This year, the Dubai World Trade Centre, one of the city's premier cultural destinations and modern lifestyle hubs, presents a unique collection of artistic creations from some of the world's leading artists and renowned galleries. The curated artistic experiences aim to connect culture with place and individuals, enhancing Dubai's status as a leading hub for exchange, dialogue, and community interaction. The centre pulsates with artworks, designs, and creative stories embodied throughout its premises. At the forefront is a rare Michelangelo drawing, currently on display at Christie's in the centre, offering visitors a glimpse into the creative vision of the famed Renaissance master. This creative work, executed in red chalk, is a preparatory drawing for the right foot of the Libyan Sibyl depicted on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, and is one of approximately ten Michelangelo drawings still in private hands. During the exhibition, held in the Old Master Drawings department at Christie's, Giada Damig, who documented this rediscovered art treasure, will be present. Contemporary Ukrainian artist Anna Chekh also returns to the Dubai World Trade Centre with her sculpture 'Shadow Horses,' a three-headed piece made of stainless steel and inspired by the United Arab Emirates. It embodies themes of motion, identity, and cultural dialogue. The work is showcased under the 'Dubai World Trade Centre Canvas' initiative, a regional social series dedicated to documenting art and exhibitions at the centre, strengthening Chekh's deep connection to this place where her artistic journey began with 'Shadowman' and continued through 'Art Nights' and the 'Sculpture Trail' exhibition at the Dubai World Trade Centre. Art lovers can view the Ukrainian artist's sculpture until next May on the Sculpture Trail at the Dubai World Trade Centre. Meanwhile, Russian artist Ruslan Gudiev continues his first Dubai exhibition, 'Shifted Diagonal,' until February 18, exploring concepts of form and movement over the long term, based on a significant work previously exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art in Moscow. This work tracks the evolution of the artist's visual language from the expressive abstractions he created in the late 1980s to the 'Abstract Compositions' series inspired by design and architecture over the past two decades. Among the most notable exhibited works is the 'Ancient Stones' (2025) series, a new graphic cycle reflecting his ongoing search for the linear line as a creative force. This collaboration underscores the Dubai World Trade Centre's growing cultural program and its role in attracting prominent international artists to the Middle East. The Michelangelo drawing is the first unregistered ceiling panel from the Sistine Chapel to be offered at public auction. Following its display at the Dubai World Trade Centre, which ends today, the masterpiece will be auctioned in New York next February, with a price estimate ranging from $1.5 to $2 million. 'Shadow Horses' is a three-headed stainless steel sculpture inspired by the UAE.
