Meet our Power 50. After a year of thorough research and rigorous brainstorming sessions, we present our first in the annual Power 50 feature. Specially selected by Canvas, great deliberation and debate characterised our numerous closed-session meetings to nominate and then finalise a list of the Middle East’s most influential cultural players. These movers and shakers have all made a stellar THE contribution to the region’s art scene over the past year. In inviting fellow art world insiders to share personal anecdotes about these figures – their achievements and unwavering dedication – we engage a community bound by a desire to nurture Middle Eastern art. These 50 luminaries set an POWER inspiring example. 2012 HE Sheikha Al-Mayassa Bint Hamad Bin Khalifa Al-Thani BY ALI KHADRA Qatar is living a unique moment in history – one of great opportunity which will shape the way the country is perceived from this time forward. While the nation is taking care of business and infrastructure, Sheikha Al-Mayassa is ensuring that art and culture become part of the very fabric of Qatari society. At the helm of the Qatar Museums Authority since 2005, she has been the driving force behind groundbreaking projects such as the IM Pei-designed Museum of Islamic Art and Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art, not to mention current shows in Doha such as those by Louise Bourgeois and Takashi Murakami, which really have the world talking. As a visionary who is shaping the cultural context of our region, I don’t stand alone in being proud of her cultural ambassadorship. Recently, I watched Sheikha Al-Mayassa’s TED talk in which she said, “I would like to break down the walls of ignorance between East and West.” It is clear that this woman is on a serious mission and I can’t wait to see what’s next. Ali Khadra is Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of Canvas. art patron Image courtesy Qatar Museums Authority. POWER 50 HRH Princess Jawaher Bint Majed Bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saud BY MOHAMMED HAFIZ It is seldom, when one mentions Saudi Arabia, that a correlation to the arts Image courtesy Gallo Images/Getty Images. comes to mind. While Contemporary Saudi art is not a recent phenomenon, it is only in past years that artists from the Kingdom have been making international headlines. They would not have attained such status had it not been for the vision and efforts of a remarkable lady who was the first Saudi woman to have actively and efficiently endorsed this art movement: Princess HH SHEIKH MOHAMMED BIN Jawaher, Founder of the Al-Mansouria ZAYED AL-NAHYAN Foundation, an international non-profit BY HE OMAR GHOBASH organisation dedicated to art and HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, Crown Prince culture. A charismatic, well-read woman of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE of acute intelligence, Princess Jawaher Armed Forces, has demonstrated a remarkable focus and was convinced that artists’ full creative determination in developing long-term infrastructure for the expression cannot be realised without arts in Abu Dhabi and the Gulf region. He has been the leading the support of those who can help force behind the Guggenheim and Louvre Abu Dhabi projects as fulfil an artistic vision. The Foundation well as promoting the Abu Dhabi Art fair. These initiatives were has published a number of art books, conceived with the long-term wellbeing of the Emirates in mind. including monographs on Adam As they come to fruition, we shall see a further flourishing of thought, innovation and creation in our part of the world. These Henein and Faisal Samra and Jinniyat are ventures that will continue to give back to the UAE for many Lar by Shadia and Raja Alem. Today, years to come. It is up to us to work with these projects to help Al-Mansouria boasts one of the most bring them to life. It is Sheikh Mohammed’s tenacity that allows important collections of Saudi us to share our culture with others in a globalised art world. and Arab art. HE Omar Ghobash is the UAE Ambassador to Russia and the Mohammed Hafiz is co-founder of Athr Ukraine. He is also Co-founder of the Arab Fund for Art and Culture Gallery and CEO of a leading regional fashion and The Third Line gallery in Dubai. Ghobash is a member of Abu retail company. Dhabi’s Louvre and Guggenheim acquisition committees. 89 Photography by Myrna Ayad. HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al-Maktoum BY LATEEFA BINT MAKTOUM An avid poet who writes in traditional Nabati Arabic, HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, UAE Prime Minister and Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, has made an undeniable contribution to the art world. As honorary patron of Art Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed provides the opportunity for Dubai to become a meeting point for galleries from all over the world, where new conversations are started and new projects may emerge. Through the Dubai Culture and Arts Authority, he provides support and encouragement for local artists and galleries and through the annual Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al-Maktoum Patrons of the Arts Awards, which recognises and honours individuals and organisations that have contributed to the arts in Dubai. Sheikh Mohammed is an inspiring figure whose impact is far-reaching. He pushes the public to dream bigger dreams and to reach out and achieve goals beyond what some may think is possible. Lateefa Bint Maktoum is an Emirati artist and founder and director of Tashkeel. 90 POWER 50 HE SHEIKHA MAI AL-KHALIFA BY FATIMA AL-SHROOGI Sheikha Mai Al-Khalifa awakened the Bahrain of memory and legend, bringing it to life with a dynamic cultural agenda. She has told our story to the world and thanks to her efforts, Bahrain now has a month-long Spring of Culture and © Canvas Archives. Manama is the Arab World’s Capital of Culture this year. Her team’s honest portrayal of three fishermen’s huts that dot our shores won Bahrain the 2010 Venice Architecture Biennale’s coveted Golden Lion. The old neighbourhoods of Muharraq, once in ruin, have been restored and so regained their beauty and now become a vibrant cultural hub. Sheikha Mai has also helped ensure that our long history is being properly documented. Having participated in excavations at the Bahrain Fort, I felt a swell of pride when it was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a museum was built to house its treasures. Thanks to Sheikha Mai, Bahraini culture from the recent past to ancient history has come to life, and our heritage is no ARIF NAQVI longer simply a memory, but preserved BY SAVITA APTE for generations to come. Art is always the passion of a singular person within an Fatima Al-Shroogi is a Bahrain-based organisation; a conviction of such magnitude, it galvanises the collector of international Modern and Contemporary art. She is the Founder of entire corporate entity into supporting, following and eventually Cuadro Fine Art Gallery, Dubai and Patron being transformed by art. Arif Naqvi’s passion for art led to the of Cuadro’s Artist Residency. foundation of the Abraaj Capital Art Prize (ACAP). With astute prescience, Naqvi recognised that artists from the MENASA region, forced to conform to commercial strictures which could © Canvas Archives. be both stultifying and counterproductive, were afforded few opportunities to showcase their creative potential. He launched a search for talent, which mirrored his appetite for corporate risk-taking. Rather than award a prize for a finished work, with ACAP Naqvi chose to honour the dreamer of dreams, the builder of civilisations, the risk-taker. Naqvi and ACAP changed not only the way the world looks at art from the region, but more importantly, the way in which MENASA artists define themselves. Savita Apte is an art historian and Chair of the Abraaj Capital Art Prize. 