Art Dubai Returns This Week-Introducing the Special Edition Exhibitors

1 minute read
May 12, 2026

A bold celebration of art, culture and new voices.

This special edition brings together solo presentations, newly commissioned works and curated highlights that reflect Art Dubai’s unique DNA and history as a fair of discovery. Spanning contemporary, modern and digital practices, the programme spotlights established and emerging voices, from modernist pioneers to a new generation of talent.

*Artist credit: Irene Scheinmann, Tabari Artspac*

Complementing the gallery presentations, Art Dubai will present a programme of exhibitions, including a major presentation of key modern Arab masterpieces from Barjeel Art Foundation marking 20 years of Art Dubai, and Dubai Collection, presenting works drawn from over 20 private collections across West Asia, North Africa and South Asia.

Khalid Al Banna’s monumental sculptural work, The Path, is part of a series of installations showcased at Art Dubai this week

Also featured are large-scale installations across the fair, including Hashel Al Lamki’s Maat, a suspended textile installation composed of reclaimed fabrics and reconfigured at the fair as a new spatial work; Khalid Al Banna’s monumental sculptural works, shaping movement and presence across the gallery halls; Neda Razavipour’s Silk Road, a large-scale tapestry reflecting histories of exchange; and Rashid and Ahmed bin Shabib‘s Manameh Pavilion, originally developed for the 2025 Venice Architecture Biennale, reimagined here as a space for conversations.

Live Programme

‘Body as a Witness’ by Safa Baluchi is part of a series of performances, presented by Sharjah Art Foundation, taking place at the fair

This year’s live programme spans moving image screenings, performances, and talks across the fair.

‘Moving’ presents 13 experimental film and video works in collaboration with Alserkal, Sharjah Art Foundation’s ‘Against Stillness’ brings a series of live performances by artists working across sound, music, movement and interdisciplinary practice.

The extensive talks programme brings together leading regional and international voices to reflect on art, culture, and collecting today, and includes the 20th edition of the Global Art Forum and Conversations with Artists co-programmed with the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi.

A live literary programme features spoken word performances from Dubai’s creative community, and live music and DJ sets continue into the after-hours at the Listening Bar.