Art Dubai marks 20 years with special edition at Madinat Jumeirah

DUBAI – Dubai is preparing for a landmark cultural moment as Art Dubai unveils the first details of its 2026 special edition, marking 20 years of the fair’s role in shaping and accelerating the region’s contemporary art landscape.

The special edition will take place at Madinat Jumeirah from 15 to 17 May, with a VIP preview on 14 May. It is presented in partnership with A.R.M. Holding, with Dubai Culture serving as Strategic Partner. Entry will be free for all visitors.

Over two decades, Art Dubai has grown into one of the most influential international platforms for artists, galleries and collectors working across the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia, while maintaining a strong global reach. The 2026 edition is conceived both as a reflection on that trajectory and as a forward-looking statement on the region’s cultural present and future.

The fair will present around 75 exhibitions and projects spanning commercial galleries, institutional showcases and partner programmes across contemporary, modern and digital art. A strong curatorial emphasis will be placed on galleries with long-standing engagement in the region, those that have played a defining role in shaping its cultural infrastructure, as well as new participants joining the Art Dubai platform for the first time.

Institutional collaboration will sit at the core of the programme through an expanded network of UAE cultural partners, including Alserkal Avenue, Art Jameel, Barjeel Art Foundation, Dubai Collection and Sharjah Art Foundation. Together, they will deliver exhibitions, talks, screenings, performances and large-scale commissions that extend the fair beyond its conventional format and into a broader cultural ecosystem.

“Art Dubai has always been more than a conventional art fair, developing into an international platform for this region’s cultural scene as it matures. This special edition will demonstrate the resilience of the UAE’s cultural scene as well as the power of collaboration, bringing together galleries, artists and institutions at a time when that role of convening feels more important than ever,” said Executive Director at Art Dubai Group Benedetta Ghione.

“Art Dubai’s story is Dubai’s story, and producing this special edition would only be possible in Dubai, for an organisation that has grown hand-in-hand with the city, and with the support of our long-term partners. Current circumstances mean that this may not be what we had planned to mark our 20th edition, but the galleries and wider programmes represent what makes Art Dubai both unique and special,” she added.

Among the major highlights is “Made Forward,” a presentation from the Dubai Collection, the city’s first institutional collection of modern and contemporary art. The 20th edition of the Global Art Forum, commissioned by Shumon Basar, will return under the title “Before and After Everything,” continuing its role as a leading platform for critical cultural discourse.

The Barjeel Art Foundation will present a major exhibition of modern Arab art drawn from its collection, while Sharjah Art Foundation will contribute a performance-led programme. Across the fair, site-responsive installations and commissions will feature works by Khalid Al Banna, Hashel Al Lamki, Rashid Bin Shabib and Ahmed Bin Shabib, Rami Farook, Kevork Mourad, Yaw Owusu, Neda Razavipour and Sudarshan Shetty.

A moving image programme co-curated with Alserkal Avenue will be presented across multiple venues, while further collaborations will include Art Jameel, the National Pavilion UAE - La Biennale di Venezia, the Ministry of Culture and House of Arts. A continuous programme of daily talks, activations and live encounters will run throughout the fair.

Director of Art Dubai Fair Dunja Gottweis said: “This special edition of Art Dubai brings together galleries from nearly 20 countries with strong representation from the region and internationally. This is testament to the unique role Art Dubai has played over two decades in supporting and sustaining Dubai as the centre of the region’s art market.

“Spanning contemporary, modern and digital practices, the gallery programme offers a breadth of perspectives, from emerging artists to more established names alongside significant historical presentations.”

Art Dubai said the 2026 edition will also introduce an innovative risk-sharing model in response to ongoing pressures facing the global gallery sector, with booth costs structured around performance outcomes, designed to support sustainability, resilience and wider participation across the market.

“‘Things we do together’ has been a guiding thread in shaping the programme, thinking about how artists, galleries, institutions and audiences come into relationship across the fair. From large-scale installations to talks, performances and more informal moments of gathering, the focus is on creating an experience that feels connected and open,” said Alexie Glass-Kantor, Executive Director, Curatorial, Art Dubai Group.