91 POWER 50 HE Sheikh Sultan Bin Tahnoun Al-Nahyan BY ZAKI ANWAR NUSSEIBEH Recently appointed Chairman of the newly established mega government agency, the Abu Dhabi Authority for Tourism and Culture, Sheikh Sultan Bin Tahnoon Al-Nahy- an, a member of Abu Dhabi’s Executive Council, has been one of the major young chief executives in the Abu Dhabi government, under the leadership of the President Sheikh Khalifa and the Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammad Bin Za- yed, in steering the UAE capital onto a global platform of outstanding achievements. Sheikh Sultan studied at the Image courtesy Maryam Eisler. UAE University and Tufts University and has, since 2004, been active in chairing a number of boards in the Abu Dhabi government including those of ADTA, ADACH, AD- NEC, Al-Ain Wildlife Park & Resort and the Eastern Region Development Committee and is Managing Director of the Emirates Foundation. As such, he has been behind Abu Dhabi’s major tourism and cultural development projects that witnessed the exponential growth of its world-class touristic and cultural assets and activities. As Chairman of TDIC, Sheikh Sultan was the driving force behind the Cul- tural District of Saadiyat Island with its plans for institutions including the Zayed National Museum, Guggenheim and Louvre Abu Dhabi. Zaki Anwar Nusseibeh is an Advisor in the UAE Ministry of MARYAM & EDWARD EISLER Presidential Affairs and sits on the Boards of the Abu Dhabi BY DINA NASSER KHADIVI Authority for Tourism and Culture, the UAE Archives Centre and the Paris Sorbonne University of Abu Dhabi. Vaclav Havel once said, “Vision is not enough. It must be combined with venture. It is not enough to stare up the steps, we must step up the stairs.” Such are Maryam and Edward Eisler’s accomplish- ments when one looks at the contributions that they have made. Thanks to their eponymous foundation, the books that Maryam has co-edited, the Arts and Patronage Summit which she co-organised, her co- chairing of the Tate Middle East North Africa Acquisitions Committee and the couple’s involve- ment with the Asia Society and British Museum – their support has surpassed collecting and sponsor- ing. They have paved the road for communication, influence and hope by showing the true face and talent of Middle Eastern art. The Eislers have gone beyond simple patronage and helped carve the pro- Image courtesy TDIC. file of our region in a most inspiring way. Dina Nasser-Khadivi is founder of art consultancy firm DNK Consulting and is a specialist at Christie’s. 92 Suzan Sabancı Dinçer BY Çiğdem Simavi A leading businesswoman, through her position as Chairperson and Executive Board Member of Akbank, Suzan Sabancı Dinçer is a force to be reckoned with on the Turkish and international scenes, both in terms of business and wider society. She is a collector in her own right and her patronage of art and culture extends to her being a Member of The Prince’s Charities Council, a Board Member of Turkey’s Sabancı University, one of the country’s top liberal arts institutions and a Board Member of the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and the Arts. It is under Dinçer’s guidance that Akbank promotes cultural and educational projects such as the International Istanbul Film Festival and the Contemporary Istanbul fair, through Akbank Sanat, a non-profit organisation which hosts over 700 activities a year – from music, dance and theatre to © V&A Images. exhibitions, concerts and workshops. Çiğdem Simavi established the Foundation for Fine Arts and Cultural Heritage and Galeri Suav. She is a member of the Christie’s European Board. Mohammed Abdullatif Jameel BY MANAL AL-DOWAYAN Image courtesy Akbank. Understanding the importance of art and culture is a unique quality among the business community, but Mohammed Abdullatif Jameel has always been a unique man. An MIT graduate with a love for the arts, he took his knowledge and his passion and set a new standard in art patronage. He developed a vision that focused on the local with a global outlook and has a true understanding of the elements that allow for the development of an individual and the society to which they belong. This is clearly demonstrated in his support of three major initiatives on the global art scene: Edge of Arabia’s touring exhibitions of Contemporary Saudi art, the Islamic wing at the V&A and the Jameel Prize at the same institution. Jameel’s support has had a tremendous impact on me and many other artists, both in Saudi Arabia and beyond, and for that, I thank him sincerely. Manal Al-Dowayan is a Saudi Arabian artist represented by Cuadro Fine Art Gallery in Dubai. 93 POWER 50 HE Sheikh Hassan Bin Mohammed Bin Ali Al-Thani BY TARIQ AL-JAIDAH A painter and photographer, HE Sheikh Hassan Bin Mohammed Bin Ali Al-Thani has collected over 6000 pieces of Modern Arab art and archival documents dating back to 1850. Since his first purchase in 1986, his affinity for art has promoted many talented Arab artists who would not have otherwise gained recognition. His dream of sharing art with a broader public was finally realised when his personal collection evolved into Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern HH Sheikha Salama Bint Art and distinguished Qatar as a capital for Modern Arab art from the Middle East and its Diasporas. He has, by all means, Hamdan Al-Nahyan revived the lost art of patronage and played a key role in our BY HH SHEIKHA MARIAM BINT region’s artistic renaissance. MOHAMMED AL-NAHYAN My mother, HH Sheikha Salama Bint Hamdan Tariq Al-Jaidah is an art collector and patron and whose latest project is Doha’s Katara Art Centre in Al-Nahyan, is passionate about art and that collaboration with the Qatari government. passion is nothing short of infectious. For her, art is a journey – one of dreams and reali- ties, of beauty in its most profound sense and Photography by Myrna Ayad. of what it means to be human. For her too, most importantly, it is a journey on which she invites others to embark alongside her. As a result, in addition to being a collector, she has worked tirelessly to expose people of all ages to art through her position as a pioneer in art education, as a convener of audiences large and small through seminars and as chair of the host committee of our annual art fair, Abu Dhabi Art. She is also the founder of an epon- ymous foundation which places art as one of its core pillars. Through it she continues to be a pioneer in our nation, our region and inter- nationally in supporting artists in all stages of their development, in building new audiences for the arts and as an advocate of art’s central role in our lives, in our journey. HH Sheikha Mariam Bint Mohammed Al- Nahyan is CEO of the Sheikha Salama Bint Hamdan Al-Nahyan Foundation. 