The UAE Pavilion, a golden sand dune-inspired structure by Norman Foster’s firm, Foster + Partners, will be open to the public as part of Abu Dhabi Art 2011 on Saadiyat Island, from November 16-19.
Last year, the event, organised by the Tourism Development & Investment Company (TDIC), attracted over 17,000 visitors and this year will see over 50 international galleries operating as a boutique-style fair.
The UAE Pavilion is located in the grounds of Manarat Al Saadiyat, Saadiyat’s purpose-built exhibition centre. It has already won prestigious awards and is currently the only national pavilion to be relocated and reconstructed for future use.
All of the pavilion’s 30,000 components have travelled a 6,546-kilometre journey from Shanghai, China, where it was exhibited at the World Expo 2010 Shanghai.
International artists, gallerists, collectors and curators invited to the fair include Larry Gagosian, Jeff Koons and Sarah Morris.
There will also be a Design Studio: featuring the works of fashion, furniture and interior designers who will be delivering Design Workshops. The UAE’s very own shoe designer Sultan Al Darmaki who recently had a design acquired by the Victoria & Albert Museum will be one of these designers.
This year’s brand has also been designed by a group of Emirati designers with memorabilia being produced for Artyfact, Abu Dhabi Art’s retail store
Other highlights include: The Galleries Sector, where 50 of the world’s galleries, bring together 20th and 21st century artworks to the show, including Dia Al Azawi, Ai Weiwei, Abdul Qadar Al Rais, Adel Abdessermed, Shirazeh Houshiary, Chant Avedissian, Louay Kayyali, Timo Nasseri, Martin Creed and Anish Kapoor.