Dealers were jittery as the third Art Dubai got under way on Tuesday in the Madinat Arena resort. On top of Dubai's well-documented financial troubles, newspapers had portrayed the once-booming emirate as a "ghost town" dotted with luxury cars abandoned by jobless expats.
The reality is far less dramatic, and the 68 dealers at the fair were pleased by the enthusiastic opening turnout. The glamorous patrons' preview saw visitors from 80 museums, including Tate, the Serpentine, the Maison Rouge in Paris and Denver, as well a group of private Chinese collectors. And while the exhibitor count was down, due to last-minute drop-outs, replacements were of high quality, including London's Lisson Gallery and New York's photography specialist Edwynn Houk. "We feel that this region brings new challenges and a possible new market, and things are so bad in London that we decided to give Dubai a try," said Jackie Haliday of London's Gimpel Fils.
This year's fair is very different from the first. Back then, exhibitors were trying to work out what would sell in the emirate and brought a mixed bag from blue-chips such as Warhol and Picasso to Middle Eastern and Pakistani artists such Rachid Rana. This year, it is emerging as the fair for Middle Eastern artists. "The quality of the fair has really improved," said the Iranian-Lebanese curator Rosa Issa.
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