DIFC welcomes renowned artists to celebrate creativity through art, music and dining at Art Nights

More than 4000 art enthusiasts attend the event

UAE-Dubai, 2 November 2017: Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), the leading international financial hub and destination for lifestyle, arts and culture, hosted 2017’s second Art Nights on 1^st of November. Under the theme ‘Art Fresco’ and brought by Gate Avenue at DIFC, the event welcomed around 4,000 visitors at DIFC’s Gate Village. The exciting evening showcased the DIFC community’s unique blend of art galleries and fine dining in an atmosphere of discovery.

In this context, the upcoming Gate Avenue at DIFC which will feature inspiring retail and leisure propositions as well as build on DIFC’s world-class art and cultural offering.

UNICEF, the United Nations programme that provides humanitarian and developmental assistance to children and mothers in developing countries, exhibited ‘There is Hope’. The international exhibition which is brought to the Middle East for the first time, to be hosted in DIFC for ten days, tells the stories of four children and four adults from Syria, Sierra Leone, Namibia, Greece and El Salvador through pictures and videos and has an interactive wall of hope for people to leave messages of hope to their peers oversees.

Godolphin took us on His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Ruler of Dubai, journey for his love for sports and passion for horse racing through a series of photos and videos.

At Sotheby’s, visitors explored the modern and contemporary art, design, photography, books and jewellery to be offered at their inaugural Dubai auction. Eminent artists presented include Mona Hatoum, Kader Attia and Tracey Emin.

Presented under the curatorial work of Rebia Naim, founder of the International Emerging Artist Award of Dubai, Marina Stoponja, Lauris Zailaa, and Farah Al Amin kick started the city’s dazzling art season bringing new flair to its cosmopolitan public at the Gate Village, the cultural hub in the region, where artists from across the world come together to celebrate Art Fresco.

‘Utopias Sound Garden’, presented by WOW, used glasses-free 3D technology never before seen in the UAE, while curator Bebe Leone presented silicone vases made from 30 thousand pins created by Italian artist and designer Alessandro Ciffo.

Samar Sadik presented a series of fashion illustration titled ‘Lady Bosses’, portraits of strong women expressed through abstract art, sharp shapes and vibrant colours.

Alya Al-Zarouni, Senior Vice President of Operations at DIFC Authority, said: “We are excited about another evening of culture and entertainment in November. Art Nights at DIFC represents a real celebration of the vibrant and cosmopolitan community in the UAE. Tonight, we featured artists and art pieces for the first time in the Middle East. Many of them used innovative and modern concepts to bring their art to life.

While the Centre is well-known as a leading business destination with more than 21,000 working professionals, DIFC is also home to art galleries, hotels, dining, retail and residential spaces, which all contribute to our outstanding reputation as a lifestyle destination.”

DIFC’s vibrant community of fine art galleries open their doors to display a variety of fascinating exhibitions on the night. Newly refurbished Opera Gallery presented a group show including works by modern masters like Marc Chagall and Pablo Picasso, and contemporary pieces by Manolo Valdés, Roy Nachum and Alfred Harberpointner.

Artsawa presented works by Karine Roche exploring the interaction of nature and urban life, while Art Space features an exhibition of abstract works by one of Egypt’s most established contemporary artists, Mohamed Abla. Ayyam Gallery offered ‘Distorted Reality’, a series of photographs by Faisal Samra.

Cuadro Fine Art Gallery held a group show for three contemporary artists: Abdulla Lutfi, Sanaz Mazinani and Aida Madmudova. Andalukova Gallery presented photographs by Max Penson documenting social change in Central Asia between the 1920s and 1950s, while in The Empty Quarter’s exhibition, Habby Khalil captures the iconic Egyptian Hammam Sisters – the original ‘gangster duo’.

The talented musical artists include singer Jin Flora, who will perform jazz and pop classics, and a live oud player organised by Dubai Culture.

Some of DIFC’s popular restaurant brands will also join the festivities with special exhibitions and activations of their own.

Restaurants at the Ritz-Carlton, including Café Belge, Le Cirque and Paco Perez X Center Cut, invited guests to discover the art of creative dining with special menus prepared by culinary craftsmen. Mercato offered freshly-made pizza along with an interactive activity where guests can contribute to a window mosaic. Boca presented a live outdoor painting show and music, while Peyote Dubai will serve mocktails and bites at its pop-up bar.

For more information about attending Art Nights and the programme, you can visit the event page DIFC Art Nights .