Events
Sheikha Manal Officially Appointed to Honorary Board of Patrons for Art Dubai
Under the royal patronage of Her Highness Sheikha Manal bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, President of Dubai Women Establishment, wife of His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Presidential Affairs, UAE; Sheikha Manal inaugurated Ladies Day at Art Dubai 2011 last week.
During her attendance at the fair, Sheikha Manal was accompanied by Sheikha Fatma Bint Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Sheikh Mohammed bin Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan and a number of prominent female artists, gallerists and distinguished ladies from the UAE community.
Sheikha Manal said: “Since its inception five years ago, Art Dubai has successfully established itself as one of world’s most prestigious exhibitions of contemporary art. I am delighted with the multi-faceted programming organised that featured leading international artists & curators engaging with their peers as well as the public in artistic and cultural activities.”
The fifth edition of Art Dubai was the largest, most dynamic year for the fair to date, featuring more than 82 galleries from over 34 countries. A series of exciting new initiatives included MARKER, a dynamic new section of experimental stands curated by Nav Haq, the seminal Global Art Forum, a Gulf-wide collaboration, plus a new series of high-level collector talks, Les Voyages Extraordinaires, a museum-quality exhibition by Van Cleef & Arpels, and the third edition of the Abraaj Capital Art Prize, which increased its number of winners from three to five.
“Guided by our wise leadership, the UAE has always been in the forefront of support for art and culture, motivated by the firm belief that sustainable economic growth goes hand in hand with social and cultural development. Hosting events such as Art Dubai serves to further solidify the UAE’s position in this regard,” Sheikha Manal added.
In addition to visiting the main galleries exhibition space, Sheikha Manal also viewed the artworks created by the five winners of the Abraaj Capital Art Prize, followed by MARKER, a new platform for experimental art spaces from Asia and the Middle East as well as the Van Cleef & Arpels exhibition, “Les Voyages Extraordinaires” inspired by the writer Jules Verne.
However, the highlight of her visit was when Her Highness was recognised as one of the foremost patrons of the arts in the UAE and officially appointed to the Honorary Board of Patrons during a private ceremony.
As an accomplished artist in her own right and truly visionary in her support of the arts, Her Highness Sheikha Manal has consistently sponsored youth-focused cultural and artistic endeavours in the UAE, through her patronage and the establishment of art projects such as ‘The Sheikha Manal Young Artist Award’, ‘The Sheikha Manal Art Exchange Program’; plus international art exhibitions such as the ‘Pieces for Peace’ CITYarts project and ‘The Reflective Mirror’ art exhibition under the theme of ‘Expression of Womanhood’ at the United Nations Head Quarters, New York. She recently extended her patronage to The Nomads Box Project, a moving art space located within a transformed shipping container. In 2009, she was also honoured from City Arts New York with the ‘Making a Difference through the Arts’ Award. She was also awarded for her contributions to the arts at the Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Patrons of the Arts 2010.
On the occasion, Her Highness expressed her gratitude and appreciation to the organisers of Art Dubai for their efforts in promoting art, culture and greater intercultural engagement. She said, “I am delighted and honoured to join the Honorary Board of Patrons. I am thrilled to represent what is undoubtedly one of the world’s the leading international venue art dialogue and cultural exchange; and look forward to a long association as an ambassador for Art Dubai.”
Sheikha Manal also added, “Guided by our wise leadership, the UAE has always been in the forefront of support for art and culture, motivated by the firm belief that sustainable economic growth goes hand in hand with social and cultural development. Hosting events such as Art Dubai serves to further solidify the UAE’s position in this regard.”
Held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, Art Dubai is a joint venture of the Dubai International Financial Centre and is held in partnership with Abraaj Capital and sponsored by Van Cleef & Arpels. Madinat Jumeirah is home to the event. START is the official CSR programme of Art Dubai and supports children with special needs as well as child refugees and orphans in the Middle East.