GALLERIES SPECIAL U U U a a e e Some have relocated, others have been renamed. Several encompass huge spaces, whilst a few are small and intimate. DIFC is home to some, Al-Quoz to others. A handful have been around for years but several are very new in town. A couple are strictly not-for-profit, but most are commercial. Many focus only on Middle Eastern art, whereas a handful are truly international. Wherever and whatever they do, these 27 galleries make up the backbone of UAE’s thriving art scene. 126 I t feels just like yesterday that I landed in the UAE to take part in an architectural com- petition. That was 1978. I came back in 1980 to start my career as an architect and town planner. My love for art and my long association with the New York City art scene (which I had just left behind) led me to join the Dubai Art Centre (DAC), the only art or- ganisation at the time which offered a glimpse of the New York world that I’d indulged in. I taught several photography and architectural courses and held the position of Chairman of the Photography Group at DAC for seven years. For a very long time, DAC was the only art community centre in the city offering art classes, with a gallery devoted to students and local artists, many of whom were expatriates. DAC was influential in sowing and nurturing the seeds of culture among the various layers of society. It wasn’t too long afterwards that the first galleries – such as Majlis and, later, Green Art – were established and started to represent select artists. A lack of large gallery spaces resulted in the exhibition of works in multipurpose halls such as ho- tel ballrooms and lobbies. Artworks were dominated by traditional styles and subjects, which mostly revolved around camels, the desert, wind-towers and coffee pots. It was the slow progression of art which encouraged me to institute a dedicated space – an alternative – to alleviate the situation, and so Total Arts Gallery was established in 1996. I took my dream and contribution to art and culture in the UAE to yet another level when I com- pleted designing and building The Courtyard structure in Al-Quoz as a space dedicated to art and architecture. For its opening in March 1998, and in association with other members of The Courtyard community, we organised the first truly international art exhibition in Dubai, displaying works by masters such as Miró, Du Buffet, Renoir and many more. It was an honour for us that His Highness General Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al-Maktoum (who was Crown Prince of Dubai at the time), inaugurated the building and the exhibition. A month later, Total Arts Gallery staged the first suc- cessful 12-artist Contemporary Iranian art exhibition. Since then, we have become not only a plat- form for Iranian artists of various disciplines but also an organisation that seeks to find and expose the new generation of artists worldwide. Besides art exhibitions, The Courtyard is also a venue for other artistic genres including music, film, lectures and cultural shows. It was only in the mid-2000s that art in the UAE was taken to another level, a development that coincided with Dubai’s real estate boom. Together with the power of Dubai’s great PR machine, the surge in property values attracted all types of art-related developments and proposals for art or- ganisations, auction houses, exhibition spaces and museums began pouring in. Meanwhile, the easy availability of cash paved the way for investors to acquire art in greater numbers than ever before. A phenomenon occurred in which the intense competition and heightened demand for pieces by a select number of artists prompted prices to rocket skywards. Artworks – especially those by re- gional artists which had been generally affordable – were suddenly out of the price range of all but the few. Auction results not only set new and exaggerated price levels but also served to establish In less than 30 years, the UAE art arena has gone from humble beginnings to its current position as one of the major players in the Middle East. Dariush Zandi , one of the local scene’s stalwart figures, looks at the dramatic progress made so far and sees rewarding times ahead. UAE GALLERIES SPECIAL 127 the reputation and ‘value’ of artists. Meanwhile, the emerging galleries in zones like Al-Quoz and DIFC functioned as art spaces, fulfilling the role that larger organisations and museums would otherwise have played. Like everything else in the UAE, the art scene has gone through dramatic changes in quality, quantity and variety in the last few years. New art organisations have appeared and will hope- fully continue to flourish. An increasing number of publications – only a few of which are of high quality, I might add – have appeared, covering various forms and genres of art. More people vis- it art exhibitions and the influence of art in peo- ple’s lives is becoming more noticeable. Where art was once acquired for decorative purposes, it is now bought