As Art Dubai marks its 20th year with a reimagined special edition, the fair returns at a moment shaped by global uncertainty, yet grounded in a sustained commitment to cultural exchange and continuity. Taking place from 15–17 May 2026 at Madinat Jumeirah, with a VIP preview on 14 May, this special edition presents the fair in a modified format that brings together gallery presentations and an ambitious parallel programme developed in collaboration with the UAE’s leading cultural institutions. Large-scale installations, performances, screenings, daily talks and artist-led activations converge to create an environment that reflects both the fair’s two-decade legacy and its ongoing evolution as a global platform.
For 20 years, Art Dubai has positioned itself as more than a commercial art fair, but as a meeting point for artists, galleries, and ideas that shape the cultural landscape of the Middle East and beyond. This year’s edition continues that trajectory, drawing together participants from nearly 20 countries and presenting around 75 presentations across commercial, institutional, and collaborative formats. Yet within this expansive and carefully constructed global framework, African participation—while present—remains notably selective.
Amidst a wide-ranging international lineup, a small but critically important group of galleries ensures that African voices are not absent from this landmark edition. Galerie Atiss Dakar (Dakar), GVCC (Casablanca/Paris), and Efie Gallery (Dubai) stand out not simply as representatives of the continent and its diaspora, but as institutions that actively shape the trajectory of African contemporary art within global circuits.
Galerie Atiss Dakar operates from one of the continent’s most historically significant cultural capitals. Dakar has long been central to African artistic production, from the legacy of the Dakar Biennale to its continued role as a hub for experimentation and critical discourse. Atiss Dakar builds on this foundation by supporting a new generation of artists whose practices engage with questions of identity, materiality, and socio-political realities, while also positioning them within international markets and exhibitions.
GVCC, working between Casablanca and Paris, embodies a fluid and transnational approach that reflects the realities of contemporary African art today. Its programme bridges North Africa and the diaspora, foregrounding artists whose work navigates multiple geographies and cultural contexts. In doing so, GVCC challenges rigid notions of locality and instead situates African artistic production within a broader, interconnected global framework.
Efie Gallery, though based in Dubai, represents one of the most important conduits for African art on the international stage. With a strong Ghanaian foundation, the gallery has been instrumental in elevating both modern masters and contemporary voices from Africa, placing them within major institutional and market contexts. Its presence at Art Dubai is particularly significant, reinforcing the role of the diaspora in expanding access, visibility, and engagement with African art across new geographies.
These galleries, though few in number, carry significant weight. They are not simply participants within the fair; they function as cultural anchors, shaping how African art is encountered, understood, and valued within a global context. Their inclusion reflects both the progress that has been made and the structural limitations that still define representation within major international art platforms.
The broader list of participating galleries underscores the scale and diversity of the fair, spanning regions and cultural contexts across the world. Participants include Ab-Anbar Gallery (London), Agial Art Gallery (Beirut), Aisha Alabbar (Dubai), Art Fungible (Hong Kong), Athr (Jeddah/Riyadh/AlUla), AWL (Girona/Al Ain/Los Angeles), Ayyam Gallery (Dubai), Saleh Barakat Gallery (Beirut), Bluerose (Beirut), Carbon 12 (Dubai), Pedro Cera (Lisbon/Madrid), Galleria Continua (San Gimignano/Beijing/Les Moulins/Havana/Sao Paulo/Rome/Paris), Dirimart (Istanbul/London), Dom Art Projects (Dubai), Galerie Frank Elbaz (Paris), Foundry (Dubai), Taymour Grahne Projects (Dubai/London), Mark Hachem (Lebanon/Paris/New York), Hafez Gallery (Jeddah), Leila Heller Gallery (Dubai/New York), Hunna Art Gallery (Kuwait), Iragui (Paris), Iregular (Montreal), Iris Projects (Abu Dhabi), Gallery Isabelle (Dubai), Labor (Mexico City), Lawrie Shabibi (Dubai), JD Malat Gallery (London/Dubai), John Martin Gallery (London), Meem Gallery (Dubai), Nika Project Space (Dubai/Paris), Galleria Franco Noero (Turin), Gallery One (Ramallah), Perrotin (Paris/Hong Kong/New York/Seoul/Tokyo/Shanghai/Los Angeles/London/Dubai), Pinksummer (Genoa), Iyad Qanazea Gallery (Abu Dhabi), Rarares Gallery (Dubai), Rizq Art Initiative (Abu Dhabi), The Rooster Gallery (Vilnius), Lilia Ben Salah (Paris), Shankay (Porto/Dubai), Solo (Bucharest), SSK (Ukkel), Tabari Artspace (Dubai), The Third Line (Dubai), Waddington Custot (Dubai/Paris/London), and Zawyeh Gallery (Dubai/Ramallah).
