September 9, 2019
Art Basel Inside will take place in Abu Dhabi next year. Image credit: Art Basel Inside
Extending its reach around the globe, Art Basel is bringing its brand to Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates with the launch of a culture-centric event.
Art Basel Inside will be aimed at a broader yet more exclusive audience than the organizer’s other shows, as the event brings together experts to discuss topics such as sustainability and artificial intelligence. Hosted in partnership with Abu Dhabi’s Department of Culture and Tourism, Art Basel Inside builds on the city’s growing cultural and art scene.
“Art Basel Inside is an innovative experience in which we offer a carefully composed group of leading entrepreneurs and change makers the opportunity to be immersed in a new environment driven by the transformative power of art – a unique chance to come together around a common goal,” said Patrick Foret, director of business initiatives and partnerships at Art Basel, in a statement.
Art in Abu Dhabi
Art Basel Inside is slated to run from Feb. 14 to 16, 2020. The show will bring together a select group of 300 individuals and entrepreneurs from various fields for an all-inclusive experience priced at $15,000.
Programmed by Art Basel, the three-day event is curated by Marc-Olivier Wahler, director of the Musée d’Art et d’Histoire, Geneva.
Along with installations and performances, Art Basel Inside will explore art’s role in bigger issues such as sustainability. Speakers from technology and science fields will share their insights on topics including the environment and intelligence.
Attendees will also be able to participate in breakout sessions, where these ideas can be explored further through conversations.
“Moving away from more traditional settings, I am very much looking forward to creating an immersive environment, a unique ecosystem in which critical issues such as sustainability and artificial intelligence are not approached as isolated topics, but instead as contingencies within a larger network,” said Mr. Wahler in a statement.
Instagram post from Art Basel Inside
Over the last decade, Abu Dhabi’s position in global culture has grown. Art galleries Warehouse421, Manarat Al Saadiyat and NYU Abu Dhabi Art Gallery have opened.
The city’s museum footprint has also grown, partly through international partnerships with well-known institutions.
Louvre Abu Dhabi opened in 2017. Developed out of a partnership between France and the United Arab Emirates, it is positioned as the first “universal” museum in the Arab world (see story).
In the coming years, the Zayed National Museum and Guggenheim Abu Dhabi are set to open in the city.
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