Fourth edition of ArtBAB opens

The fourth edition of ArtBAB opened yesterday at the Bahrain International Exhibitions and Convention Centre (BIECC). Her Royal Highness Princess Sabeeka bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa, Wife of His Majesty the King and Supreme Council for Women (SCW) President deputised Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities (BACA) President Shaikha Mai bint Mohammed Al Khalifa to inaugurate the 2019 edition, scheduled to run until March 10. 

BACA President extended deepest thanks to HRH Princess Sabeeka bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa, hailing her keen support to Bahraini artists, stressing the importance of  ArtBAB in opening horizons for them to showcase their artworks in famed galleries all over the world. 

“These exhibitions represent an opportunity to highlight the work of the Bahraini artist, which is characterised by modernity and creativity. It is an annual gathering where artists meet with their counterparts from different countries to learn about new experiences and different trends that can add much to the distinguished Bahraini experience in the field of art,” she said. 

Shaikha Maram bint Isa Al Khalifa, Director of the Office of HRH Wife of HM the King, stressed the importance of hosting such events in Bahrain, which support national efforts to promote Bahrain as an attractive cultural and artistic hub in the region. 

She commended the Labour Fund (Tamkeen) for supporting the ArtBAB, annually held in March in Kingdom of Bahrain, in addition to holding other international artistic events and participating in renowned art exhibitions in the world. Fairs and Programme Director, Kaneka Subberwal said, “We are excited about the return of our showcase of Bahraini artists BAAB which has attracted over 100 artists this year.

Moreover, we are delighted to announce that ArtBAB has signed a MoU with the organisers of the prestigious La Paris Biennale which will see Bahrain taking centre stage as the only invited country at the French art fair. The Paris Biennale runs from Friday September 13 to Tuesday 17 September 2019.”  “We are proud to announce the next step in our exhilarating journey in taking Bahraini contemporary art across borders and to the world.

According to the agreement, the Biennale shall feature a central Pavilion that will showcase over 100 works of Bahraini artists. This Pavilion shall be conceived and curated by me and Art Select Programme Manager Tasneem Al Shuroughi, in collaboration with a curatorial team from Paris. We shall also exhibit artefacts and collectables from our newly-launched crafts showcase, The Bahrain Room.”

“Moreover, our Virtual Corner at ArtBAB 2019 truly takes the art experience beyond borders; the public will be able to have three different VR experiences using Vive Pro Headsets and literally ‘touch’ celebrated contemporary Chinese art collections, 17th century Dutch and Flemish masterpieces as well as millennial VR artwork where ArtBAB will take visitors beyond the canvases of the gifted artists of Bahrain and the gallerists who bring some of the famous contemporary artworks to showcase at the fair and take them not just across borders but across time-frames too,” Kaneka added.