• For the 2023 edition, Julius Baer lounge at Art Dubai will feature a commission by new media artist Refik Anadol as a part of the Bank’s global initiative ‘NEXT’, designed to encourage the interdisciplinary exploration of megatrends across the arts, science, and technology.

Dubai – Julius Baer, lead partner of Art Dubai since 2015, announced the renewal of its collaboration for five more years until 2027. The Swiss wealth management group has partnered with Art Dubai - the leading art fair for the Middle East and Global South as a part of its long-term commitment to supporting the UAE’s emergence as a cultural hub in the region. It also highlights Julius Baer’s belief in the regional art scene, which continues to expand and attract further interest from the global art community. Art Dubai will take place from 1 – 5 March 2023 at Madinat Jumeirah.

Julius Baer globally will launch its new project ‘NEXT’: Placing its focus on megatrends which affect society at large, the initiative is designed to support the collaboration with forward-thinking creatives and institutions committed to new forms of cultural production and are at the vanguard of scientific research and technological development. It demonstrates how science, technology, and the arts interact to create new perspectives and provides a reflection of the changing priorities in our society.

For the initiative’s first project, Julius Baer commissioned Refik Anadol, internationally renowned media artist, director and pioneer in the aesthetics of data and machine intelligence - with the creation of an immersive experience that will be unveiled over several locations and launch at next year’s Art Dubai. The artist was appointed by a dedicated curatorial board, advised by the artistic director of the Serpentine Hans-Ulrich Obrist.

Régis Burger, Global Head Middle East & Africa at Julius Baer said: “We are pleased to further extend our long-term partnership with Art Dubai as it drives meaningful engagement with the region’s rich cultural heritage and contemporary art practices. The art fair is an important talent incubator, which encourages positive cultural exchange, and we are thrilled to be partners in this journey. We are also proud that Refik Anadol’s artwork for Julius Baer will be showcased for the very first time at Art Dubai as a part of the NEXT initiative – a great example of the bank’s long-established tradition and heritage to foster the culture of tomorrow.”

Alireza Valizadeh, Chief Executive Officer, Julius Baer (Middle East) added: “For us at Julius Baer, promoting arts is like a social responsibility and is one of the reasons we entered into a partnership with Art Dubai. The UAE is a core strategic market for us, and the collaboration is a testament of our commitment to the country. While we are proud of our Art Collection spanning over 40 years supporting emerging Swiss contemporary artists, we also embody this spirit at the local level through Art Dubai making an impact on the communities we live and work in.”

Benedetta Ghione, Executive Director, Art Dubai commented: “We are delighted that our long-term partnership with Julius Baer will continue into a second decade. Their commitment to the development and growth of the cultural scene in Dubai has been nothing short of transformative, providing the next generation of the region’s artists with incredible opportunities and support. Refik Anadol represents the way in which the next generation of artists are working with cutting edge technologies to create truly memorable and immersive art experiences, and we are thrilled to debut Refik’s new work for Julius Baer at Art Dubai.”

-Ends-

About Julius Baer

Julius Baer is the leading Swiss wealth management group and a premium brand in this global sector, with a focus on servicing and advising sophisticated private clients. In all we do, we are inspired by our purpose: creating value beyond wealth. At the end of October 2022, assets under management amounted to CHF 429 billion. Bank Julius Baer & Co. Ltd., the renowned Swiss private bank with origins dating back to 1890, is the principal operating company of Julius Baer Group Ltd., whose shares are listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange (ticker symbol: BAER) and are included in the Swiss Leader Index (SLI), comprising the 30 largest and most liquid Swiss stocks.

Julius Baer is present in over 25 countries and around 60 locations. Headquartered in Zurich, we have offices in key locations including Bangkok, Dubai, Dublin, Frankfurt, Geneva, Hong Kong, London, Luxembourg, Madrid, Mexico City, Milan, Monaco, Mumbai, Santiago de Chile, São Paulo, Shanghai, Singapore, Tel Aviv and Tokyo. Our client-centric approach, our objective advice based on the Julius Baer open product platform, our solid financial base and our entrepreneurial management culture make us the international reference in wealth management.

For more information visit our website at www.juliusbaer.com

About the Serpentine

Championing new ideas in contemporary art since 1970, Serpentine has presented pioneering exhibi-tions for half a century from a wide range of emerging practitioners to the most internationally recog-nised artists of our time.

Across two sites only 5 minutes apart, in London’s Kensington Gardens, the Serpentine presents a year-round, free programme of exhibitions, architecture, education, live events and technological innova-tion, in the park and beyond.

Proud to maintain free access for all visitors, thanks to its unique location the Serpentine also reaches an exceptionally broad audience and maintains a deep connection with its local community.

About Refik Anadol

Refik Anadol (b. 1985, Istanbul, Turkey) is a media artist, director, and pioneer in the aesthetics of data and machine intelligence. His 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 visualiza-tions 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.

About Art Dubai

Founded in 2007, Art Dubai is the premier platform to see and buy modern and contemporary art from the Global South. Across its Contemporary, Modern and Digital gallery sections, annual artist commissions and year-round collector and education programmes, Art Dubai champions art and artists from across the Global South, providing a relevant and increasingly important alternative to mainstream, largely Western-led narratives. 

The leading global platform for art and artists from the Middle East and Global South, Art Dubai’s 16th edition will present over 120 participants from more than 40 countries and six continents across four gallery sections: Contemporary, Modern, Bawwaba and Art Dubai Digital. The gallery programme is complemented by newly commissioned artworks by the region’s leading artists, and an extensive and multidisciplinary talks and education programme.