Latest news with #AftertheTechnologicalSublime
Gulf Business
15-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Gulf Business
Art Dubai Digital's Gonzalo Herrero Delicado on ‘rethinking art and tech'
Image: Supplied As technology continues to shape how we experience and interpret the world, Art Dubai Digital, launched in 2022, is a unique curated section of Art Dubai* that is dedicated to the pioneering artists, collectives, galleries and platforms influencing the digital art world today. Curated by Gonzalo Herrero Delicado, this year's edition explores the theme 'After the Technological Sublime' , offering a timely reflection on the power — and the consequences — of technological advancement through the lens of contemporary art. From large-scale installations fed by climate data to kinetic sculptures interpreting global energy use, Art Dubai Digital invites artists, collectors, and audiences to pause and reconsider not just the tools, but the questions they provoke. In this conversation, Delicado unpacks the curatorial vision behind the theme, shares insights into the evolution of the digital section, and highlights the galleries and projects redefining what it means to create and engage with digital art today. 'After the Technological Sublime' has been chosen as the theme for Art Dubai Digital 2025. Could you provide more insight into its significance and meaning? The concept of the sublime, originally revived from ancient Greek thought by European intellectuals in the 17th century, embraces the aesthetic of the exalted—the experience of witnessing the beauty of grand and dangerous nature. The technological sublime extends this idea, evoking awe and wonder, but also fear, in response to monumental technological innovations. It broadens the traditional notion of the sublime — once used to express amazement and fear toward vast natural forces — by including human-made creations. Today, artificial intelligence, quantum computing, robotics, and other technological advancements are progressing at an unprecedented pace. While they inspire admiration for human achievement, they can also feel overwhelming, as these systems often surpass our control and divert attention from pressing environmental, social, cultural, and political challenges. Art Dubai Digital 2025 invites visitors to explore how artists are using technology to address and interrogate these challenges. While technology may help meet future needs, what questions are artists asking of it today? This edition shifts the focus back to art and the critical questions it raises about our present, examining how technology as a medium can reflect the challenges facing society and the planet. How has Art Dubai Digital evolved since the first edition? Are there any major shifts in focus or presentation this year? Art Dubai was the first international fair to create a dedicated section for digital technologies and art. It remains a uniquely curated part of the fair, with a new guest curator invited each year. In its first edition, the section focused on the NFT boom, which sparked exponential interest in digital art. That emphasis feels less relevant this year, as the section now features a broader range of media, including videos, installations, sculptures, and even paintings —highlighting the richness and diversity of media art. One major development over the four years since the Digital section's inception is the launch of the Digital Summit in 2024. The summit was introduced to reflect on the themes emerging from the section and returns this year with a robust programme. It brings together some of the brightest minds leading conversations around art and digital technologies, with a particular emphasis on ecology. What also sets the digital section apart is the wide-ranging profile of its participants. Alongside traditional physical galleries from around the world, it includes digital galleries, collectives, and advisors — each playing a role in shaping the digital A new addition to this year's programme is a series of specially commissioned installations by different artists. Which key galleries are participating in Art Dubai Digital? What makes them noteworthy, and how does their participation enrich the overall programme? London-based returns to Art Dubai to celebrate its 10th anniversary, presenting works by CROSSLUCID, Primavera de Filippi, and Sougwen Chung. Also from London, TAEX makes a return with a distinctive selection of works by acclaimed artists Krista Kim, Alper Derinboğaz, and Tatsuru Arai. Among the new galleries I'm particularly excited to see are Sevil Dolmaci, featuring works by Fuse*, Can Büyükberber, and Sara Ludy; New York-based Nguyen Wahed, presenting Sarah Meyohas, Lu Yang, and FAR; and Danae from Paris, showcasing pieces by artist and musician Agoria, along with French digital artist Louis Paul Caron, whose contemplative scapes explore the tension and quiet response to the ongoing climate emergency. Will any Dubai-based galleries or artists be part of this year's Art Dubai Digital? We will feature a number of Dubai-based galleries showcasing compelling works by emerging artists. Mondoir Art Gallery, led by renowned collector Amir Soleymani, will present one of the largest booths in the section and will also debut his latest book, Fools & JPEGs , which explores NFTs and what went wrong. I'm especially excited about the booth from Koshta Collective and the opportunity to experience