The Gulf region will host an exceptional range of contemporary art and design events from fairs to major museum shows, cementing the region as a hub for artistic production and home to numerous cultural centers.

Art Week, the umbrella programme that includes Design Days Dubai, SIKKA and Art Dubai, showcases the broad range of cultural events taking place across the UAE and beyond.

The initiative positions the Gulf – regionally and internationally – as a central meeting point, promoting creativity and debate. From expansive new museum projects in Doha to the thriving Dubai gallery scene, from one-off happenings, projects and installations to festivals and fairs, Art Week serves to demonstrate the dynamism and progressive spirit throughout the region’s cultural community.

Dubai Galleries’ Night on Monday, March 19 will see late-night openings for a host of stellar new exhibitions, complemented by performances by locally-based musicians, at more than 40 galleries across Dubai.

Five new galleries, including Fayez Barakat, Grey Noise, La Galerie Nationale, Showcase Gallery and FN Designs, will open their doors for the first time in Alserkal Avenue. Meanwhile, established galleries in Al Quoz and the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), such as Green Art Gallery, The Third Line, Lawrie Shabibi, Cuadro, Artspace and The Empty Quarter, among others, in addition to private collections such as the Salsali Private Museum and The Farjam Collection, will open major exhibitions of Arab, Iranian, South Asian and international contemporary art.

Design Days Dubai, the first fair in the Middle East entirely dedicated to limited edition and collectible design will open on Saturday, March 17 in a new location at the foot of Burj Khalifa.

Bringing a fresh dimension to the region’s arts and design scene, Design Days Dubai will showcase works of leading design galleries and the most innovative of designers from around the world. The fair will appeal to a broad public – from design connoisseurs, architects, design enthusiasts, and designers to students and graduates – looking for inspiration, and for exclusive designed objects for their homes and workspaces.

In 2012, Art Week also includes SIKKA in the Bastakiya cultural district, which will serve as a pathway to discover the works of UAE artists this March. An initiative by Dubai Culture & Arts Authority, SIKKA is an artist-led commissioning fair that aims to showcase the most compelling work being made across the UAE and features exclusive events such as live music performances, research areas, food gatherings and educational activities, as well as an open-studios exhibition by the artists in residence with A.i.R Dubai, the new collaborative programme run by Art Dubai, the Delfina Foundation, the Dubai Culture & Arts Authority (Dubai Culture), and Tashkeel.

The sixth edition of Art Dubai takes place March 21 – 24 at Madinat Jumeirah. This edition of the fair is the most diverse to date, featuring 75 galleries from 32 countries showing more than 500 artists, while Marker, the curated section gallery stands, turns its focus to the Indonesian art scene.

Art Dubai Projects involves over 40 artists and a host of commissioned projects, including live radio transmissions, a performance night, and a range of activities for families and children.

For other events happening in and around Dubai
this month check out What’s On in March