for its artistic value. The culture of investing in art is also growing. Terms like ‘art col- lection’ and ‘art collector’ are a recent phenom- enon here but are increasing in number. Art is also now considered an alternative and prestig- ious field for investment purposes, with auction results and the establishment of auction houses in the UAE affirming this. Meanwhile, the local art scene has been growing steadily, with both male and female artists establishing their own standing in the UAE and on the international stage. As a gallery, Total Arts is proud to have been associated with them. Some regional artists are now considered ‘stars’ internationally, their works acquired by numerous public and private collections and shown in exhibitions alongside those by their Western counterparts. The Art Dubai and Abu Dhabi Art fairs, as well as the Sharjah Biennial, have closed a gap in the UAE art market, with these events attracting crowds of internationally known collectors, curators, art consultants and top-notch dealers. I’ve been fortunate to contribute to this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and to witness the region’s art scene embark on a new era to initiate, produce, exhibit and support art on the path to international levels. Considering that the Gulf is an emerging region based on trade and commerce, and knowing that art is something that needs time to nurture, we are fortunate to have come so far in such a short period of time. With all the great developments we have witnessed so far, I can see a bright future in store. Knowing that art is something that needs time to nurture, we are fortunate to have come so far in such a short period of time. Photography by Matthew Lazarus. Image courtesy Canvas 128 Today, 1x1 is housed in a sleek warehouse in Dubai’s Al-Quoz district, boasting extensive floor space, low lighting and colourful canvases by some of India’s rising stars, making it one of the few venues in the city for Contemporary Indian art. What many do not know is that 1x1 is one of Dubai’s oldest galleries, originally opening 16 years ago in Satwa. “There was almost nothing here then and I saw a gap in the market for Indian art,” says founder Malini Gulrajani. Opening a space stemmed from a love of art that was sparked by trips to and from her native India. “I started by buying works for myself, and suddenly found myself buying more and more for inter- ested friends,” she recalls. In 1995, however, the Dubai art scene and that of India were in their nascent stages, some- thing which worked in Gulrajani’s favour. “I simply got a list of some of India’s top artists and phoned them,” she says. “That would be near-impossible today, as these artists are now so busy and well-established.” Moving to a villa in Jumeirah in 2005, the gallery grew steadily over the years as its client base expanded. “Initially it was very hard work to make ends meet,” admits Gulrajani, “and it took a lot of perseverance as the Indian art market was still young – shows were hung as if it were a market place and not many people knew about the artists. It was like starting from zero, but when things began to really take off, I thought, if I don’t give back to the business – if I don’t grow – then there would be no future for 1x1.” The name itself came from Gulrajani’s drive to create something unique for the Dubai art scene. “One is a number that signifies many things,” she explains, “I didn’t want a name like everybody else, and felt a number was catchy – it signifies infinity, that sense that anything is possible, and 1x1 indicates a gallery space where exciting things happen.” Now housed in its third and final location, Gulrajani had had her warehouse space for three years, alongside her Jumeirah location, before deciding to consolidate into one space. With its in- dustrial feel, the move is also indicative of a new direction. “My collector base has changed over the years,” she says. “A market can also become saturated – older collectors reach a point where they don’t really buy so regularly. I’m now focusing on young, emerging talents, whose prices are more affordable for young collectors.” Keen on hosting artist residencies in the future and exchanges be- tween the UAE and India, she also hasn’t ruled out opening another branch of the gallery in India, although “Dubai has always been my base and strength and would remain so.”The gallery, she says, “is an evolution, and, as a gallerist, my tastes have changed and this has been a process of growth for me.” What has been her motto for 16 years? “I get lots of advice, but I don’t listen,” she laughs, “I do what I want, whether it’s right or wrong, and hopefully I learn from my mistakes.” www.1x1artgallery.com Amel Makkawi, owner of Art Sawa, knows what she wants and is aiming high. “I wanted to offer artists somewhere that did not constrain them, a place where they could feel liberated and move onto another level,” she says. A background in architecture helped provide