94 © Canvas Archives. basma al-sulaiman BY SHARIFA AL-SUDAIRI Until I logged onto basmoca.com, I had never seen a Gerhard Richter through the eyes of an avatar, nor was I familiar with the concept of a virtual museum. While my avatar perused works by Bridget Riley and Zhang Huan, visitors arrived and strangers connected to discuss highlights of Basma Al-Suleiman’s international art collection. We have seen a rise in online art browsing, from auctions to blogs and more recently, art fairs. Basmoca, however, is in a league of its own, paving the way for a new generation of virtual art spaces. Al-Suleiman has left an indelible mark on her native Saudi Arabia and has lobbied tirelessly to restore Jeddah’s public sculptures – among them, works by Alexander Calder, Victor Vasarely and Henry Moore – and the construction of a new sculpture park. She has built a uniquely accessible and borderless art platform to educate and bring like-minded people together. She is an inspiration to Saudi women and a pioneer on the Contemporary global art scene. Sharifa Al-Sudairi, a member of Parasol Future Unit, is Associate Director of The Pace Gal- lery in London and a supporter of Edge of Arabia, the Tate and the Serpentine Gallery. 95 HE sheikha paula al-sabah BY ROBERT GOFF It was about a dozen years ago when I was opening my own gallery that I first met Sheikha Paula. One Photography by Hadiye Cangökçe. of her daughters asked me to meet her mother “who wants to collect art”. I had no idea of the family background. Naively, I thought maybe she’d buy a print, maybe I could send her to MoMA for a starter lesson. To my pleasant surprise, Sheikha Paula was extremely knowledgeable about art and art history and had an oceanic curiosity about art from all over the world. Moreover, she had already been a long-time collector, although her endeavours had been tragically cut short by Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait and her home. Over the years, she has travelled to far-flung art fairs and biennials, to every city with a scintilla of an art scene, and built one of the most geographically diverse, interesting and superlative collections in the world, not just in the Middle East. You can see Sheikha Paula’s talent for curating in her Kuwait home, Dar Noor, which she generously opens to the public for special occasions. Her strong opinions and often visionary talent-spotting cannot be learned or replicated. All these years later, and after many adventures in the art world, Omer Koç BY ANDREW FINKEL with and because of Sheikha Paula, I am honoured to consider her a friend and mentor. With her role on the The first generation makes war, the second iron and boards of institutions such as the Serpentine Gallery, the third, mocked Bismarck, “studies art history”. Omer Water Mill and Art Dubai, I’ve come to realise that she Koç may be the third generation to lead Turkey’s most plays that role for a whole world, luckily for all of us. powerful industrial and financial dynasty, but he does not so much study art history as make it. As a collector Robert Goff is Director of Haunch of Venison gallery, and benefactor, he has taught his compatriots to New York. understand the old and encourage the new. His private collections – of Iznik ceramics and of books produced in and about the Ottoman Empire – are fabled; but it is as a patron of Contemporary art that he has pushed Turkish art to come of age. The Vehbi Koç Foundation on which he sits, is now the principal sponsor of the Istanbul Biennial; its Arter exhibition space in Istanbul and Tanas Gallery in Berlin are new centres of excellence. Koç is leading the charge to create an Istanbul home for the Foundation’s permanent collection. “Politics is the art of the next best,” said Bismarck, to which Koç’s tacit answer is that art is the politics of the very best. Andrew Finkel is an Istanbul-based correspondent and has regular columns in Taraf newspaper, the Inter- national Herald Tribune and Cornucopia magazine. His © Canvas Archives. Turkey in the Oxford University Press series What Every- one Needs to Know has just been published. 96 POWER 50 THE CHRISTIE’S DUBAI TEAM Isabelle de la Bruyère, Michael Jeha & Hala Khayat BY MOHAMMED AFKHAMI Since establishing its presence in Dubai in 2005, Christie’s has been a central pillar in the development of the Modern and Contemporary Middle Eastern art scene. Through the hard work of its Dubai team – Isabelle de la Bruyère, Michael Jeha and Hala Khayat – Christie’s has very astutely capitalised on a renewed sense of identity that swept the region in the mid- 2000s and created a dominant international stage for many artists and collectors to exchange Middle Eastern artworks. This has been achieved not only through its successful auctions but also through its sponsorship © Canvas Archives. of regional exhibitions, international lecture tours, extensive cataloguing and finally, syndicating this valuable information through its global platform. In addition, given the nascent stage of the Middle Eastern art market, the Dubai team has become a legitimate verification and effective arbitrator for many of the farhad farjam BY EMILIE FAURE works being sold. Their presence has proved all the more valuable given the sudden explosion of works Times of change prompt us to contemplate what constitutes appearing in the market in recent years. leadership and honour those we trust to deliver something worthwhile. That Farhad Farjam features in this list is all the Mohammed Afkhami is the Managing Partner of MA Partners more timely. Through a combination of vision and hard DMCC and Senior Middle East Advisor to Mitsui Energy Risk work, he has built one of the most impressive privately Management. He is a founding member of the British Museum’s owned art collections today, spanning from rare Qur’anic Middle East and North African art acquisition committee and manuscripts to Contemporary cutting-edge works. In March serves on the Art Dubai Fair Advisory Board. 