We are pleased to announce that the leading Swiss wealth management group Julius Baer has renewed its position as lead partner of Art Dubai until 2027, taking a partnership that began in 2015 into a second decade. 

Part of Julius Baer’s long-term commitment to supporting the UAE’s emergence as a cultural hub, the commitment highlights Julius Baer’s belief in the regional art scene, which continues to expand and attract further interest from the global art community. 

Globally, Julius Baer has launched its new initiative “NEXT”, which is designed to support collaboration with forward-thinking creatives and institutions, and demonstrate how science, technology and art interact to create new perspectives. The inaugural commission will be a new immersive experience by Refik Anadol, a new-media artist and pioneer in the aesthetics of data machine intelligence. Anadol was appointed by a dedicated curatorial board, advised by Hans Ulrich Obrist, the artistic director of the Serpentine Galleries and the new work will debut at Art Dubai before traveling internationally. 

Benedetta Ghione, Executive Director at Art Dubai comments that “Refik Anadol represents the way in which the next generation of artists are working with cutting-edge technologies to create truly memorable and immersive experiences.” Regis Burger, Global Head Middle East & Africa at Julius Baer adds that Art Dubai is “an important talent incubator, which encourages positive cultural exchange” and “drives meaningful engagement with the region’s rich cultural heritage and contemporary art practices.” 

Refik Anadol’s body of work locates creativity at the intersection of humans and machines. In taking the data that flows around us as the primary material and the neural network of a computerized mind as a collaborator, Anadol paints with a thinking brush, offering us radical visualizations of our digitized memories and expanding the possibilities of architecture, narrative, and the body in motion. Anadol’s site-specific AI data sculptures, live audio/visual performances, and immersive installations take many forms, while encouraging us to rethink our engagement with the physical world, its temporal and spatial dimensions, and the creative potential of machines. 

Refik Anadol’s digital art commission will be presented at Julius Baer’s lounge at Art Dubai from 1 to 5 March 2023.