inspiration for the creation of the gallery as a warehouse-style space with a monumental character. In 2008, she opened Art Sawa in Al-Quoz and with over 1100 square metres, it is one of the largest dedicated art spaces in Dubai. Now representing 17 artists, Makkawi aspires “to make Contemporary art ac- cessible to everyone”, adding that she is keen on her artists being “true to themselves as those who are driven by what they think the market wants are not my interest.” Her grand designs see Art Sawa branch out to DIFC in mid-March, a space which, she says, “will make the lives of our collec- tor base in DIFC easier as the trip to Al-Quoz is an expedition.” Makkawi has no intentions to leave the Al-Quoz space though – “my soul is there, I can’t abandon it” – and it will continue to host the gallery’s education programme; “Art is part Image courtesy the gallery. 1X1 GALLERY ProuDest moment: My first huge show in a warehouse space in Al-Quoz. If I coulD Do It all over agaIn, I woulD: Do exactly the same thing. I wIsh the auDIence woulD: Be more sensitive when viewing art. fIve years ago, I woulD never have belIeveD that: The UAE would have been such an important centre for the arts. ProuDest moment: When Rachid Khimoune’s The Children of the World bronze sculptures were installed in a public space in Abu Dhabi. Do you choose the art or Does the art choose you? Both and it is an extremely complicated relationship. what they Don’t teach you at school Is: The impact of Contemporary art in daily life and the importance of creativity. managIng an artIst’s career means: Work, work, work and a lot of fun. 129 of lifestyle and that makes a window in DIFC for small exhibitions interesting.” Makkawi intends to inaugurate the new gallery with works by an emerging artist – as she is committed “to show- ing the talent and potential of the Middle East”. This is an emphasis Makkawi says she inherited from her father, a collector and art patron who instilled in her the value of promoting artists whose voices might otherwise not get heard. “I like to bring in new blood, new creativity and new ideas,” she enthuses, “and I don’t like restric- tions.” The gallery’s open-handed approach can be seen in the representation of non-regional art- ists; in March, Art Sawa will hold an exhibition by French artist Karine Roche and plans on partici- pating in international art fairs. In other respects, Makkawi applies strict ground rules: “The artists must all have strong technique and I like them to have been teachers, because this means that they know how to explain themselves properly in their works.” Two of her artists – Wael Darwish and Camille Zakharia ( Canvas 3.4) – will exhibit their works at this year’s Venice Biennale at the Egyptian and Lebanese Pavilions respectively. Be- tween the sizeable Al-Quoz space and an outlet in DIFC, costs are challenging, but “it’s not about the money” for Makkawi, who maintains that “we keep going because it’s a worthy cause”. Makkawi grew up in Algeria and worked in various countries – from Argentina to Sen- egal and beyond – before coming to Dubai with her husband 11 years ago. “The best way to understand a country is through its art,” she affirms, “and when everything else has passed by, a country will always have its poets, writers and artists.” Interpretation and communication are central to Art Sawa’s ethos and are reflected in its activities, which include yoga, music ap- preciation, art history lectures and children’s workshops. These fulfil Makkawi’s avowed aim of reaching out to her audience on various levels. “When there are no museums, galler- ies have an extra role to play,” she maintains, “and education is absolutely key to art.” www.artsawa.com “ The artists must all have strong technique and I like them to have been teachers, because this means that they know how to explain themselves properly in their works. “ Photography by Anna Wallace-Thompson. art sawa uAE GALLERIES SPECIAL 130 Recalling her “push and pull” foray into the art world eight years ago, Artspace founder Maliha Al-Tabari admits “I didn’t know much then and thought that there was no art scene here at all.” Her decision to open a gallery was “spontaneous”, but Al-Tabari al- ways believed that Middle Eastern art would gain momentum. “Just like Chinese and Indian art, I knew that the market was going to pick up and decided that I was going to be one of the first to acquire works by Arab masters and promote them,” she says. Today, Artspace represents 18 artists, many of whom are renowned names on the Middle Eastern art circuit, including Adam Henein ( Canvas 2.2), Adel El-Siwi, Hussein Madi ( Canvas 5.4), Omar El-Nagdi ( Canvas 4.4), Aziza Alaoui ( Canvas 4.2) and Kamal Boullata ( Canvas 4.3). While the Dubai art scene has witnessed a steady growth in galleries over the years, Al-Tabari feels that “each space has a different style” and chose to commit to regional art largely due to her desire to “stick to my roots because I am