FLOWGARDENZ's media sculptures in person. Other participating Dubai galleries include Inloco Gallery, presenting a selection of stunning photographs by Filippo Minelli, and Espace, which will exhibit works that combine the sculptures of Andrés Anza with augmented reality. Image courtesy: FLOWGARDENZ Tell us more about the new digital installations that will debut at Art Dubai. One of the featured works is MotherEarth by Ouchhh Studio — the world's first sculpture to combine cross-continental, real-time climate change data with artificial intelligence (AI). This digital sculpture is connected to two others in Beijing and Mexico City, all of which display visuals generated from NASA's network of 20 climate-monitoring satellites. Another highlight is from New York-based kinetic artist BREAKFAST, who will debut Carbon Wake, a seven-meter-long kinetic installation. This dynamic piece blends AI, data visualisation, and motion-tracking mechanics, transforming real-time energy data from cities around the world into a responsive, ever-evolving sculpture. Image courtesy: Breakfast The third installation is a commission by Italian artist Jacopo Di Cera, supported by the digital art platform CIFRA. Titled Retreat, this four-meter-high structure is composed of cable bundles and more than 30 upcycled screens. It documents the rapid destruction of the Brenva glacier in the Italian Alps and prompts reflection on what will remain as nature disappears. Finally, there is AIM – Dream Machine by HX Collective, which uses AI to transform visitors' dreams into a kaleidoscopic visual experience. What are some of the most innovative media formats or experimental techniques we can look forward to in Art Dubai Digital 2025? We are going to see a lot of artificial intelligence applied across very different formats, particularly video, as well as in virtual environments and augmented reality. But this year, what matters most is not the latest technological developments applied to art — it's reflecting on the message these works are trying to convey and how they represent the turbulent times we live in. As Cedric Price said, 'Technology is the answer, but what was the question?' We are often captivated by the technology itself — especially when it intersects with art — and forget to ask what that technology, which is ultimately just another artistic medium, is actually trying to address. * Visit Art Dubai 2025, see details below Art Dubai, the Middle East's leading international art fair, opens next week at Madinat Jumeirah. The fair will present over 500 leading international and regional artists across 120 contemporary, modern and digital gallery presentations. The programme is drawn from more than 65 cities and 40 countries and is the region's largest and most important annual art event. Art Dubai is an important gateway for discovery, learning and exchange, and the gallery programme is complemented by an expansive programme of immersive and site-specific installations, daily live performances, talks and events. Dates & Timings VIP opening on Thursday, April 17 Public dates: Friday, April 18 – Sunday, April 20 Tickets available online and at the venue ○ One-day ticket: Dhs100 ○ Three-day ticket: Dhs200 Entry is free for children aged 18 and under, and for university students.
Arab News
14-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Arab News
Art Dubai to return for 18th edition with international lineup
DUBAI: Art Dubai — which is marking its 18th edition this year — is returning and brings together 120 galleries from across the Middle East, Asia, Europe and the Americas in what is expected to be one of the event's most multicultural programs yet. Taking place from April 18-20, the event will host a calendar of daily talks, book launches, tours and other attractions. For the latest updates, follow us on Instagram @ Its diverse program includes Art Dubai Modern, curated this year by Magali Arriola and Nada Shabout, and Art Dubai Digital by Gonzalo Herrero Delicado and Bawwaba — which means 'Gateway' — presenting 10 solo presentations by artists from various countries curated by Mirjam Varadinis and focusing on themes of migration, identity and displacement. The event's digital section, the first of its kind in an art fair, organized in partnership with Dubai Culture, highlights the rising influence of artificial intelligence and immersive technology in artistic creation. Installations by Hybrid Xperience, Breakfast, and Ouchhh Studio are featured, as well as 22 digital platforms from Dubai and internationally. Entitled 'After the Technological Sublime,' Delicado told Arab News that the theme aimed to provide 'an opportunity to rethink what sublime is today: the concept that we have inherited since the 17th century when explorers were going out to explore the world. Now we can contrast that moment with what we are living today in the age of information and social media.' In light of 30 new participating galleries from around the world, Pablo del Val, the event's artistic director, said: 'The really exciting aspect of this fair is the quality of the artworks. 'I think that this year you can see the maturity of the participants and really understand the vocabularies and the formats and the media that sell well in the city. 'There's also a lot of color. The works we are showing this year show the state of the world we are living in, from technological change to a desire for escapism.'