2009, Farjam opened his vast art collection to the public in Dubai. In less than three years, over 1000 schoolchildren saw tailor-made educational programmes incorporated into their curriculum and hundreds of university students participated in expert-led tours. Today, the collection ignites conversations, fosters ideas and empowers children and the youth. Supporting others, whether through philanthropy, patronage or simply reaching out to those in need, yields results. These results may be intangible or difficult to quantify, but they are pregnant with possibility and the expression of the kind of courage that it takes to make the © Canvas Archives. future look bright. Emilie Faure works with White Cube gallery, focusing on sales in the Middle East. 97 POWER 50 SALOUA RAOUDA CHOUCAIR BY HALA CHOUCAIR Born in Beirut in 1916, Saloua Raouda Choucair has always defied convention and challenged the unknown. She dedicated her life to abstract art with utmost passion and determination. As the Arab world’s pioneer of Modern Islamic Abstraction, she demonstrated a philosophical and spiritual relationship to art. Through her work, she aspired to depict the unknown, based on the concept of infinity. Her experimentation with various materials – enamel, brass, metal, wood, stone, fibre, Plexiglas, stainless steel and more – proved her restless curiosity and her art’s ability to seamlessly bridge tradition and modernism and be part of everyday life. A major retrospective at the Beirut Exhibition Center last year Image courtesy Hala Choucair and Agial Art Gallery, Beirut. dazzled visitors with the vitality and creativity of this Avant-garde artist; it also broke attendance records at that venue. A special exhibition of her work, planned by the Tate Modern for 2013, will introduce international art lovers to a visionary artist who rebelled against all stereotypes. An artist in her own right, Hala Choucair is the daughter of Saloua Raouda Choucair and has curated her mother’s 2011 retrospective. 98 ANTONIA CARVER BY NEGAR AZIMI Antonia Carver is an innovator. We first met through the Internet, as people do, when we worked together as editors of Bidoun. In those days, the magazine was put together wholly virtually; there was an editor in Zurich, another in Berlin, a pair in New York, me in Cambridge and Carver in Dubai. A quietly formidable force, she was pivotal in our evolution from a magazine to an award-winning platform for educational and curatorial projects around the world. She was responsible for our first book, she initiated Bidoun’s involvement as a curatorial partner with multiple institutions from the Serpentine Gallery to Art Dubai, and pioneered art writing workshops – probably the first of their kind in the region. Day in and day out, Carver turns tried and © Canvas Archives. traditional art models on their heads. It came as no surprise when she was selected to head Art Dubai, which continues to be a critical part of the regional and international arts landscape – an art fair in which one may encounter some of the most exciting SHEIKH Sultan Sooud Al-Qassemi cultural expression of our times. At this BY BASHAR AL-SHROOGI momentous time in the history of the region, her unique, sensitive and vital work His is a voice heard around the world. Dialogue is the is more important than ever. foundation of Sheikh Sultan Al-Qassemi’s many platforms. He established the Barjeel Art Foundation in Sharjah to Negar Azimi is Senior Editor of Bidoun. share his art collection, believing accessibility to knowledge is paramount to fostering understanding. The barjeel (wind tower) is an architectural construct that enhances air © Canvas Archives. circulation and is an apt metaphor for Al-Qassemi’s goal to encourage the free-flowing exchange of ideas on the Arab world’s nuanced nature. This is the Barjeel vision, one that he embodies through the language of art and the written word. He has, at 33, reshaped global understanding of Middle Eastern history. A columnist for distinguished publications and one of the world’s best Twitter feeds, he has been the subject of global lectures and case studies on the power of social media to bring about change. He has sparked an international dialogue on Arab issues. His vision is a reality. Al-Qassemi tweets once every 45 seconds and the world is listening. Bashar Al-Shroogi is a collector of international Contemporary art and is a Director of Cuadro Fine Art Gallery in Dubai. 99 MONIR SHAHROUDY FARMANFARMAIAN BY DARIUSH ZANDI In this era of transition, many things that we hold dear are fast disappearing - whether they are natural resources, a belief, an ancient monument or a craft. Monir Shahroudy Farmanfarmaian’s effort and dedication goes beyond reviving a craft and turning it into an artwork that combines beauty and aesthetics. Her art comes from her observation, study and exploration of an age-old culture, people and civilisation, which still prevail. Navigating between the two spaces of modernity and the tradition of ancient Persia, Farmanfarmaian took on the task of turning a traditional craft into Contemporary art, preserving what is redolent of a glorious past. Through her art, she creates, she not only elevates and modernises, but also safeguards the magnificent technique of mirror work for future generations. Dariush Zandi is Chairman of the UAE Architectural Heritage Society, English Chapter and founder of Total Design and Total Arts in Dubai. art patron Image courtesy Tina Remiz, 2011. POWER 50 Image courtesy Beirut Art Center. BEIRUT ART CENTER Sandra Dagher & Lamia Joreige BY PRINCESS ALIA AL-SENUSSI It’s no secret that the Lebanese are an extraordinary example of perseverance in the face of difficulty, as well as often illustrating RITA AOUN an uncanny ability to maintain a high quality BY FABRICE BOUSTEAU of life during times of war. Beirut Art Center Rita Aoun’s efforts have helped propel Abu Dhabi’s cultural (BAC) is no exception to this rule, opening to scene into the international limelight. She is an individual who great fanfare and critical acclaim in January understands the importance of nurturing culture during such 2009 during a time of worldwide economic a rapid period of globalisation. With an academic background difficulty as well as a period of extended in theatre, French literature, journalism and art, Aoun’s ability turmoil in Lebanon. BAC, and its co-founders to work within a variety of cultures has been pivotal in bridging Lamia Joreige and Sandra Dagher, have the art and culture of the Middle East with that of the rest of the not shied away from addressing Lebanon’s world. Her management of Abu Dhabi Art as well as the projects on Saadiyat Island draw from a vision to place Abu Dhabi as one complicated history; instead, they have found of the world’s cultural centres. Her energy stems from a strong that celebrating and promoting the artistic conviction that culture links all of mankind. achievements that are born out of conflict help a nation to heal. BAC has since set the bar high Fabrice Bousteau is a curator, writer, radio producer and Editor-in-Chief of Beaux Arts magazine. for educational and cultural programming and presented a variety of top-quality shows that could hold their own on the global stage. BAC is uniquely Lebanese and, at the same time, a world-class art space, illustrating to us all that quality is indeed possible even amidst times of crisis. Princess Alia Al-Senussi serves on the boards and © Canvas Archives. committees of the Tate, Parasol Unit and Serpentine Gallery. She is on the Board of Patrons of Art Dubai and advisory board for Edge of Arabia and is an execu- tive with GenerationThree Family Partners and the VIP Relations Manager Middle East for Art Basel. 