Art Dubai 2011

Apart from the grand exhibit at Madinat Jumeirah, Art Dubai also sees many of Dubai's standing galleries get in the spirit with special exhibits. Taking the Art in the City's "ArtBus" this year (on both routes), I was able to see much more of the latter than I did last year. And of course, I could not miss the Bastakiya fringe art special (re-branded this year as the Sikka Art Fair). Select scenes and moments follow ...

My Art Dubai "artist tour guide" in his "cantordust" alter ego (note the cardboard box "costume"(note also the facepalm)). Last year, it was the Scifi Wahhabi - I seem to always get the cryptic ones. Not that I'm complaining.

Arabic calligraphy in red soap

Metal cast bike and rider

The proposed Abu Dhabi mastaba ... I remember this from IIT

Charcoal drawing, I think, but great effect with the lines

Acrylic stool thingy

I like the style in this one

Zero gravity termite mound

Happy happy, joy joy (the artist, Yue Minjun, is well-known)

Sharp pop art lines at Opera Gallery, DIFC

Restroom symbols at Pavilion, Downtown Dubai

There's a whole room full of these

Banana Surfer (we're out of silver)

I'm a Piscean, by the way

Alleyway sign on the way to the Sikka Art Fair

Panel discusses social media art promotion

Bronze fish mobiles at Bastakiya

Excellent choice of subject

Thermostat cosy

XVA's iconic doll

Nabil Amarshi's People Playing Music performs in the Bastakiya square

Art Dubai 2010

The fourth Art Dubai for contemporary art, held at the beautiful Madinat Jumeirah, was quite ... Dubai. Apart from the emphasis on regional art, there were other major differences from international art shows.

One was the political censorship, which was kind of strange given that I saw some pretty political pieces at the Bastakiya Art Fair. And an art show with a Ladies' Day? Why does every other thing here have to have a Ladies' Area or a Ladies' Day? Like a bunch of despo boors could crash, of all places, an art fair.

But things looked good this year at Art Dubai, despite the economic climate. There were works by hundreds of artists from tens of countries, including some of the top galleries in the world.

As usual, there was strong representation by regional artists, especially by emerging Arab and Iranian artists, often with corresponding themes.

One could catch one of the regular artist-led tours, mine being the last available one. Led by the fleet-footed, mystery-mouthed (toy) laser-armed "Sci-Fi Wahabi", it was exceedingly brief, and we were sometimes literally running from exhibit to exhibit. Most intriguing and most befuddling.

There were not very many Indian artists' works on display (M.F. Husain's paintings were there, but he is now Qatari). This set "India Shining", featuring Gandhi wearing a call center headset and in an easy chair, was one of the few I did find.

Down at the Bidoun Lounge, visitors got to see Persian film shorts, as well as some local works by Emirati art filmmakers.

And here's my little artsy contribution, taken from a walkway near the venue ... "Sailing into the Past"