Middle Eastern”. Artspace “believes in Modern Arab masters”, but Al- Tabari is quick to point out that the gallery is also keen on supporting emerging artists. “You want to feel a connection and energy from the artists,” she explains. The gallery’s initial venue was located at the Fairmont Hotel but relocated to DIFC in 2007. “I never believed that Dubai would become a SoHo New York, which is why I didn’t choose Al-Quoz,” she smiles. “Art is a whole experience; you want to be able to walk around and have a meal. I believe that art is a luxury.” In 2006 Al-Tabari says she felt the Mid- dle Eastern art market pick up, especially with “the presence of Christies, which was very significant and which truly influenced the market and validated the arts”. People, believes Al-Tabari, “no longer wanted to put cheap works on their walls.” She enjoys close relationships with her artists and, over time, believes that she has been able to detect the market’s pulse, likes and dislikes. “When you have been a gallerist for this long, you know exactly what people want from artists,” says Al- Tabari, “but you can’t impose it [on artists] so you suggest a direction.” In light of the current political situation across the Arab world, Artspace have re- worked the programme for their Art Dubai booth, opting to show works that centre on the Egyptian revolution by artists Zakaria Ramhani, El-Siwi, Na- dine Hammam, George Bahgory, Hani Zurob, Kha- led Hafez ( Canvas 5.3) and Charbel Samuel Aoun. With a brighter and more hopeful future forecast following the financial doom and gloom of 2010, Al-Tabari is focusing on developing the gallery’s programme and hopes to represent more bud- ding artists. “Now is the time to push the gas and really step on it,” she smiles. www.artspace-dubai.com “ [People] no longer wanted to put cheap works on their walls. “ Photography by Tala Chukri. artspace If I could do It all over agaIn, I would: Have started collecting Middle Eastern art earlier than 2002. a gallerIst’s most Important role Is to: Have a mission statement and a good reputation in the market. I respect artIsts who: Believe in me and the gallery. gallerIes In the uae should: Work together more. agIng an artIst’s career means: It’s a life-long process. uAE GALLERIES SPECIAL 131 Many are familiar with the story of Ayyam Gallery and how an ex-banker’s retirement at the age of 38 led to an immersion in the Syrian art scene and the opening of Ayyam’s first gallery in Damascus in 2006. Then there was Dubai in 2008, followed by Beirut, Cairo and now a new Dubai space in DIFC – the latter opened in October 2010 with a show by Khaled Takreti ( Canvas 7.1), I Am a Teenager Again , which marked the official conver- sion of the existing Al-Quoz space to the Ayyam Art Centre. While it seems like a grand expansion plan, founder Khaled Sa- mawi insists that each move is an organic growth. “When we opened in Damascus, the idea was to promote Syrian artists,” he says. “From the onset, we were in touch with Dubai galleries about the possibility of bringing some of those artists here, and in 2008, the time felt right.” Working with Hisham Samawi, who heads the gallery’s Dubai branch, the cousins are keen on art transcending boundaries. “I think we’ve started to move away from peg- ging somebody as a ‘Syrian’ or an ‘Egyptian’ artist,” says Khaled. “We’ve moved to just being ‘Middle Eastern artists’ and that’s sort of reflected in the gallery. At any one time, we represent between 20–30 artists exclusively and giving each at least one solo exhibition per year, means expanding and opening up new spaces.” In its five-year existence, the gallery has formed a close-knit group of artists. “Initially we started out by visiting some 200 artist studios [in Damascus],” says Khaled, “but now, a lot of artists approach us. While I personally have to like a work of art visually, it also has to add value to our roster of artists, all of whom become part of the Ayyam family.” As with all projects venturing into new territory, there have been hits and misses. “We’re all in this together, at the end of the day,” affirms Hisham. “Khaled always uses the allegory of a boat getting from point A to B – we’re either all going to get there together or not at all.” Part of point B, for now, is the expansion of the Ayyam Art Centre into a space open to exhibitions by artists outside the Ayyam stable, as well as big artists’ retrospec- tives. “One of the issues with the old space was that it just didn’t do the artists justice, thanks to its big size which ended up overwhelming the works,” explains Khaled, “Now we can use it as a place to experiment with different shows, including non- commercial exhibitions, and I invite all collectors in the Middle East who have large collections to show there.” With participa- tion at art fairs and more artist monographs planned, the team is focusing on pushing themselves further and raising the bar for Ayyam. “The recession has made us a stronger gallery,” says Hisham. “Art is, however, a very resilient investment,” adds Kha- led, “and every cent we make is put back into the gallery. We are looking at building a multi-generational company.” www.ayyamgallery.com Hisham and Khaled Samawi. Photography by Anna Wallace-Thompson. ayyam gallery Khaled Samawi BeIng a gallerIst requIres: Deep pockets, a very addictive personality, passion as well as patience. If I could do It all over agaIn, I would: Have been far more aggressive. a gallerIst’s most Important role Is to: Be honest. I know a work Is good when: It sells. I respect artIsts who : Don’t care about sales. 