After the departure of Director Myrna Ayad, a duo is now in control of the event: Pablo de Val (Artistic Director) and Chloe Vaitsou (International Director). The partnership with the Abraaj Group - in liquidation - has also come to an end, along with the prestigious Abraaj Prize. New to this edition is the Bawwaba section (meaning 'gateway' in Arabic), which will feature 10 solo shows of works created in the past year, under the direction of Élise Antagana.
Of the 92 galleries from 42 different countries, here is a selection:
Contemporary | Farshad Farzankia at the Andersen Gallery booth
Born in 1980 in Tehran, Farshad Farzankia grew up in Copenhagen. His work consists of acrylic painting, mixed media sculptures, and installations.
image: Time-Glass #3 (2018), Acrylic oil stick on canvas | Courtesy: Farshad Farzankia and Andersen's, Copenhagen
Bawwaba | Gözde İlkin, presented by Gypsum Gallery
Based in Istanbul, Gözde İlkin (b.1981) mainly works with fabric which is salvaged, reworked and painted. The artist "constructs forms of confrontational interactions that tend to manipulate borders, gender dynamics and ferocious urban transformations".
image: Local Stranger (2018), Stitching on found fabric, Courtesy: The artist and Gypsum Gallery
Bawwaba | Wanja Kimani, presented by Guzo Art Projects
Born in Kenya, 1986, Wanja Kimani fills the booth with video, sculpture and textiles; "the work reflects on ideas of authorship and ownership, trauma and rehabilitation in relation to the construction and performativity of the black female body".
image: Venus and I (2019) Resin, iron and paper
Contemporary | Astrid Klein at the Sprueth Magers booth
For its first time at the fair, the German gallery will be presenting the work of the artist born in 1951.
image: Endzeitgefuhle (1983). Courtesy of the artist and SPRÜTH MAGERS
Contemporary | Heba Amin at the Zilberman Gallery booth
Born in Cairo, 1983, Heba Amin questions the "modes of development and construction within a political context and looks at contested territory through junctures, glitches and flawed memory".
image: Heba Y. Amin, The Master’s Tools I (restaging of Herman Soergel’s portrait) (2018), Archival B/W print - Courtesy: Artist and Zilberman Gallery
Residents | Luis E. López-Chávez at the Servando gallery booth
Born in Cuba, 1988, Luis E. López-Chávez will be presenting his work named La Educacion Sentimental, which harks back to the years of hardship in the 1990s when teachers would use pieces of rock found on the street instead of chalk. The public can interact with and leave a message on the blackboard with the help of little statuettes.
image: Luis E. López-Chávez, La educación sentimental (2017), Mixed Courtesy: The artist
