DIFC Art Galleries

Dubai International Finance Centre (usually called DIFC) is a free zone for international finance. Designed as a ‘city within a city’ providing business and lifestyle facilities, including art galleries which are located in an outdoor space named: the Gate Village.

This Syrian gallery is an extension of the larger Ayyam Art Center in Al Serkal Avenue. The DIFC gallery is used mostly for solo shows of major Arab artists, such as (recently) Oussama Diab and Khaled Takreti. See the entry under Alserkal Avenue for more information about the gallery.

T: +971 4 439 2395
E: difc@ayyamgallery.com
W: Ayyam Galleries
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Art Sawa specializes in contemporary Arab art. The founder, Amel Makkani, moved from collecting with her husband to opening an art gallery in Al Quoz in 2008. Like Ayyam, in 2011 a branch was opened in DIFC where the gallery’s commercial activities are concentrated, while the hangar in Al Quoz is used for art community activities (including contemporary dance workshops), larger exhibitions and storage of her collection.

T: +971 4 340 8660
E: info@artsawa.com
W: Art Sawa Gallery
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This gallery is the initiative of Al Shroogi banking family from Bahrain. The revenue made by the gallery’s sales is reinvested in hosting resident artists in studio spaces underneath the gallery and educational activities for both the gallery’s artists and its public. Cuadro, being the first gallery to establish itself in DIFC (in 2008), has thus never ceased to invigorate and professionalize Dubai’s art world. The gigantic gallery space can hold 3 to 4 exhibitions at once.

T: +971 4 425 0400
E: info@cuadroart.com
W: www.cuadroart.com
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Established in 2003, XVA is one of the leading galleries in the Middle East that specializes in contemporary art from the Arab world, Iran and the Subcontinent. XVA Gallery and XVA Art Hotel are located in Dubai’s heritage district, now called Al Fahidi Neighborhood. In 2011 XVA Gallery moved to DIFC. The XVA Art Hotel serves as an annex gallery for curated exhibitions and participates in the Sikka Art Fair.

T: +971 4 358 5117
E: xva@xvagallery.com
W: www.xvagallery.com
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Dr. Farhad Farjam is one of Dubai’s most prominent collectors. His collection consists mainly of Islamic art, but includes iconic works of some of the Middle East’s most prominent artists such as Farhad Moshiri, Mona Hatoum, Parviz Tanavoli, Charles Hossein Zenderoudi, Safwan Dahoul and others. The Farjam collection’s international art collection is also impressive, including works by Basquiat, Gerhard Richter, Andreas Gursky and many others. Being an art patron of note (having supported for example the creation of Bidoun Magazine), Dr. Farjam established the venue in DIFC in 2009 to allow the public to learn about art, with themed exhibitions from the collection accompanied by educational programs for children and adults, guided tours and art talks.

T: +971 4 323 0303
E: info@farjamcollection.org
W: www.farjamcollection.org
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The Empty Quarter is Dubai’s first photography gallery. Established in 2009 by Saudi artists/photographers Reem Al Faisal and Lulwah Al Humoud.

T: +971 4 323 1210
E: info@theemptyquarter.com
W: www.theemptyquarter.com
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Opera is an international gallery with branches in London, Paris, New York, Hong Kong, Singapore etc. There are two branches in Dubai: one in DIFC and the other in Dubai Mall. Opera specializes in international masters, from Auguste Rodin to Mr. Brainwash via Roy Liechtenstein and Damien Hirst.

T: +971 4 323 0909
E: dubai@operagallery.com
W: www.operagallery.com
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The Rira Gallery opened in 2012. Rira is specialized in contemporary Iranian art.

T: +971 4 369 9339
E: info@riragallery.com
W: riragallery.com
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Christie’s set up shop in Dubai in 2006, at a time when few experts believed in the potential of the local art market. Their foresight was amply rewarded over the following years; since opening Christie’s Dubai has had total sales exceeding 200 million USD. Christie’s has become an influential player on the market, especially by setting values for regional artworks, and thus of the regional contemporary art market as a whole.

T: +971 4 425 5647
W: www.christies.com
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Information found on: gulfartguide.com