132 Carbon 12 first opened its doors in October 2008 in a space in Dubai Marina and relocated to Al-Quoz’s Al-Serkal exactly a year later. The gallery’s concept, however, has a much longer pedigree, which began when owners Kourosh Nouri and Nadine Knotzer, both collectors who had been living in Berlin, were struck by the city’s cutting-edge artsy atmosphere and hoped to reflect this in a Dubai gallery. “We were in Berlin at a time when it was a very hip, happening place, and that has helped in- form our artistic outlook,” says Knotzer. “We always wanted to have a very international mix in our gal- lery and not restrict ourselves to particular regions or specific genres or media.” Nouri began collecting art 16 years ago but the Iranian-born gallerist became involved in his native Contemporary art scene when the genre was in its infancy, at a time, recalls Nouri, “when I bought a work by Rokni Haerizadeh ( Canvas 5.6) for $120!” Among Carbon 12’s roster of Iranian art- ists are Ghazel and Sara Rahbar, with the remaining 24 comprising a mix of established and emerging international artists drawn from a diverse range of backgrounds, all skilfully unified into Carbon 12’s overall programme. “We show all our artists initially in a group exhibition,” explains Knotzer, “and only move onto solo shows when they are more estab- lished.” Boundary-pushing is the name of the game at the gallery, with “every show we do being more or less complete experimentation.” Has Carbon 12’s challenging programme – 16 ‘sit-up-and-notice’ exhibitions to date – been too much for the Dubai audience? It seems not. “If any- thing, we’ve found people here less likely to walk out of a show that they don’t like than in Miami or Vienna,” says Knotzer. “The biggest fear people have is of not understanding the work,” says Nouri, “and it’s our job to help them appreciate the art and gain from it.” Meanwhile, they both cite the increas- ing willingness of some Dubai-based collectors to open their collections to view as a very welcome development. “We’d love to see more corporate collections and sponsorship of artists in residence. That’s what’s missing here now,” explains Knotzer. With collectors drawn to the gallery from all over the world, the duo see an interesting evolu- tion taking place in the market and one that sits neatly with their wider aims. “People have tradi- tionally been a bit too conservative in terms of what they bought, but that is really changing,” observes Nouri; “There is real interest in Michael Sailstorfer’s installations now, for example, which wasn’t the case before.” Both Knotzer and Nouri are quite clear on where they are heading. “Art is not a local battlefield,” says Nouri. “You need to go global, and regionally, we need to work towards develop- ing a champions’ league rather than turning up at the Olympics every four years.” uncompromising Carbon 12 may be, but fortune favours the brave. www.carbon12dubai.com Photography by Myrna Ayad. Photography by Anna Wallace-Thompson. carbon 12 I wIsh the audIence would: Explore the art world before making any purchases. BIggest regret: I feel I didn’t contribute enough to art awareness when we first opened. fIve years ago, I would never have BelIeved that: We would have this many galleries and collectors and I must say I’m very proud! what they don’t teach you at school Is: That the art business is not just buying and selling art. Kourosh Nouri a gallerIst’s most Important role Is to: Be consistent with the artistic programme, stay genuine and without a commercial agenda. Nadine Knotzer sometImes I want to take that artwork home Because: I don’t feel it’s being appreciated for its quality, but rather for its ‘value’. (Nadine) 133 “ People, and especially Emiratis, were simply not as aware of art, as they are today. “ Samia Saleh is busy refurbishing her 10 year-old gallery, which opened in April 2001 with a group show of works by Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Bernard Buffet and Salvador Dalí. Originally called Courtyard Gallery & Café, the gallery has now done away with the café and rebranded as Courtyard Gallery (CG), as Saleh believes “it’s high time we take the gallery to the next level.” Run by Saleh and Gallery Manager Reema Karram, CG has exhibited artists such as Karim Rashid ( Canvas 2.5), Mustafa Ali ( Canvas 4.5), Mounir Lak- kis, Kevork Mourad, Zaman