ArtBAB 2019 brings substance to the region’s art scene

Manama, Feb. 28 (BNA): The fourth edition of Bahrain’s International Art Fair (ArtBAB) will be open to the public from March 7-10. The event will be held under the patronage of Her Royal Highness Princess Sabeeka bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa, Wife of His Majesty the King and President of the Supreme Council for Women, and will include many firsts to break new ground in the art world. The fair will see 16 international galleries from Argentina, France, Belgium, Greece and Bulgaria and many more countries showcase works alongside local artists. This year there are 17 artist stands and a BAAB Pavilion of Bahraini contemporary art show featuring 30 artists. "Through this exciting fair we are building our legacy for the future. By collaborating with such a wealth of artisanal design talents and bringing knowledge of artificial intelligence to the arts, we can welcome a host of fascinating artists and galleries to this exciting fourth edition of the fair. Bahrain continues to push boundaries in the arts and I hope these new initiatives demonstrate this," Fairs & Programme Director Kaneka Subberwal said. TAG Fine Arts will present a specially curated contemporary cartographic display, featuring beautiful and highly creative maps of Bahrain and the surrounding area by seven international artists. Ewan David Eason’s impressive Mappa Mundi Bahrain is inspired from his series of continents, countries and cities, and draws on his stunning use of gold leaf. Justine Smith integrates mapping and banknotes in her powerful Money Maps of the World series to explore the role of money in people’s lives and to illustrate key aspects of history and culture. Making an exciting return to ArtBAB this year is Bulgarian Art Agency Ltd with incredible artworks by Zurab Tsereteli, renowned Georgian-Russian artist and architect. Tsereteli, President of the Russian Academy of Arts, has been at the forefront of Georgian and Russian art for over forty years with works including the 1997 Moscow landmark statue Peter the Great, and the re-design of a cathedral on the Moscow River. A modern and contemporary art gallery from Paris, Gallerie Bruno Massa will exhibit artworks by emerging German painter Ursula Schregel and Jordanian artist and photographer Wedad Alnasser, and striking blown glass sculptures by Rudolf Breda. In addition, NK Gallery will travel from Antwerp to display works by acclaimed Belgian artist Didier Mahieu whose works in multiple mediums from painting to film earned him the 1993 Princess Grace International Prize in Contemporary Art. Core Art Gallery from Greece and Buenos Aires-based contemporary art gallery Quimera Galeria will contribute to the impressive international line up along with Art Lounge, which aims to spread the work of international artists throughout Portugal. Cosmic Heart Gallery brings Natasha Lalla and Shailan Parker’s creative and abstract artistic creations from Mumbai. Participating from the Middle East is the Baghdad Art Gallery who can be seen alongside leading Dubai galleries Fann A Porter and Sconci Art Gallery. ArtBAB 2019 will also feature Zu_Cace, the innovative gallery from Zayed University’s College of Arts and Creative Enterprises, Style quotient. ArtBAB 2019 is set to make waves that bring in the old with the new. With the spirit of reinvention, revitalisation and resourcefulness in mind, ArtBAB 2019 brings forth a profusion of relevant artistic conversation. The pioneering ‘Artisans Across Borders’ project that seeks to renew the ancient crafts of Bahrain will showcase finished collectibles and a limited edition range of products in a design room. The products have been designed under the directorship of well-renowned Indian fashion design guru and luxury fashion icon, JJ Valaya assisted by Ameena Khan. The retail categories will feature 50 unique, one-of-a-kind products that intertwine Bahraini motifs and modern-day aesthetics to bring JJ’s visions to life. The 2019 fair sees the return of Bahrain Across Borders (BAB), the platform to showcase Bahraini contemporary art in collaboration with Tamkeen. The artiso (Projects Curator, Serpentine Galleries, London), Nathalie Anglès (Co-founder and Executive Director of Residency Unlimited, New York), Rebecca Anne Proctorl (Editor-in-Chief, Harper’s Bazaar Art Arabia) and Snejana Krasteva (Curator, Garage Museum, Moscow) are also taking part. The amazing local artists, who will be exhibiting in the BAB Pavilion, include the youngest winner of Bahrain’s coveted Al Dana Prize, Aysha Almoayyed, photographer Marwa Al Khalifa and interdisciplinary designer Othman Khunji. Hala Kaiksow, a Bahraini weaver and designer is creating and exhibiting a work in collaboration with innovative design team Bahraini Danish as will Frances Stafford an innovative Canadian designer. ArtBAB’s speaker’s programme will also launch a world premiere on Art & Islamic Finance, as a debate between Deloitte Art & Finance Luxembourg and Deloitte Islamic Finance and Knowledge Centre (IFKC) Bahrain. Subberwal also announced that there will be six artists to be registered in an App based in New York for collectors among 65 artists participating to be part of the community which consists of 17,000 artists across the world. Other featured elements will include a VR tour of world-renowned art collections which is a regional first, predicting trends through blockchain, Game-changing VR and artificial intelligence (AI) art in the art movement and a shared talk space for 40 cultural and tech leaders from 20 countries.