Instead of cancelling or postponing, Art Dubai decided to go virtual in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. The long-awaited regional art event elevated its unique experience to screens from the 25th March till the 28th of March and it's still ongoing! Over the three days, Art Dubai said it garnered 53,520 unique page views on its website during its programming, received 60,000 views on Facebook, and achieved a reach of 162,000 across all of its online channels.
Art Dubai’s 2020 digital programme boasts an online catalogue and an online performance programme curated by Marina Fokidis. Commissioner of Global Art Forum, ShumonBasar, said in a statement, “Reality has shifted suddenly. Physical gatherings aren’t possible. So the Global Art Forum needed an emergency format. So, I thought, why not do a special broadcast edition of the Forum that addresses the new stories emerging from this moment of global narrative collapse? And do this collectively, with a group of brilliant thinkers, all of whom have something nourishing and provoking to say.”
After Art Dubai was cancelled, the country’s government decided to reach into its own coffers to buy some of the art itself. https://t.co/TqOdAKfVSG pic.twitter.com/52hG1Raz1J
— Artnet (@artnet) March 29, 2020
Artists who were looking forward to presenting their work in physical form at Art Dubai, got in Art Dubai’s live online catalogue, including much loved Arab artist, Hassan Hajjaj. Art Dubai’s 2020 digital catalogue encompasses over 500 pieces of art by various local galleries, which can then be filtered down by category, should art collectors and enthusiasts be looking for anything specific.
The beauty of it all? Viewers didn’t leave the comfort of their homes to peruse the magnificent art works by artists including, Frank Stella, Mohamed Melehi and Hamra Abbas and purchase enquiries were made via the online platform. Check out the amazing artwork here.
