.” - Chemould Prescott Road.

“It’s a wonderful platform to reach collectors and curators from the Middle East. The fair is meticulously managed”. - Galerie Kashya Hildebrand.

“We are coming to Art Dubai for the first time this year in hopes of introducing our artists to a new hub of activity in the ever-expanding global art world”. - Goff + Rosenthal.