Contemporary Design and Craft Market returns to World Art Dubai
Art fans can soak up The Ripe Market’s unique selection of lifestyle gifts, arts, crafts, furniture and more at Dubai’s most accessible and affordable art fair
Art fans making a beeline for the impressive collection of more than 3,000 paintings, prints, sculptures and photographs ranging from USD100 to USD20,000 on show at the third season of World Art Dubai, which runs 12 – 15 April at Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC), can also experience the best creations of the UAE’s cottage industry craftspeople at the Ripe Craft Market.
An innovative addition to the accessible World Art Dubai fair concept, Ripe Craft Market will feature an expansive array of stalls selling everything from kitsch lifestyle gifts, arts, crafts and furniture to unique fashion and jewellery finds. Plus, with the internationally popular organic eating trend engulfing Dubai, The Ripe Organic Stand will also be setting up shop, so visitors can stock their refrigerator with the city’s healthiest eats.
Dubai’s Ripe Market has quickly become the platform for hundreds of local artisans and start-ups to come together, and World Art Dubai offers art lovers the ideal setting to soak up the sunshine and browse the market in a relaxed festival vibe. What’s more, clientele will be sure to find an ideal add-on purchase to those unique pieces of art sourced from all around the world.
Open from 2pm – 9pm on Friday 14th and Saturday 15th April, the buzzing market venue will play host to a diverse selection of local traders and will be brimming with cool lifestyle concepts and handmade products. In keeping with the aim of World Art Dubai, the accessible market will help to banish the stigma of elitism from art, introducing it as affordable luxury rather than limiting to a certain niche.
“We’re extremely excited to be back at World Art Dubai this year,” says Becky Balderstone, Founder of Ripe. “The one-of-a-kind fair attracts Dubai’s vibrant and ever-growing creative community, and our unique market offers the ideal setting for them to come and get their hands on cool lifestyle concepts and handmade products from a number of local businesses. What’s more, our Ripe Organic stand is back, so guests can go home with fresh organic fruits and vegetables, too.”
As part of its all-new The Art Of… Masterclass Series, World Art Dubai has also teamed up with experts at Forever Rose, who will host a The Art Of…Flower Arranging workshop, while the Ali Al Mulla Group will create a mini Oud laboratory where visitors can mix and match different oils to fashion their own magical fragrance in The Art Of…Perfume-making with Areej al Ameerat. French beauty giant Lancôme will also be on site, hosting it’s The Art Of…Makeup masterclass with regional makeup artist Salma El Saadany. She’ll be demonstrating art on lips, while showing beauty buffs how to create four hot looks with their new Mattw Shaker collection.
Returning for a third consecutive year, the event’s outdoor area – The Yard – will host an Art Installation Zone featuring local and international artists conducting live artistic demonstrations on how to transform the perception of a space and its usage. Those who fancy getting their hands dirty can do so at an exciting activation with Mini Cooper who will be placing three classic cars at the outdoor plaza. While one will be complete with a unique finished graffiti design and another will be drawn on by artists on site, the third will act as a canvas for visitors who can leave their own mark on the iconic set of wheels.
The third addition of World Art Dubai aims to provide a professionally curated and budget-conscious platform for the UAE’s international community of passionate art collectors, first-time buyers and the simply curious to experience affordable works from across the global art scene.
Part of Dubai Art Season – the month-long initiative overseen by Dubai Culture & Arts Authority – World Art Dubai will house free and informal talks on everything from buying art to photography techniques in The Blah Blah Lounge, while hands-on workshops will allow the creatively-minded to dip their toes into a more interactive and immersive experience.
Entry to World Art Dubai is AED15 for tickets purchased online and AED20 for tickets purchased onsite at the fair’s welcome desks. Show timings are 6pm-9pm on 12 April and 2pm-9pm on 13, 14 and 15 April. Children of 16 years and under are admitted free of charge, upon showing a student ID. More information and pre-registration is available at the website, www.worldartdubai.com