The National
05-03-2025
- Entertainment
- The National
What to expect at Art Dubai 2025: Digital work by Mohammed Kazem and AI-driven data sculptures
A digital commission by Emirati artist Mohammed Kazem and a series of performances and site-specific installations by Mexican artist Hector Zamora are among the highlights to expect at this year's Art Dubai. The fair will take place place at Madinat Jumeirah from April 18 to 20, with invitation-only previews on April 16 and 17. More than 120 exhibitors will be participating at the event. "For nearly two decades, Art Dubai has played two complementary roles, as the region's leading commercial art platform and as a unique institution that is rooted in and significantly contributes to the local cultural ecosystem,' says Pablo del Val, artistic director of Art Dubai. 'This year's programme continues this long-term approach, working in partnership with local institutions, business and government to create new opportunities for artists, and enhancing Dubai's reputation as a centre of innovation and thought leadership.' Art Dubai has now revealed the first details of its talk programme, as well as the commissioned works that will be revealed at the fair. Transformation is a focus of the Art Dubai Commissions programme this year. Zamora has interpreted this idea with sculptural pieces and group performances that interact with the terracotta objects. The artist will also unveil a site-specific installation at Alserkal Avenue. The work marks a new partnership between Art Dubai and Alserkal as the two organisations co-commission an artist whose practices are rooted in performance. A series of digital artworks, meanwhile, reflect on the theme: After the Technological Sublime. The works examine how technological advancements instill awe for human achievements, but they also evoke anxiety as the systems go beyond our control and distract us from vital environment, social, cultural and political challenges. Ouchhh Studio, for instance, will return to the fair to present MotherEarth. The AI-driven data sculpture transmutes raw climate data – such as air quality and CO2 emissions – into a sensory experience. Breakfast, a data artist living and working in New York, will exhibit Carbon Wake, a kinetic installation that is digitally controlled and makes use of real-time energy data collected from around the world to show the impact of individual choices. Other highlights include Retreat by Italian artist Jacopo Di Cera. The work underscores climate issues by showing the melting of the Brenva glacier in the Italian Alps in a four-metre-tall piece comprising more than 30 screens. Dubai's Hybrid Xperience, meanwhile, will give audiences a chance to visualise their dreams using AI technology. In Kahrabaa, Arabic for electricity, Ania Soliman presents a large-scale installation that was created in response to Beirut's ongoing energy crisis. Soliman, who has Egyptian, Polish and American backgrounds, presents her work on a five-metre-high canvas, which features technological and organic materials. Total Arts at the Courtyard will present Reconstructed Landscape, a work that brings together various found objects from UAE's mountains and urban environments into an imagined topology. Kazem will unveil a digital commission presented by Swiss wealth management company Julius Baer. The installation is titled Directions (Merging). The work places Dubai's co-ordinates in the centre of a walled, immersive space. The walls present a collection of static co-ordinates against a backdrop of rolling waves. The work touches upon resource exchange and the interconnectedness in the modern world, while also reflecting on Dubai's evolution as global hub. Piaget is also returning to the fair to present a commission by Kuwaiti artist Alymamah Rashed. The work will be in Rashed's idiosyncratic surrealist style and will be part of Piaget's exhibition Play of Shape, which will present boldly designed jewellery and watch collections. Art Dubai is also known for its talk programme. This year, its Global Art Forum will examine the ever-changing nature of the modern world and how it may instill uncertainty and anxiety about the future. The forum will be held under the title The New New Normal. Panels will tackle developments in quantum computing, artificial intelligence, gamified economics and cultural geopolitics. They will also look at beauty and luxury industries and the impact of social media on personal and political spaces. Cultural figures taking part will include architect Rem Koolhaas and artist Lawrence Abu Hamdan. The Digital Summit will also return for its second year. A part of Art Dubai Digital, the sessions will explore the theme After the Technological Sublime. The programme will be a platform to discuss how art and technology are meeting critical environmental, social, cultural and political issues. The Collector Talks will, on the other hand, explore whether the practice and motivation of collecting has shifted recently. The sessions will examine whether contemporary collectors have bolstered goals beyond personal gratification, and are now instead motivated by other drivers. Finally, Art Dubai's Modern Talks will also return. The programme has been a staple of the fair and is dedicated to promoting scholarship and highlighting art histories that have not had their due attention. The talks will explore cultural connections between West Asia, North Africa and Latin America. It delves into their shared experiences and explores how artists today are using heritage as a tool to reflect upon contemporary realities. Both Art Dubai's Collector and Modern Talks are presented in partnership with Dubai Collection, the city's institutional collection of modern and contemporary art. Other talks include a new Conversations with Artists series, which will highlight the processes of artists participating at the fair, and a conversation series by Huna – a food, art and culture platform – that will have leading cultural voices from the UAE discuss their lives and practices.
