Larry Gagosian Bullish on Abu Dhabi. From his interview in The National.

Abu Dhabi Art, which runs until Sunday, is only the latest plank of the Emirate's strategy to position itself as a global art capital.

"By bringing together a wealth of modern and contemporary art exhibitions, design events, engaging live programmes and more, drawn from our own region and from around the world, Abu Dhabi Art creates a modern-day equivalent of the cultural and intellectual exchanges of the ancient Silk Road," says Sheikh Sultan bin Tahnoon Al Nahyan, Chairman of Tourism Development and Investment Company and Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage, joint organisers of the event.

At the core of Abu Dhabi Art is a new-model boutique-style art fair held in the Emirates Palace, featuring an exclusive selection of 50 art galleries from 19 countries representing the Middle East, Asia, Europe and the United States, many of which have never before exhibited in the region. Paintings, sculpture, photography, works on paper and video installations as well as book signings, lectures and workshops are all part of the event.

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