101 Image courtesy Sharjah Art Foundation. HE SHEIKHA HOOR AL-QASIMI BY NOOR AL-SUWAIDI As the face of the Gulf region’s art scene has changed in the past decade, one of the most celebrated cultural mona khazindar BY RIMA KHODR TAKIEDDINE events is the Sharjah Biennial. Back Image courtesy Art &Patronage Summit. in 2003, Sheikha Hoor Al-Qasimi was In 2011, Mona Khazindar was appointed appointed Biennial Director and has Director General of the Institut du Monde since positioned Sharjah as a cultural Arabe, the first woman to hold this position. bridge for Contemporary artists; in Since 1986, she has worked tirelessly towards 2009, the establishment of the Sharjah making the Arab and Middle Eastern Contemporary art movement part of the Art Foundation was announced. She international art scene. Her efforts also has tailored the Foundation, Biennial include co-curating the first Saudi Pavilion and programmes to suit the needs at the 2011 Venice Biennale. In her capacity of artists, from commissioning works as Vice President of the Al-Mansouria and residencies, to the highly focused Foundation, an international non-profit public educational programmes. Being organisation dedicated to art and culture, an artist herself, she is a role model Khazindar manages the Al-Mansouria Atelier for young artists and arts professionals and its artist residency programme at the Cité Internationale des arts in Paris. She is at home and abroad. An eloquent, regularly invited to participate in forums and confident and passionate young artist, symposia worldwide to lecture on Modern she has dedicated herself to the arts and Contemporary Middle Eastern art. and striven to provide a platform Through her frequent travels to the region, for local audiences to experience Khazindar helps nurture an informed Arab Contemporary arts from all over public and the establishment of programmes the world. for renowned Arab public institutions. Noor Al-Suwaidi is an Emirati artist represented Rima Khodr Takieddine is Director by Cuadro Fine Art Gallery in Dubai. General of Al-Mansouria Foundation. 102 POWER 50 HANS ULRICH OBRIST BY JULIA PEYTON-JONES Hans Ulrich Obrist is a most extraordinary junction maker. His unique way of working in concentric circles, from local to global, is reflected in his ability to impact many different spheres at once; one of the most important of which is Contemporary art from the Middle East. His connection with artists from the region has developed over many years. His ‘protest against forgetting’ has produced countless projects and publications with many key figures including Monir Shahroudy Farmanfarmaian, Etel Adnan, Susan Hefuna, Marwan Rechmaoui, Adam Henein, Adonis and as many as 15 interviews with Zaha Hadid. Last year, he curated the opening events and commissioned a series of Arabic poets for Hadid’s Chanel Mobile Art Pavilion at the Institut du Monde Arabe in Paris. In 2007, he took the Serpentine Gallery Interview Marathon series of events © Canvas Archives. to Cairo with William Wells of the Townhouse Gallery, and his regular presentations for Art Dubai are unmissable. Julia Peyton-Jones OBE is Director of the Serpentine Gallery in London. VENETIA PORTER BY ANTHONY DOWNEY © Canvas Archives. When it comes to important and significant institutions, they do not come any more important than the British Museum. The reach and influence of this institution has been pivotal for the dissemination and understanding of culture since its inception. It is therefore fitting that Hajj: Journey to the Heart of Islam, a show that celebrates one of the five pillars of Islam, has been one of its more successful to date. Combining historical artefacts with Contemporary art, the show exemplifies the guiding presence and careful consideration of Dr Venetia Porter, one of the most assiduous curators of Contemporary visual culture from the Middle East and beyond. It is this careful imbrication of Contemporary art from the region into the august halls and spaces of the British Museum, including Takhti and Word into Art in 2006 and 2009 respectively (not to mention her many publications and lectures), that marks Porter as one of the most significant advocates and curators of contemporary visual culture working in the field today. Dr Anthony Downey is the Programme Director of Contemporary Art at the Sotheby’s Institute of Art, London. He is also Editor of www.ibraaz.org and editorial board member of Third Text. 103 POWER 50 Abdullah Al-Turki. © Canvas Archives. EDGE OF ARABIA Abdullah Al-Turki, Abdulnasser Gharem, Stephen Stapleton & Ahmed Mater work The Stamp (Amen) II. Image Abdulnasser Gharem with his BY HENRY HEMMING courtesy Edge of Arabia I remember a friend’s bemused reaction four years ago when I mentioned my involvement in a book about Contemporary Saudi art: “Is that going to be a, how can I put this, a long book?” The reaction today is different. Over the last four years, the independent arts initiative Edge of Arabia (EoA) has worked tirelessly to put Saudi art on the Stephen Stapleton. © Alex Maguire (www. map. Co-founded by Director Stephen Stapleton, alexmaguirephotography.com). artists Abdulnasser Gharem and Ahmed Mater and Creative Director Abdullah Al-Turki, EoA has staged exhibitions in London, Berlin, Venice, Istanbul, Dubai and most recently in Jeddah. With Booth- Clibborn Editions, it has produced monographs on its leading artists, Gharem and Mater and has had its artists’ work shown in major public exhibitions, including the British Museum’s Hajj: Journey to the Heart of Islam and The Future of a Promise in Venice. EoA has also organised a record-breaking charitable sale at Christie’s Dubai in 2011 (that made Gharem one of the most expensive living Ahmed Mater. Image courtesy the Arab artists) and has established an acclaimed artist and Edge of Arabia. educational programme. Henry Hemming is an author and speaker, who has written for The Times, The Financial Times, The Economist and The Art Newspaper. His books include Misadventure in the Middle East and In Search of the English Eccentric. 