[Event Report] World Art Dubai 2020 full of joy and vibrancy of the resumption of the “Meet Art at Last” event

In 2020/10, Japan Promotion is an international art fair held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates as part of JAPAN TIDE, a Japanese culture dissemination project that has been underway since 2017”World Art Dubai 2020We participated in” and developed a booth specializing in Japanese art, which has the largest floor area within the same art fair.

■World Art Dubai 2020
‍Period: 2020/10/8 (Thu) to 10 (Sat)
Organizer: DUBAI WORLD TRADE CENTRE
‍>> World Art Dubai official website

Until now, the same project has been carried out in April every year, but due to the spread of the novel coronavirus infection, the art fair was postponed and moved to October.
On the first day of the exhibition, which came after a long period of self-restraint, there were smiles of many artists and art fans waiting for the resumption of artistic activities at the venue.

In the UAE art market that continues to grow rapidly

Dubai is drawing attention from around the world for the opening of the major project “Expo 2020 Dubai (Dubai International Exposition 2020) *,” which raised countries.
An international art fair held in this area that continues to have a strong presence as the hub of the Middle East economy”World Art Dubai” attracts professionals, artists, gallerists, and art fans from various fields from around the world every year.

A total of 31 groups of unique Japanese artists participated in the exhibition from Japan Promotion this year. Every day, the booth was filled with unique enthusiasm due to their energy, which uniquely sublimated the sense of beauty unique to Japan and incorporated it into the expression of their work along with their rising thoughts.

*In light of the impact of the spread of the novel coronavirus infection, the exhibition period was changed approximately 1 year later to 2021/10.

The resumption of artistic activities that everyone has been waiting for

For DUBAI WORLD TRADE CENTRE, which was the venue,”World Art Dubai 2020” is the first step in resuming the event, which has finally arrived after overcoming spring to summer, when events were canceled one after another in the midst of the novel coronavirus. Just before the opening on the first day, a sense of tension different from previous years enveloped the entire venue, but the number of visitors exceeded expectations, and it seems that admission tickets recorded sales of 80% or more on the first day despite difficult circumstances.
In addition to disinfecting the hands of all visitors, various measures to prevent virus infections were introduced at the venue, such as restrictions on the number of people entering the booth and abolition of paper tickets, so that people could enjoy the event with peace of mind.

Also, special exhibitions unique to 2020, called the “Art Exhibition Taken by COVID-19,” were also held, and it was an event where the passion of the people of Dubai to sincerely face the threat of the virus that has hit the world and move forward oozed everywhere.

There were many voices from visitors who felt the joy of welcoming this day, such as “I was stressed because I couldn't go out anywhere” and “I definitely wanted to go to the first international cultural event after COVID-19.”

Guests leading the Middle Eastern arts and culture scene are also coming one after another

The Japan promotion booth includes Dubai Culture Fine Art Division Director Khalil Abdulwahid Hassan, popular artists active locally, Ahmad Rukni Al Awadhi and Faisal Abdul Qader, popular Instagrammers with 36,000 followers, craftwork artists, and large pro-Japanese familiesFatma RashedMany guests leading the Middle Eastern arts and culture scene, such as Mr. I was very interested in the fresh sensibility of Japanese art.
Also, at the opening, Helal Saeed Al Marri, who serves as the president of DUBAI WORLD TRADE CENTRE, visited the venue and congratulated them on the holding of the long-awaited event.

Japan art, which has captivated the world, is also selling well!

A number of unique works adorn the Japan Promotion Booth. The creative space, which resonates with diverse genres and sensitivities, attracted many people every day, and caused a great response throughout the 3-day exhibition.

Many visitors were eager to buy works, and multiple works went to enthusiastic collectors.

The SP event with Japanese artists was also a great success

”World Art DubaiEvery year, in addition to exhibiting works, many glamorous performances not seen at other art fairs, such as live paintings, DJ booths, and art runways, are held, making visitors excited.
The most popular ones are experiential events such as workshops and art talks where artists and visitors can directly interact. This year, two artists from Japan Promotion took the stage as lecturers and attracted a lot of attention.

◎ Workshops

At the Buddha drawing workshop by Japanese painters, starting with breathing techniques for meditation, how to hold a brush, how to draw lines, etc. were carefully taught one by one along with their true intentions. The event was overcrowded for a while, causing a huge response.

◎ Art talk

In the art talk, lectures are given by artists who express their own philosophy through the creation of works. While the participants listened attentively, the grand art concept was discussed in powerful language.

The artists exhibiting at “JAPAN TIDE” won the Best Picture Award!

The artists that have recently exhibited from Japan Promotion have received the “Best Picture Award,” which is the highest award at an award announced every year by the organizer and event-only curators from over 120 groups of galleries and artists participating from over 20 countries around the world, and over 2000 works!

The exhibition booth, which is lined with huge bronze sculptures embodying a unique philosophy, dominated the eyes of visitors and organizers, and this award was realized. I really congratulate you!

Local media are also paying attention to the energy of Japan Art

The activities of Japanese artists attracted attention from local media.

Coverage of the entire booth by the Abu Dhabi national program “Abu Dhabi TV” team was introduced on the 10/12 (Monday) broadcast.

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From the 10/12 broadcast “Abu Dhabi TV.” The Japan promotion booth was at 0:45, 1:05, 2:25.

The activities of Japanese artists were also introduced in many other media. Here are some of them.

◎ TV broadcast　*The times shown in parentheses are the artists participating in the Japan Promotion

●Al Ghad TV

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(0:23 ~, 1:12 ~)

●Fujairah TV

(0:49 ~, 0:52 ~, 1:42 ~)

◎ WEB ARTICLE

・ARAB NEWS JAPAN: Published articles about the entire event and the Japan Promotion Booth (Japanese version)

・Al Roeya Media: Photos of the exhibition scenery at the Japan Promotion Booth are posted

・The National: Introducing the exchange between artists exhibiting at Japan Promotion and visitors with photos

‍・Khaleej times: Introducing artists exhibiting at Japan Promotion as award winners

・Al Bayan Newspaper: An introduction about the Japan Promotion Exhibiting Artist winning the Best Picture Award is posted

In the UAE market, which continues to advance strongly towards the future

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We were greeted in an unusual situation”World Art Dubai 2020” However, we were able to successfully bring the curtain to an end thanks to the artists who exhibited and the power of their works.

The future is still uncertain in countries around the world, but it was a wonderful moment that convinced me that art has the power to save people's souls.

At Japan Promotion, we will continue to make efforts to develop various businesses so that as many people as possible can know the appeal of Japanese art in the UAE, where rapid development continues in various fields. Please stay tuned!

■World Art Dubai 2020
‍Period: 2020/10/8 (Thu) to 10 (Sat)
Organizer: Japan Promotion Association
Cooperation: DUBAI WORLD TRADE CENTRE
‍>> World Art Dubai official website

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