Art Dubai has revealed the first details of its 20th anniversary edition, taking place at Madinat Jumeirah from 17 to 19 April 2026, with preview days on 15 and 16 April. The fair will bring together over 100 modern, contemporary and digital presentations from more than 35 countries.
This edition marks the first under Dunja Gottweis, the newly appointed Fair Director, who introduces a refreshed structure organised around the curatorial framework “Future, Past, Present.” The fair’s sections have been reconfigured into four distinct platforms: Zamaniyyat, Bawwaba, Art Dubai Digital and the newly launched Bawwaba Extended.
Art Dubai Galleries continues to anchor the fair with presentations that span global modern and contemporary practices. This year’s edition welcomes 36 first-time exhibitors, with notable new names from France, Germany, Mexico and Switzerland, alongside returning galleries from Morocco, Tunisia, Jordan, Turkey and India. More than half of the participants come from the MENASA region, underscoring Dubai’s role as a thriving commercial art centre with a growing local collector base.
Curated by Dr. Sarah A. Rifky, Zamaniyyat explores modernism across multiple geographies from the 1950s to the 1990s. Highlights include surveys of Gazbia Sirry, Bimal DasGupta and multi-generational presentations linked to the Casablanca Art School and the Palestine modernist lineage.
Bawwaba, curated by Amal Khalaf, returns with solo presentations of newly produced works by emerging and mid-career artists working across research-driven and experimental practices. This year introduces the Bawwaba Gallery Support Programme, which rethinks fair participation through a shared-risk model supporting younger galleries.
Now in its fifth year, Art Dubai Digital continues to grow, with a record 19 first-time exhibitors presenting installation-led, multi-sensory and technologically driven work. Curated by Ulrich Schrauth and Nadine Khalil, the 2026 edition is titled “Myth of the Digital,” asserting digital art as a core part of contemporary practice rather than a future-facing niche. Highlights include international names such as Marina Abramović, Rachel Rossin, Six N Five and rising regional artists like Sulaiman Al Salem and Fatma Lootah.
Debuting this year, Bawwaba Extended introduces a new platform for immersive, large-scale installations that go beyond the traditional booth format. Curated by Amal Khalaf and Alexie Glass-Kantor, the initiative will transform the Madinat Jumeirah site into a constellation of public artworks, with full details to be announced early next year.
Speaking about the 20th edition, Dunja Gottweis, Fair Director, Art Dubai, says,
“For 20 years Art Dubai has been instrumental in shaping Dubai’s creative identity, and it now stands as one of the world’s most distinctive art fairs in one of the world’s most dynamic and global cities. Culture and creativity are shaping a vibrant and enduring art scene in Dubai, supporting a global network of artists, gallerists, collectors and curators.”
As Art Dubai enters its third decade, the 2026 edition continues to serve as a convener and meeting point for the global art world.
Visit: artdubai.ae
Mariam Khawer is a Dubai-based writer and PR professional whose work spans food, art, and travel across the region. When she isn’t chasing deadlines, she’s likely at a gallery opening, testing out a new restaurant, piecing together one of her mixed-media art projects or at home with her four cats, who keep her on her toes.