104 SALEH BARAKAT BY NABIL NAHAS I met Saleh Barakat when I started coming back to Lebanon in the early 1990s. A modest space at first impression, Agial Art Gallery’s basement was a treasure trove that kept me coming back for days. Barakat introduced me to the Kinda Foundation, which he co-established; it gave me a thorough panorama of Arab art from the 1960s and of his skills as a curator. Another one of his traits is his genuine enthusiasm and generosity in sharing his excitement. Barakat has helped build important private collections of Modern and Contemporary Arab art. He was also instrumental in co-curating the first Lebanese Pavilion at the 52nd Image courtesy Art &Patronage Summit. Venice Biennale. Barakat’s keen intellect and academic curiosity awarded him a Yale World Fellowship in 2006. He always believed in a Contemporary Arab art world at the forefront of the art scene. He is a visionary who, very early on, focused on promoting Arab artists and now demurely sits back with a grin as it all happens. Thanks in great part to his efforts, Contemporary Lebanese art has found a Delfina Entrecanales sound international place. BY LAURA EGERTON Nabil Nahas is a New York-based Lebanese Small but perfectly formed with twinkly eyes and silver hair, artist represented by Agial Art Gallery, Beirut and Sperone Westwater, New York. Delfina Entrecanales is an atypical patron of Contemporary Middle Eastern art. She was born in Spain and moved to the UK in 1946. There is something highly pragmatic and com- mendable about Entrecanales’s philanthropy. Constantly evolv- ing and responding to the current artistic climate, her patron- age has included practical support to artists, a good meal and accommodation; alongside the opportunity to debate, network, exhibit, perform, collaborate, educate and be inspired. The Delfina Studio Trust operated from 1988–2006, after which En- trecanales turned her focus to cross-cultural exchange between the UK and Middle Eastern and North African artists through the diverse activities of the Delfina Foundation, led by the ami- able Aaron Cezar. As she heads into her 85th year, Entrecanales continues to thrive on spending time with young people. Long © Canvas Archives. may her legacy continue to inspire. Laura Egerton is Curator of the Abraaj Capital Art Prize. 105 ROSE ISSA BY OMAR MAZHAR A pioneer in promoting Contemporary visual art from the Middle East, Rose Issa has worked tirelessly for over 30 years to change the (mostly Western) misrepresentations of people from this region by highlighting their important cultural output. As an independent curator, writer and publisher, she has been responsible for introducing many of the region’s art and film luminaries to Western audiences. Young at heart and never one to shy away from giving her frank opinion (thus at times censored), she has encouraged a more honest debate. Through the books and articles she has authored and the many exhibitions she has curated, both in public institutions and at her project space in London, her contribution to the Middle Eastern art scene is, without a doubt, extraordinary and unparalleled. I believe that many authentic voices from the region – artists, filmmakers and students – are indebted to her for helping put them on the map. Omar Mazhar is Co-Director of Rose Issa Projects, London. © Canvas Archives. POWER 50 Oya and Bülent Eczacibaşı. Image courtesy IKSV. SHIRIN NESHAT BY LEILA HELLER She may be known as one of the most important Contemporary female artists of our time, but Shirin Neshat is also one of the most inspiring and empowering women on the art scene today. Since creating her seminal Women of Allah photographs in the early 1990s, she has been a voice for all women affected by the Iranian Revolution - from those who Oya & Bülent Eczacıbaşı still live in Iran to those in the West. Her first feature length film, BY AYLA JEAN YACKLEY Women Without Men, was one of the most beautifully crafted and powerful films that I have ever seen. It won the Silver Lion To trace Istanbul’s emergence as a premiere art award for Best Director at the 2009 Venice Film Festival. With a destination, follow the narrow streets lined with new exhibition in New York and a second feature-length film in dozens of galleries to the Istanbul Modern on progress, Neshat continues to inspire and make a difference in the banks of the Bosphorus. Founded in 2004 by the world. One of the most talented, pioneering artists, she is the Eczacıbaşı family, the Modern is a driving an ambassador for Middle Eastern women. force behind the rebirth of the former Ottoman capital as a capital of culture. Art power couple Leila Heller is owner of her eponymous galleries in New York. Oya and Bülent Eczacıbaşı put up their personal collection for the Museum’s core and Oya is its © Canvas Archives. chairwoman. Both Oya, who belongs to MoMA’s International Council, and Bülent, head of his family’s multibillion-dollar business, sit on the Istanbul Culture and Arts Foundation (IKSV) board, established by Bülent’s father. IKSV puts on music and film festivals as well as the Istanbul Biennial, one of the world’s top Contemporary art shows since 1987. “Without the Eczacıbaşıs, the Istanbul Modern and Biennial would not have been established; without their leadership and support, it would be unsustainable,” said Görgün Taner, IKSV’s general director. And without the Modern and the Biennial, Istanbul would not be on the global art map. Ayla Jean Yackley is a freelance Istanbul-based journal- ist and writes for Reuters, Bloomberg and the Interna- tional Herald Tribune, among others. © Canvas Archives. SHADIA & RAJA ALEM BY HAMZA SERAFI The Alem sisters symbolise what dedication and persistence can achieve. Through their perpetual quest for discovery, they explore world cultures and reinvest their findings into their art and writing. Shadia’s Market Day, a painting inspired by old souks, won the British Airways Utopia Prize AndrÉe Sfeir-Semler and graced some of the carrier’s tailfins; Raja was the first woman to win BY ZAIN MASUD the 2011 International Prize for Arabic Fiction (with funding from the Booker Foundation and the Emirates Foundation for Philanthropy) for her Andrée Sfeir-Semler is uncompromising novel, The Doves’ Necklace. From the heart of their native Mecca to the in the most positive sense, with an international world, they have brought their city of legends, rich history and energy, eye and direction that has philosophy in contemporary form to join the ‘Mecca of the art world’ – the brought to light some of the most Venice Biennale – and in doing so, represented the Kingdom’s premiere significant artists of the Middle East. participation. Their installation, The Black Arch, symbolises the need to cross the black – the obstacles – and interact with nations through the exchange In spite of an ambitious international of cultures and creations. With their deep-rooted philosophy and modern and multigenerational roster, she media, the Alem sisters prove that will and imagination prevail. continues to root out and support young artists she believes in and has Hamza Serafi is an artist and co-owner fostered conceptual art in the region. of Athr Gallery, Jeddah. No mean feat. A native Lebanese with an international reputation earned over 30 years through her Hamburg gallery, Sfeir-Semler’s vision has always been unique. Establishing her second space in Beirut in 2005, she succeeded in bringing stalwart international art to the Middle East whilst upholding a seminal programme of Arab art and championing it in the West. In spite of the heavyweight names she represents, from Michaelangelo Pistoletto to Elger Esser, Sfeir-Semler’s curatorial brief is never sacrificed for a commercial venue. In 2011 alone, her artists have shown at the Venice Biennale, comprise two out of the five Abraaj Capital Art Prize winners and are about to take Image courtesy Louis Vuitton. documenta 13 by storm. Zain Masud is Assistant Fair Director of Art Dubai. 