Jassim, Hassan Alameddine, Riyadh Neama and Hoda Baalbaki. In addition to commissioning Horse 2007 from Fernando Botero ( Canvas 7.1), situated in downtown Burj Khalifa, and organising the gallery’s annual Women in Art exhibition (now in its seventh edition), Saleh’s vision drives her on. “When we first opened, there weren’t that many collectors here and the number that have since emerged is incredible,” she says; “The market changed with the arrival of the auction houses and their impact on the emergence of Middle Eastern art. Change is good, and we have to evolve with the market.” For the Emirati-born gallerist, audience awareness has also grown, much to her delight: “Ten years ago, I had to explain every single thing to my visitors, from pricing – such as prints versus paintings – and different art eras to the concept behind the work itself,” she smiles. “People, and especially Emiratis, were simply not as aware of art as they are today.” With a BA in graphic design from the American uni- versity in Washington DC, Saleh grew up surrounded by art, visiting international museums, galleries and art fairs with her parents, who are collectors. “The thing about art,” she muses, “is that just when you think you might know it all, you meet somebody who makes you realise just how much there is still to learn.” Working closely with her artists, Saleh does not sign them up on an exclusive basis, preferring instead “to give them their freedom, advice and not restrict them to working only with me.” Once the new gallery space is complete, Saleh plans to organise artist talks alongside other expansion plans. “It’s always exciting for a young collector to be able to engage with an artist and hear the story behind the work. That one-on-one contact is vital,” she says. “I’d also like to eventually organise exchanges of both established and emerging artists from Europe, the uSA and even the Far East.” With art fair participation also on the cards, Saleh reflects on the gallery’s career so far: “There is not an awful lot I would have changed, but I must say that the process of selecting artworks and communicating with artists was a learning curve. I’ve seen a lot of art, but looking back, I would have made more of an effort to explore Emirati art – we have such a rich culture and I think it is so important to support that.” But surely having been one of the first galleries in Dubai must have been exhausting at times? “For me, this isn’t work,” smiles Saleh, “I live it.” www.courtyardgallerydubai.com courtyard gallery uAE GALLERIES SPECIAL 134 At 1200 square metres and spread over four levels, Cuadro has never really been ‘just’ a gallery. It has an artist’s studio, lecture room, restoration room and 240 square metres of storage units. Since it opened in November 2008, a host of exhibitions as well as publications and an all-important artist residency programme have marked its steady rise on the uAE art scene. “My parents, especially my mother [owner, Fathima Al-Shroogi], had wanted to set up an artist residency and art education pro- gramme,” says director Bashar Al-Shroogi. “All pro- ceeds from gallery sales go back into the residency programme, so it’s a self-sustaining machine. The residencies came long before the gallery itself.” While Al-Shroogi plans to formalise the applica- tion process for residency programmes, Cuadro has hosted three artists to date, including Alex de Fluvià and Manal Al-Dowayan ( Canvas 2.4). The gallery has shown a mixture of large-scale survey shows and solo exhibitions of regional talent, as well as those of Middle Eastern heavy- weights including A Rahim Sharif ( Canvas 1.6) and Devrim Erbil. In fact, for an international gallery, there has been a fair amount of Middle Eastern art shown lately – is this intentional? “It just happened that the gallery got programmed that way,” says Al-Shroogi. “We’ve leaned towards younger artists, something that goes hand-in-hand with our resi- dency programme. I felt that they could hold the same walls in different parts of the gallery as some of the older masters. When the works complement each other, we don’t look at nationality or age.” Open-mindedness to nationality has been an integral part of Cuadro’s outlook from the start, and has remained at the forefront of Al-Shroogi’s curato- rial view. “Since we’ve opened, it’s been interesting to see which artists gravitate towards Cuadro,” he says, “and it’s a very organic process. It does take a while to figure out which artists you really want to represent, and which ones the market will react to, and then there’s a fine-tuning process.”This progres- sion involves a review board with which Al-Shroogi consults, beginning with “the work itself”, he stresses. “Does it fit with the overall message at Cuadro? How does it work within our international collection? Once these questions are answered, we look at who the artist is and, finally, at their nationality.” Working closely with the artists, Al-Shroogi is focusing on