63 getting the balance right The next Dubai Christie’s sale of International Modern and Contemporary Art will feature a well-rounded lot of Middle Eastern works. The Turks and Saudis are back – so are some auction regulars – but this October sale also sees some new names on the auction scene. preview 64 he Dubai Christie’s International Modern and Contemporary Art sale in April this year generated almost $4.8 million – a stark contrast to the sale exactly a year before, which generated a little over $20 million. William Lawrie, Christie’s Islamic Arts Specialist, admits that the feedback on consignments for the upcoming October sale has been much better in comparison to consignments made for the April auction. “There was a lot of uncertainty then and it was only natural for people to feel reticent about consigning; the auction was put together right after the credit crisis,” he says. But by now, auction houses should have gotten used to the market; buyers have certainly picked up on changes and become a lot more selective. “I’m happy to say that the supply is back,” adds Lawrie. Changes in the art market have most certainly been made and while the reverberations are still felt, the estimates for the upcoming auction are “roughly T E X T B Y M Y R N A A Y A D I M A G E S C O U R T E S Y O F C H R I S T I E ’ S 65 equivalent” to those of the April sale. “October is going to be much more telling than April,” says Lawrie. Indeed it is. Works in the ‘recur’ category include a Dubai Christie’s sale regular – Syrian Modern master Fateh Moudarres, whose two works, says Lawrie, are among “the best” the auction house has ever offered, largely due to their size – one is a three-metre-wide landscape (estimate $180,000-250,000), while the other is a two-metre high figural painting (estimate $140,000-160,000). While some auction aficionados have commented on the recurring ‘staples’ at Dubai Christie’s sales – Moudarres, Louay Kayyali, Paul Guiragossian and Charles Hossein Zenderoudi, among others – in reality, their supply is a response to an existing, steadfast demand. “The fact is,” adds Lawrie, “the regulars appear because there has always been demand for them. They sell.” The sale will feature quality pieces from a variety of private collections in the Middle East and Europe and will present strong selections of works by Lebanese, Syrian, Iraqi and Egyptian artists. Previous page: Fateh Moudarres. Untitled. 1970. Oil on canvas. 172 x 313 cm. Estimate $180,000–250,000. Above: Erol Akyavas. Untitled. Mid-1950s. Oil on canvas. 92 x 178 cm. Estimate $70,000–100,000. 66 preview "You wouldn’t be able to assume that some artists are not ‘auction-ready’ yet. It’s all about finding things that are both fresh and established.” - William Lawrie, Christie's Islamic Arts Specialist. Some new kids on the auction block include the likes of Lebanese artists Flavia Codsi and Oussama Baalbaki, Moroccan Zakaria Ramhani, Iranian Mania Akbari and Syrian Sara Shamma, among others. Might it be premature to feature some of these young, emerging artists at auction? “Looking at this auction, you wouldn’t be able to assume that some artists are not ‘auction-ready’ yet. It’s all about finding things that are both fresh and established,” says Lawrie. Christie’s have also been instrumental in introducing art from new regions, namely Saudi Arabia and Turkey, which will feature significantly in the October sale. Among the inclusion of Saudi pieces are works by three female photographers: Reem Al-Faisal, Manal Al-Dowayan and Maha Malluh, all of whose work was exhibited at the groundbreaking Saudi Contemporary art exhibition, Edge of Arabia , currently showing at the Venice Biennale. The Turkish selection – standing at an impressive 23 pieces, some of which are museum-quality lots – include works by Ömer Uluç, Erol Akyavas, Selma Gürbüz and Kemal Önsoy, among others. Three works by Akyavas, widely considered one of the most important Turkish artists of the 20th century, may be of particular interest to collectors of Middle Eastern art. The infusion of Turkish art at the Dubai Christie’s auctions has not only widened the collector scope but also planted the seeds of interest in Middle Eastern art in the minds of Turkish collectors. “They’re warming up,” says Lawrie of this rapidly expanding group, “they can see some sort of relationship between their Modern art and that of Arab and Iranian Modern art.” v The Dubai Christie’s International Modern and Contemporary Art sale will take place on 27 october. For more information visit www.christies.com Above: Flavia Codsi. Untitled. 2009. Oil on canvas. 213 x 186 cm. Estimate $12,000–18,000.