108 POWER 50 Sam Bardouil and Till Fellrath. Photography by Myrna Ayad. art reoriented Sam Bardaouil & Till Fellrath BY WASSAN AL-KHUDAIRI Founders of curatorial platform, Art Reoriented, Sam Bardaouil and Till Fellrath, are active contributors to the VASIF KORTUN Contemporary Middle Eastern art scene. BY CLAUDIA CELLINI Focusing on presenting exhibitions that explore themes from the region, Vasif Kortun’s achievements internationally and regionally, coupled with his ability to compose analytical and challenging programmes, qualifies they have curated Italia/Arabia, Iran him as one of our region’s brightest minds and critical players. Kortun Inside Out and, most recently, Told/ is the programmes and research director of Istanbul-based SALT. As the Untold/Retold at Mathaf: Arab Museum founding director of spaces which have indelibly impacted the direction of Modern Art. The dynamic duo of Contemporary art practice, such as Platform Garanti Contemporary Art has an energy and commitment that Center, Istanbul; Proje4L Istanbul Museum of Contemporary Art, Istanbul; manifests in their everyday practice. and the Museum of the Center for Curatorial Studies, Bard College, Kortun Bardaouil approaches curating with also has an extensive resumé as a curator, which most recently included a fresh perspective and a desire to the UAE Pavilion at the 54th Venice Biennale, where I had the pleasure of working with him. question common perceptions, while Fellrath possesses a strong set of skills Claudia Cellini is co-founder of Dubai-based that allows him to creatively approach gallery, The Third Line. challenges. Their newest project, at BOZAR, Brussels this October, looks at art as a form of historical Image courtesy UAE Pavilion, 54th documentation and explores how works by Modern Masters of the Arab world have contributed to the Venice Biennale. development of art. Wassan Al-Khudairi is Director of Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art, Doha. 109 POWER 50 Image courtesy Art &Patronage Summit. WILLIAM WELLS BY WILLIAM LAWRIE My first encounter with Arab Contemporary art was in 2002 at the Townhouse Gallery, where I was attending a gig by Cairo rock band, Wust El-Balad. After that, I kept coming back for the exhibitions. As a front-runner and an early mover in the Middle Eastern art scene, many owe Jessica Morgan The Townhouse and its founder William Wells a debt of BY MAYA RASAMNY gratitude. Affable, well-connected and well-respected, Wells Few are better placed to conduct an has provided a platform for Egyptian artists and a portal intelligent debate on Contemporary art for those seeking them. Established in 1998, the gallery as a global phenomenon than Jessica has introduced many of the best-known names of Egyptian Morgan. Her incredible energy always Contemporary art to the regional and international scenes. ensures success. Morgan has been a curator As an independent non-profit educational art space, it at Tate Modern for over nine years, during stands apart from the cronyism that affects much of the which time she has curated numerous successful exhibitions for artists such local art arena. With an unusual location in the heart of the as John Baldessari, Gabriel Orozco and car mechanic district of Cairo’s Downtown, it broke new Martin Kippenberger. In 2010 Morgan ground in engaging the local community. The Townhouse’s was appointed the Daskapolous Curator impressive roster speaks for itself: Lara Baladi, Youssef Nabil, of Contemporary Art and with the Tate Huda Lutfi, Susan Hefuna, Amal Kenawy, Ahmed Askalany spreading its influence globally, Morgan and Wael Shawky. It’s no surprise that Wells is a popular will be a key player in ensuring a series of guest speaker at major forums. successful exhibitions. Her engagement with the MENASA Contemporary art scenes sees her crisscrossing the region to conduct William Lawrie is co-founder of Dubai-based Lawrie Shabibi gallery. extensive research. She is also curator of the Tate’s Middle East North Africa Acquisitions Committee and will curate a show of works by Lebanese artist Saloua Raouda Choucair at the Tate in spring 2013. Morgan is a judge on the Abraaj Capital Art Prize and is curating the next annual commission of Tate Modern’s Turbine Hall, which the remarkable Image courtesy Art &Patronage Summit. Tino Sehgal will undertake. Maya Rasamny is a patron and co-chair of the Tate’s Middle East North Africa Acquisi- tions Committee. She sits on the Interna- tional Council Committee at the Tate and is a trustee of Parasol unit foundation for Contemporary art. She is also a member of the British Museum’s Middle East Acquisi- tion Committee. 110 MONA HATOUM BY CHANTAL CROUSEL Mona Hatoum has broken clichés about what it could mean to be a Middle Eastern, Palestinian woman artist, in both East and West. In the course of her artistic evolution, she has created a unique, personal vocabulary that links formal and conceptual elements rooted in her youth in Lebanon and her travels and experience of cultures throughout the world. She masters the dialogue between rarifying expressions of traditional crafts and radical modernity and technology, between the intimate and the public, between the inside and the outside of all things. Her expressions include performance (using her own body), video, photography, sculpture and installation and her most important recent awards include the 2011 Joan Miró Prize and the 2010 Käthe-Kollwitz Preis. Her works are included in the most important public and private collections in Europe, the USA, Middle East and Asia and among her solo shows are exhibitions at the Tate, Centre Georges Pompidou and the Kunsthalle Basel. Chantal Crousel is founder of her eponymous gallery in Paris. Image courtesy Pia Getty. Image courtesy Solidere. HASSAN SHARIF BY CATHERINE DAVID Hassan Sharif’s extensive body of work comprising objects, performances, installations