The Art Newspaper's report on Dubai's new International Art Fairs Grant quotes our founder Maliha Tabari on what the fund means for Emirati artists.
Gareth Harris explains that the grant was launched by Dubai Culture and Arts Authority and is managed by Art Dubai. Galleries with a space in Dubai that represent Emirati artists, or artists based in Dubai for at least three years, can apply once they have been accepted to an international fair, and the grant supports up to half of their stand costs. Galleries may make one application a year.
The article gathers responses from Dubai Culture and from the city's galleries. Maliha Tabari, described as the founder of the gallery, says Emirati artists will benefit: "Fairs have long been skewed toward particular geographies, this fund is a push in the right direction, it shows that the UAE is an international player with its approach and we're optimistic about where it might lead." Her words are also pulled out as a highlighted quote in the piece.
The fund matters to a programme like ours, which takes Emirati and regional artists to fairs abroad. In the years since, Tabari has shown at Art Basel Qatar and Frieze Abu Dhabi, and works with Emirati artists including Hashel Al Lamki, Maitha Abdalla, Almaha Jaralla and Zeinab AlHashemi.