This breadth reinforces Art Dubai’s position as a global meeting point, yet it also brings into sharper focus the relatively limited number of Africa-based galleries within the fair. In a continent of over fifty countries with rapidly growing art scenes, the presence of only a handful of galleries speaks not to a lack of artistic production, but to broader structural dynamics within the global art market.
Within the fair’s programme of artist commissions and large-scale installations, Ghanaian artist Yaw Owusu emerges as a significant African presence. Born around 1992, Owusu is a visual artist whose practice centres on sculptural installations that repurpose found objects, transforming materials often perceived as worthless into charged encounters of value and meaning. Working with steel, gold, silver, copper, and found elements such as foils, sheets, and coins, his process involves acts of removal, attachment, and transformation—what can be described as a form of playful yet critical alchemy.
Owusu’s work engages deeply with the dynamics of currency, symbolism, and material value, reflecting on systems of exchange that shape both local and global economies. By shifting the status of everyday materials into objects of contemplation, he invites audiences to reconsider how value is constructed and perceived. His inclusion within Art Dubai’s commissions programme situates an African perspective within a broader international dialogue, offering a nuanced engagement with themes that resonate far beyond geographical boundaries.
At the same time, his presence highlights a broader reality. Within a diverse roster that includes Khalid Al Banna, Hashel Al Lamki, Rashid Bin Shabib and Ahmed Bin Shabib, Rami Farook, Kevork Mourad, Neda Razavipour, and Sudarshan Shetty, African representation in the commissions remains limited. This contrast does not diminish the significance of Owusu’s inclusion; rather, it underscores the importance of expanding such representation in future editions. Africa is not an emerging presence—it is already an active and influential force within the global art ecosystem.
What becomes increasingly clear through this special edition is that African artists and galleries are not on the periphery of global conversations, but are actively shaping them. The growing visibility of African art within international fairs, institutions, and collections reflects a broader shift in the art world, one that recognises the depth, diversity, and significance of artistic production across the continent. Art Dubai, situated at the intersection of multiple cultural and economic networks, is uniquely positioned to engage with this shift in meaningful ways.
The strengthening cultural and economic ties between the UAE and African nations further reinforce this potential. As Gulf-based collectors and institutions continue to engage with African art, and as African galleries expand their international reach, opportunities for deeper collaboration and sustained exchange continue to grow. Within this context, the presence of galleries such as Galerie Atiss Dakar, GVCC, and Efie Gallery, alongside artists like Yaw Owusu, can be seen as part of a larger movement toward greater integration and visibility.
As Art Dubai looks toward the future, a deeper and more sustained engagement with African galleries, curators, and artists will not only enrich the fair but also reflect the realities of a rapidly evolving global art landscape. The foundations are already in place. The continued inclusion and expansion of African participation will not only strengthen the fair’s global relevance but affirm its openness to new voices, perspectives, and markets.
In this sense, the 20th edition of Art Dubai is both a reflection and a proposition. It reflects the progress that has been made in bringing diverse artistic practices into dialogue, while also pointing toward the work that remains. For African galleries and artists, the trajectory is clear—they are not only participating in the global art world, they are actively shaping its future.
