Following Iranian missile and drone strikes in the Middle East that began over the weekend Feburary 28th, several art spaces across the region have temporarily closed. These include galleries, museums, foundations, and other institutions across the United Arab Emirates (U.A.E), Qatar, and Bahrain.
On February 28th, the United States and Israel carried out lethal airstrikes on Iran, prompting Tehran to respond with missile attacks aimed at locations across the Arabian Gulf. The U.A.E., Bahrain, Jordan, Qatar, and Kuwait intercepted several of the incoming missiles, according to CNBC.
In the U.A.E., citizens, residents, and visitors have been advised to stay home and seek shelter as of March 1st. Institutions, including the Jameel Arts Centre in Dubai, the Sharjah Art Museum, the Louvre Abu Dhabi, and the NYU Abu Dhabi, have closed, while the Sharjah Art Foundation has suspended tours.
In a statement shared with The Art Newspaper, Jameel Arts Centre’s director Antonia Carver said that the museum said the decision to close was guided by its internal crisis response group and a set of “tied protocols.”
“The situation is fluid, and we're following the—clear and regular—advice of the UAE government as to next steps,” she said.
Commercial galleries in Dubai have also shuttered. These include Alserkal Avenue galleries such as Leila Heller, Firetti Contemporary, and Taymour Grahne Projects, as well as Perrotin, which is based in the Dubai International Financial Centre. “Due to recent events, and as the safety of our visitors and team remains our top priority, the gallery in Dubai will stay closed until further notice,” the gallery shared in a statement on Instagram on March 2nd. They noted that their upcoming exhibition, “Monira Al Qadiri: Altered States,” has been postponed.
Meanwhile, in Qatar, the Museum of Islamic Art and the National Museum of Qatar are also closed until further notice, alongside all museums, galleries, heritage sites, and creative hubs. The news was announced by the governmental body Qatar Museums in a post on X.
On the same day, the Bahrain Authority for Culture & Antiquities also announced that all of their sites, including the Bahrain National Museum and Bahrain National Theatre, would be closed.
At the time of publication, the art fair Art Dubai is scheduled to continue as planned from April 17th through the 19th at Madinat Jumeirah. This year will mark the 20th anniversary of the fair, which anchors the events of Dubai Art Week. A spokesperson for the fair shared with The Art Newspaper that “While recent developments are not what anyone hoped for, we fully expect this period of uncertainty to pass soon, and in the meantime, we are continuing preparations for the fair as planned, whilst monitoring the situation closely with our stakeholders.”
