5 Highlights from Art Dubai 2025

Bringing together more than 120 galleries from around the world, this edition of Art Dubai will continue to reinforce Dubai’s role as a global art hub. From groundbreaking contemporary works to digital innovation and Modern Masters, here are five key highlights to look forward to at Art Dubai 2025.

1. Art Dubai Contemporary 

At the heart of Art Dubai, the Contemporary section presents the best of cutting-edge contemporary art, with a particular focus on emerging artists and lesser-explored geographies. This year, over 70 galleries spanning five continents will participate, including first-time exhibitors, expanding the fair’s international reach.

Notable international galleries such as Bortolami, Perrotin and Peres Projects will showcase works alongside leading Dubai-based names like The Third Line, Leila Heller Gallery and Tabari Artspace. The section serves as a vibrant platform for discovery, inviting collectors and art enthusiasts to explore new voices and artistic narratives.

Ângela Ferreira, Talk Tower for Ingrid Jonker, 2012, MDF, speakers, sound, LightJet print, aluminum, drawings on paper, 280 x 70 x 70 cm, Courtesy of Cristina Guerra Contemporary Art

2. Bawwaba

Curated by Mirjam Varadinis, writer and curator-at-large at Kunsthaus Zürich, Bawwaba – meaning ‘gateway’ in Arabic – offers highly curated solo presentations of works created in the past year or specially commissioned for the fair.

For its sixth edition, the section poses the thought-provoking question: “How can we imagine new forms of coexistence, both among people and with our planet?” Featuring 10 solo presentations, Bawwaba 2025 is highlighting artists exploring themes of displacement, sustainability and new models of living. Participating galleries include Art: Concept, Blueprint12 and Aspan Gallery, among others.

Kate Newby, How Have I Never Seen Until Today, 2024, stoneware, minerals, glaze, iron, sand, found glass, 110 x 216 cm, Courtesy of Art Concept

3. Art Dubai Modern

Dedicated to the region’s Modern Masters, Art Dubai Modern showcases works by influential 20th-century artists whose practices shaped contemporary Middle Eastern and North African art. This year’s edition is curated by Magalí Arriola (Director of Museo Tamayo, Mexico) and Nada Shabout (Professor of Art History at the University of North Texas).

With a focus on cultural affinities between West Asia, North Africa and Latin America, the section examines how shared histories – marked by migration, postcolonial struggles and identity formation – have influenced artistic practices. Expect to see masterful works from galleries such as Meem Gallery, Lawrie Shabibi and Leila Heller Gallery.

Alfred Basbous, Composition, Ed.8, 1989, Bronze, 200 x 39 x 10 cm & 170 x 39 x 10 cm, Courtesy of Alfred Basbous Foundation

4. Art Dubai Digital

Now in its fourth edition, Art Dubai Digital is the premier section dedicated to exploring the intersection of art, AI and new media technologies. Curated by Gonzalo Herrero Delicado, this year will have the theme of ‘After the Technological Sublime’, examining how artists are using artificial intelligence, virtual and augmented reality and digital platforms to address today’s environmental, social and political challenges.

Key highlights include presentations by Hafez Gallery, GAZELL.iO and BREAKFAST Studio, alongside Dubai-based exhibitors Monada Art Gallery and espace. The section also forms the foundation for Art Dubai’s Second Annual Digital Summit, a three-day exploration of the future of digital art, featuring thought leaders from global institutions.

5. Thought-Provoking Talks and Cultural Programming

Beyond the exhibitions, this year’s edition will also feature the Global Art Forum Dubai 2025, focusing on ‘The New New Normal’, a deep dive into the evolving nature of change, featuring: leading thinkers, technologists and artists such as Rem Koolhaas and Lawrence Abu Hamdan; Modern Talks, led by Nada Shabout and Magalí Arriola, which will include discussions on the shared cultural histories of West Asia, North Africa and Latin America; Collector Talks; and Conversations with Artists.

With a programme that’s chockful of contemporary art, digital innovation and historical perspectives, Art Dubai 2025 promises to be an unmissable event for collectors, curators and art-lovers alike.