Central to Art Dubai's programming is a comprehensive and multi-layered talks and conference programme. Over four days and more than 50 sessions, Art Dubai convenes international and local voices, including curators, architects, academics, and institutional directors, for debate and discussion.
Highlights includes the trans-disciplinary Global Art Forum, the second annual Digital Summit, as well as a daily programme of conversations with artists, art collectors and art historians.
Led by Commissioner Shumon Basar and Curators Y7 (Hannah Cobb and Declan Colquitt), sessions—feauring many of the world's foremost thinkers, technologists and forecasters—will explore how rapid change is reshaping daily life, covering quantum computing, AI, gamified economics, and cultural geopolitics. Speakers include: Hans Ulrich Obrist, Rem Koolhaas, and Lawrence Abu Hamdan.
Convening industry leaders to discuss the evolving landscape of art and digital technologies, the Summit, curated by Gonzalo Herrero Delicado, will examine AI bias, digital collecting, and museums in the digital age. Speakers include Primavera De Filippi, Krista Kim, and Dr. Marlene Wenger.
Modern Talks, presented in partnership with Dubai Collection, supports the fair's commitment to scholarship. This year's discussions, curated by Nada Shabout and Magalí Arriola explore defining movements of 20th century Arab visual culture with featured speakers including Katya García-Antón, Sultan Sooud Al-Qassemi and Hasanain Al-Ibrahimy.
The Art Dubai Collector Talks provides a platform for art collectors to discuss their passions, idiosyncrasies and unique perspectives, providing glimpses into their inner worlds. This year's collectors, including Elie Khouri, Sangita Jindal, and Melisa Sabanci Tapan will cover identity, representation, and cultural heritage in collecting practices.
Taking place at Clinique La Prairie's Longevity Lounge, this year's programme looks into the creative journeys of Pooya Aryanpoor, Diana Al Hadid, DeeKay Kwon, and Alymamah Rashed, offering a closer look at the artists featured in this year's fair and the contributions they make to today's cultural landscape.
Engaging in different perspectives with our partners and exhibitors, HUNA Talks will present leading cultural figures in the UAE; Dr. Thomas Girst will discuss 50 years of the BMW Art Car; and Sfeir-Semler Gallery celebrates 40 years with the launch of a new publication reflecting on the evolution of contemporary art in the Arab world.
