ArtBAB opens doors
Manama : His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Prime Minister, yesterday inaugurated the third edition of the Kingdom’s foremost international art fair, ‘Art Bahrain Across Borders’ (Art BAB 2018) at the Bahrain International Exhibition & Convention Centre.
Held under the patronage of HRH Princess Sabeeka bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa, wife of HM King Hamad and President of the Supreme Council for Women (SCW), ArtBAB 2018 is open to the public from today until 18 March and will host 15 galleries and 13 independent artists from 11 countries.
While attending the fair, HRH the Crown Prince noted the extensive development the arts and cultural sector has witnessed under the leadership of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and highlighted the important role the arts have played in the Kingdom’s history and cultural heritage.
HRH the Crown Prince went on to praise the President of the SCW for her continued support towards ArtBAB and commended the organisers of the exhibition for their hard work.
Much bigger, Much stronger
“The response to the event is overwhelming, the reaction of the exhibitors and the visitors have been of the huge impact and this is of a huge significance because we have grown 40 percent participation,” ArtBAB Fair and Programme Director, Kaneka Subberwal told DT News.
“The exhibition is much bigger and the foundation is much stronger,” Subberwal said adding: “ArtBAB was established to bridge the gap between artists in Bahrain and across borders and we believe we have come a long way in the global art community.”
“We are looking forward to growing our artist and provide them with a much greater platform,” added Subberwal.
The exhibition is gaining recognition
When asked about the response to the show, Shaikha Maram bint Isa Al Khalifa told DT News, “I am very pleased with the inaugural event. The response is very positive and the exhibition is gaining recognition. The platform is fast becoming a flagship art show in the kingdom to promote the local artists internationally.”
She added: “We are looking forward will to boast the talents of local artists and a platform like this will showcase them here and internationally.”
A new layer to celebrating the art
Sharing her experience, Shaikha Hala bint Mohammad Al-Khalifa, Director of culture and arts, Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities, told DT News, “This is an exciting time of the year, with the spring of culture in full force and now this exhibition adds a new layer to celebrating art in the Kingdom. Further, this is an amazing platform to bring together all the collaborations of artists around the world.”
35 local artists, more than 100 artworks
ArtBAB 2018 serves as an exciting platform for Bahraini artistic talent by showcasing 35 local artists and more than 100 artworks alongside globally renowned artistic talents and organisations.
Among the galleries exhibiting this year are Alon Zakaim Fine Art from the UK, Samara Art Gallery, Gujarat, India, Tsekh Art Gallery, Ukraine; Galerie Bruno Massa, USA, Italian artist collective Antonello Ghezzi and many more.
Notable international participants include Alon Zakaim Fine Art from the UK, the Samara Art Gallery from India, Teshk Art Gallery from Ukraine, Galerie Bruno Massa from the USA, Italian artistic collective Antonello Ghezzi, and many more.
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