long-term growth for both the gal- lery and artists alike. “In most cases, dealers buy and sell works,” he says. “A curator will manage the artist’s career and that difference is paramount.” So, with all these plans, does Cuadro plan to be- come a foundation? “‘Foundation’ is a big word and one which needs the right structure. We are trying to set up a gallery as a platform for artists, residencies and education. The survey shows are something we’ll continue to do – although costly and taking a lot more to do academically, they are important for the local market,” concludes Al- Shroogi. “Our main focus remains on expanding the residencies. We hope that by the end of 2011 we’ll have 12 more studios open, dotted around the Gulf. It’s important to have more grassroots initiatives to engage with communities. Hope- fully, these small studios can act as hubs that will help achieve that.” www.cuardoart.com “ When the works complement each other, we don’t look at nationality or age. “ Photography by Ayaad Damouni. Image courtesy Cuadro. cuadro fine art gallery BeIng a gallerIst requIres: Multiple hats. Most days I feel like a consultant, analyst, advisor, boyfriend, father and shrink. If I could do It all over agaIn, I would: Have become an artist! I wIsh the audIence would: Learn to judge the artwork for artistic, not financial, political or national merit. what they don’t teach you at school Is: How to be a gallerist. You can learn to be an artist or an art historian. No one ever goes to school to be a gallerist. 135 Holding the torch for the art of photography in the region, and the Middle East’s only dedicated photography gallery, DIFC-based The Empty Quarter (TEQ) is renowned for the high standards of its cura- torial programming. Flying the flag for photography regionally is not always easy with an art form which “has taken people here a while to embrace,” says TEQ’s Creative Director Elie Domit, who co-founded the gallery with Her Royal Highness Princess Reem Al-Faisal ( Can- vas 2.1). Lines are blurred in the distinction between photography as ‘art’ versus photojournalism – something which TEQ sought to address early on via the potential establishment of a top photogra- phy school in Dubai. “Between the Ministry of Education rejecting the idea and costly rents, we were forced to drop it,” explains Domit; “We couldn’t increase tuition fees to make the business plan work.” In an age which “has made it possible for anyone to take a picture”, the art of photography has been “somewhat trivialised” believes Domit. “When the world faces a tsunami, newspapers aren’t go- ing to wait for, say, Simon Norfolk or Edward Burtynsky to fly in and do a shoot,” laughs Domit. “People need to look back at how the first photographers experimented and how close their work was to Impressionistic painting.” In fact, “there is a strong link between photography and cinema within the Arab world,” adds Domit, citing the Lumière Brothers’ early films, which were shown in Cairo, Alexandria and Tangiers. TEQ’s programming includes varied shows – from whirling dervishes and India to fashion, Mongolia and the Hajj pilgrimage – the latter show, Mecca: A Dangerous Adventure, being hosted in collaboration with Dutch Leiden university and Hes & De Graaf Publishers. Because of the show’s nature and an opening deliberately scheduled during Hajj 2010, Domit had expected Middle Easterners to attend the vernissage and possibly acquire works. In the event, pieces did sell but to Europe- an collectors, as was the case with The Worst Journey in the World which showcased an Antarctic expedition shot by Herbert Ponting. Overall attendance was disappointing, however, but Domit isn’t deterred. Al- though just two years old, TEQ has already participated in Paris Photo twice, won the BMW Paris Photo Award (in 2009) and just published its fourth book, Oman 1971 , in collaboration with Magnum photogra- pher Bruno Barbey. The gallery also hosted the Prix Pictet Earth world tour in 2009. “There are pockets of connoisseurs and our international collectors are a blessing,” Domit says, “What’s missing here though is the will, plain and simple.” TEQ is the only gallery in Dubai open from 10am – 10pm, seven days a week, a service designed, Domit adds, “to combat the mall mentality and provide an alternative because, after all, public spaces are for the public.” Perseverance is part of TEQ’s meth- odology; from its beginnings, Domit had to “argue the case of a gallery versus a café at DIFC” and when the space was sealed, faced the tor- rent of the global recession. “We stuck to our guns,” he smiles, “it’s not just pretty pictures on the wall; this is an engagement with history.” www.theemptyquarter.com Photography by Myrna Ayad. the empty quarter BeIng a gallerIst requIres: True vision, a heart, passion, lots of patience and loads of money. I know a work Is good when: It has something to say beyond what I just see. managIng an artIst’s career: Is like managing a rock band – you