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We went to Dubai’s Bastakiya Art Fair 2009 and caught some of the excitement and energy of opening night. It’s supposed to the local, “fringe” art fair compared to the internationalism of Art Dubai. The fair took place in and around the historic houses of Bastakiya. The artists and galleries featured here include Julia Townsend, Maya Pottenkulam, B21, Khatt Foundation, Tashkeel, The Third Line, XVA, and others.

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Did it live up to the buzz? The winners of the Abraaj Capital Art Prize 2009 were revealed way back in November. But since it has the notoriety of being the world’s richest art prize, offering a cool $1 million to winners, there was a presentation ceremony and lots of photo ops at Art Dubai. If you’re feeling lucky, enter your art for next year.

B-B-B-B-Bad art to the bone?

More than a few attendees said the economic crisis was not affecting the art market, but maybe they were being as effusive as their champagne. Gallerists have been publicly saying sales are strong and that collectors are better educated about contemporary art than ever before.

The crowd was moneyed and excited about the eye catching and commercial art. Potential collectors ran their polished fingernails over the polished art like Valay Shende’s life-size herd of golden water buffalo at the Shakshi Gallery space. Did the art lose some of its luster, because the next day signs popped up everywhere: please do not touch the artwork.

It’s finally here! We’ve been waiting for Art Dubai for a long time. We got sneak peeks and skinned knees trying to get the sheik on camera, so check here for video updates.

If you have $10k lying around, the Oakland Museum of California’s Art Guild is offering an art and culture trip: Jordan and Dubai: Contrasting Arab Worlds. The Jordan leg of the trip will cover Petra and an ancient Roman city. In Dubai they’ll “see the many faces of the UAE and experience its emphasis on preserving traditional heritage while supporting its unparalleled growth and glittering development!” Visits to the Dubai Museum, the Palm Island, and Art Dubai are scheduled. Compare and contrast. Marvel and marvelous. Check out the pdf brochure here.