Taking place from March 11 to 13, 2022, the 15th art event returns to its home in Madinat Jumeirah.

Bringing artists of all kinds, Art Dubai, this year, has plunged into digital art and has announced the list of participating galleries for the event.

Taking place from March 11 to 13, 2022, the 15th art event returns to its home in Madinat Jumeirah after being staged at the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) last year.

What makes this year’s edition special is the event’s venturing into the digital and crypto art space with the launch of Art Dubai Digital, a new section dedicated to digital art and NFTs.

Bringing galleries such as Postmasters, whose programming in digital art stretches back to the 1980s from New York and Emergeast, a young digital platform from the region founded in 2014 to the forefront, the section has been curated by Chris Fussner, director of the Tropical Futures Institute in Cebu in the Philippines.

Fussner’s selection, in total, includes 16 galleries and platforms presenting artworks in a physical format for visitors. Apart from that, a number of the fair’s programmes are also putting blockchain at the centre.

For instance, Campus Art Dubai will be a Blockchain Edition that features an eight-week course and will support 12 artists from the UAE and abroad who are working in digital art.

Crypto Media Lab will be set up, serving as a ‘gathering space’ for businesses and exchanges working in cryptocurrency and digital assets.

Another gallery Global Art Forum will dive into the world of NFTs, gaming, the metaverse and the concept of Web 3.0, taking a look at a new decentralised form for internet services, websites and applications that are based on blockchains.

These and many such galleries comprising of 100 galleries will be participating at Art Dubai 2022, 30 of which are included in the fair for the first time. The other 40 countries from the list are from the Global South.

Additionally, the Contemporary section of the art event is featuring 77 galleries out of which 15 are joining the fair for the first time.

The Modern section, curated by Sam Bardaouil and Till Fellrath will highlight Middle Eastern, South Asian and African artists from the 20th century in solo booths, whereas the Bawwaba section comprises 10 solo shows, including some first-timers at the event.