always hope for the next big hit. uAE GALLERIES SPECIAL 136 DIFC and Al-Quoz’s Al-Serkal Avenue have become two of Dubai’s hottest gallery locations, with the latter now augmented by the arrival of a new space primarily dedicated to international art: Etemad Gallery. For Amir-Hussein Etemad and his cousin, Aly Afshar, founders of Tehran’s Etemad Gallery, it was imperative for the Dubai branch to be located within Al-Serkal’s specific artistic perimeter. “We were looking for a central place in Dubai. DIFC is a good vitrine but if we want to have a practice with an ambitious programme, the spaces there are too constricting,” explains Afshar. “It was really about being part of that close hub of wonderful gallerists.” Nine years after the establishment of the Tehran branch, which focuses on Iranian artists, the decision to open a second outlet in Dubai largely stemmed from the opportunities the duo sought in expanding towards a more global vision. Choosing Dubai was a natural decision for “an international programme”, given the city’s expanding art scene. “We had been discussing this move for years, watching Dubai mature from afar and were very encouraged,” admits Afshar. “When we saw that the art world had survived the storm of the crisis, we knew it was time to move in. The artistic envi- ronment here is vibrant and the cultural scene is the most cosmo- politan.” Proximity to other projects fostering the region’s art indus- try was another key factor in their decision: “Abu Dhabi’s Louvre and Guggenheim, as well as Qatar’s Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art are also why we’ve come here,” adds Etemad, “and of course, the auctions, which have had a major impact on Iranian art.” New Wave–British Art Today , Etemad’s inaugural show, features works by five artists now represented by the Dubai gallery and who have held shows in the West – Tasha Amini, Tom Ellis, Dan Perfect, Mustafa Hulusi and Petroc Sesti. The choice to inaugurate the gallery with works by international artists is intentional, as Afshar asserts: “We are trying to carve out a more global identity and internation- alise our programme. These British artists are part of the new wave taking the uK by storm.” In communicating to “a large British com- munity here”, the gallerists were keen to “highlight the differences under that umbrella, as their works speak right across borders.”While the Tehran gallery represents Iranian artists such as Shahriar Ahmadi (formally represented by Gallery Isabelle van den Eynde) and Asareh Akasheh, the Dubai space will eventually share a selection from this stable of emerging and established talents, but that is as far as the venues’ interdependence goes. Afshar dismisses the idea that these artists will find solace in Dubai’s less-restrictive environment and create more political works. “I don’t want to overstress the political side of our artists, it is not our focus.” With an ambitious line-up of 11 exhibitions a year, attendance at various fairs in the region – Art Dubai and possibly Beirut’s Menasart in July – the gallery also hopes to expand geographically and cement itself as a strong component in Dubai’s gallery scene. www.galleryetemad.com Amir-Hussein Etemad and Aly Afshar. Photography by Tala Chukri. etemad gallery Aly Afshar a gallerIst’s most Important role Is to: Always smile and give insight about his/her artists. BIggest regret: Not being born in the early 20th century to buy early Picassos, Balthus, De Kooning and Pollock. I know a work Is good when: I am immediately wowed by it. the uae art scene Is: Young and growing. 137 One of the catalysts for the creation of Ghaf Gallery was the aftermath of an exhibition that Emirati artist Jalal Luqman had held in 2004. His unconventional works – light years away from the hackneyed Gulf art world of falcons, horses and desert scenes – had made it difficult to find a suitable exhibition venue. “My work is not beautiful, it’s rather raw, and I had a hard time convincing galleries to take it. They were just interested in works they could make a profit from. There was no interest in art for art’s sake,” explains Luqman, who, along with Mohammed Kanoo, founded Ghaf in 2006. “The idea had been brewing for 12 years or so,” recalls Luq- man; “We were not looking at it commercially but in terms of ‘Here are expressions we want to show’.” The obvious question is, why Abu Dhabi? “Everyone kept telling us to open in Dubai,” smiles Luqman, “but Abu Dhabi has a different flavour, a less hardnosed commercial aspect which we felt sat well with our ethos.” A few months after the gallery opened came the an- nouncement for the cultural development of Saadiyat Island, and the uAE capital’s art scene has not looked back since. Ghaf, meanwhile, set about creating a different type of opportunity from that usually provided by regional art galler- ies. For a start, it aims at a much more informal and supportive arrangement with artists than is often the case. “We don’t represent