The best thing about being located in the middle of Dubai’s Art Hub? Having the best art galleries and exhibitions right at your doorstep. Whether you’re an art fanatic, an amateur, or just looking for something to do, at Four Seasons Hotel Dubai International Financial Centre we have prepared a list of the five best galleries for you to visit. It’s time: put your phone down, grab your Monet and let’s Gogh!
- Empty Quarter
This gallery is the first of its kind in the region: a gallery solely devoted to photography. Co-founded by Saudi Arabian Princess HRH Reem Al-Faisal and Safa Al-Hamed, The Empty Quarter showcases an eye-pleasing selection of fine art, abstract, photo-journalism and street photography from all over the world.
The exhibitions include some of the works of renowned photographers such as award-winning Steve McCurry, Bruno Barbey and Marc Riboud, as well as young, emerging artists who have taken a liking to photography.
- The Empty Quarter is open from 10:00 am to 7:00 pm on weekdays and is located in Gate Village 02. We invite you to come and adjust your focus on their beautiful photography.
- The Farjam Foundation
Up next: a whole lot of installations and abstract work. If these are things you enjoy, The Farjam Foundation is a must for your visit in DIFC. Not only is it a modern and contemporary exhibition space with fun, eccentric works for you to admire, it is also a foundation that hosts tours and specialised programs with local universities and institutions to teach their audience about cultural differences in the Middle East.
Being a non-profit and non-governmental organisation, The Farjam Foundation’s aim is to create a diverse exhibition filled with colours, materials and nationalities of the artists they showcase. Some of these include Farhad Moshiri and Ahmed Moustafa, or if more European abstract work is what you strive to see, you can also find Henri Matisse and Gerhard Richter.
- Wander around the gallery and discover art mediums and artists you’ve never seen before at Gate Village, Building 10 on Sundays to Thursdays from 10:00 am to 8:00 pm.
- Opera Gallery
If you know your art galleries, you’ve definitely heard of Opera Gallery. Located all around the world in prime locations such as New York, London, Monaco, and Miami, Opera Gallery is one of the leading dealers and representatives of modern and contemporary art, and can be seen in our very own neighbourhood in DIFC.
Alongside its permanent exhibitions of well-known contemporary artworks such as those of Blek Le Rat and The London Police through collaborations with museums and other art centres in the world, the gallery puts on specific shows throughout the year. Some of these have included Warhol and Basquiat in Geneva and Picasso in Singapore, to name a few. Keep a close lookout and who knows, maybe the next one will be in Dubai?
Discover Opera’s pieces at Gate Village 03, between meals, as an afternoon activity, or if you’re just in need of a quick source of inspiration. The opening hours are the following:
- Sunday – Wednesday: 10:00 am – 10:00 pm
- Thursday: 10:00 am – 12:00 midnight
- Friday: 2:00–9:00 pm
- Saturday: 11:00 am – 9:00 pm
- Tabari Gallery
In the mood to learn more about the local culture? Tabari Gallery displays only Middle Eastern art, in the aims of sharing cultures, values and emotions of this part of the world to a more global audience. The gallery was established in 2003 and the name “Tabari” is a term coined to highlight the notions of borders, places and identities for greater cultural understanding.
Some of the artists exhibited include Middle Eastern artists such as Mohamed Abla, Hussein Madi, Samah Shihadi and works from Naqsh Collective. Our personal favourite? Michael Halak’s orange piece named Collision, hidden behind the gallery’s stairwell.
- Discover Tabari Artspace, located at Gate Village 03, Level 2 and open from Sunday to Thursday from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm. Join us and immerse yourself in a spectrum of cultures.
- Sconci Gallery
Last but not least, is Sconci Gallery, known for offering its audience a wide range of art mediums from the seventeenth century and onwards. Founded in 1977 in Rome, the Sconci Family have taken on UAE as their second home, with already two galleries in Dubai, one in DIFC and the other in Dubai Design District.
The mix of modern and contemporary art it presents includes some of the works of Picasso, Andy Warhol, GUMM, Mr. Brainwash and many, many more. Some of the artworks can be purchased and for each piece that is sold, it is additionally accompanied by a certificate of authenticity for its lucky new owners to keep record of.
- The gallery is a mix of vibrant colours, culture and textures located right in the middle of DIFC at Gate Village 03. Sconci Gallery is open from 10:00 am to 11:30 pm on weekdays and from 11:00 am to 11:30 pm on weekends. Visit and be visually inspired. We’re sure you’ll Louvre it!