and paintings, is part of both his artistic and life experiment. His creative approach stems from a specific historical, social and cultural context and momentum related to the unprecedented movement of modernisation and urbanisation in the UAE, following the discovery of oil in the early 1960s and the country’s union in 1971. This specific history plays an integral part in Sharif’s oeuvre - an endless artistic practice or daily “experimental exercise of freedom” as Brazilian artist Hélio Oiticica put it, which seeks to subvert any institutionalised idea of culture. In a 2005 artist statement, Sharif Randa Armanazi referred to his Objects work as “weaving”, BY NADA DEBS which “requires neither strenuous physical activity nor unique skill”. We could extend this I heard that Solidere’s Beirut Exhibition Center (BEC) unique process of creation to his entire body is booked until 2014. That doesn’t surprise me given of work, where so many forms and gestures, Randa Armanazi’s tireless efforts in bringing art closer materials and temporalities, memories and to the people. She is a woman of incredible energy and cultures are subtly woven together. excellent marketing skills. Armanazi doesn’t say no; she’s Catherine David is a Paris-based curator open. BEC has held a formidable exhibition of one of and writer. Lebanon’s celebrated artists, Saloua Raouda Choucair, and will be staging shows by pioneering Lebanese artists Huguette Caland and Shafic Abboud this year. BEC will also host Glass Stress, a collateral event staged at the Venice Biennale and which celebrates the use of glass in Contemporary art. Exhibiting such shows in Beirut is a gift to the Lebanese public and to the wider region, and they are largely due to Armanazi’s passion. The spaces she handles - BEC, Beirut Souks and Piece Unique - have put on exhibitions of international standard. With the types of shows being presented in Beirut, doors are opening, levels Image courtesy ADACH. of intimidation are diminishing and the international media has picked up on Beirut’s contemporary cultural scene. Nada Debs is founder of her eponymous design gallery in Beirut. 112 POWER 50 Image courtesy Louis Vuitton. YTO BARRADA BY MYRNA AYAD If first names are anything to go by, Yto Barrada’s is one to take note of. A popular name among the Berbers from the Middle Atlas, Yto (or Ito or SUHA SHOMAN Itto) was a woman who was reportedly BY JACK PERSEKIAN involved in the 1914 Battle of Elrhi When I founded Anadiel Gallery in Jerusalem in 1992, I was aware of Suha against the French in the campaign to Shoman’s work in Amman, which she had initiated in 1988; it had already conquer Morocco. Yto was reactionary, set a standard and I needed to learn from her experience. Shoman had as is her Contemporary Moroccan artist a unique approach to working with artists, helping them produce and namesake. Enthusiasts of Barrada’s present their work in an open and free environment, miles ahead of other art share a common denominative art institutions then, which were stuck in their anachronistic comfort description when they wax lyrical about zones. Shoman was daring and Avant-garde, not only in her own artwork where, she has transcended her generation by delving into research-based her work: that her photographs hover processes, but also in challenging artists to produce work that engaged somewhere between a poem and a contemporary issues. No wonder most of the artists I knew would go out of dream; that her ‘serious toy’ installations their way to work with her. Somewhat shy of my humble beginnings, I would drift between the playful and the sneak incognito into Darat Al-Funun after it opened in 1993, to see who it provocative; that her video works sway collaborated with, the work produced and its presentation. I am now proud between illusion and reality. Her body to be affiliated with Darat Al-Funun two decades after my first encounter of work resurrects a hidden truth, with that magnificent place. prosaically calling for equal opportunity Jack Persekian is a Jerusalem-based curator and currently a and the bridging of gaps between visiting professor at London’s Royal College of Art. custom and modernity. Barrada is rooted – artistically and physically – in her native Tangier, where she also co- founded the Cinémathèque de Tanger. To meet the 2011 Deutsche Bank Artist of the Year is to encounter her infectious © Canvas Archives. energy, charged by boundless curiosity. Myrna Ayad is Editor of Canvas. 113 POWER 50 SHIRLEY ELGHANIAN BY ABASEH MIRVALI What happens at the crossroad of belief, dedication and determination? You would find Shirley Elghanian, chairwoman of Magic of Persia, who founded the organisation in 2004, and has since been involved in organising and managing numerous events aimed at the promotion of Iranian art and culture worldwide. Having successfully established valuable links with world-class institutions such as Tate Britain, the Royal College of Art and the V&A, in addition to forming partnerships with The Delfina Foundation, The British Museum and The London Film School, she continues her journey, phoenix-like, to promote from the heart, the best trait of any culture: the arts. Though she lives and works in London, her reach is far and the success of the programmes in which she is involved is testament to her unwavering commitment. Abaseh Mirvali is the CEO and Comisaria of Platform 5280, Biennial of the Americas. Image courtesy Art &Patronage Summit. 114 CHRISTINE TOHME BY CAROL CORM Not everyone can claim to have created the first free academy for Contemporary art in the Middle East. Christine Tohme, the founder of Ashkal Alwan, the Lebanese Association for Plastic Arts set up in 1994, has been instrumental in bringing Arab artists to the attention of international curators and museums. And now with the Academy, an incubator whose influence will hopefully spread across the region, she hopes to usher in the next generation of practitioners. Through Home Works, the biannual symposium she established in 2002, Middle Eastern art has become integral to the wider international debate on Contemporary art. Consulted by most institutions with an interest in the region, Tohme is also the recipient of several prizes, including Photography by Myrna Ayad. the Prince Claus Award; she was also selected by Monocle magazine in 2010 as one of 20 people who deserve a bigger stage in the world. That same year, Art Review placed her on their Power 100 list. With no government backing and relying on sheer tenacity, Tohme’s efforts deserve full recognition. Carole Corm is Monocle magazine’s Beirut correspondent and an Editor-at-Large for LAMEES HAMDAN ELLE Middle East. BY LAMYA GARGASH Dr Lamees Hamdan is a figure many of us aspire to become. A leader whose accomplishments have helped raise the bar of the Contemporary art scene in the UAE, her roles vary from patron of the arts, Commissioner of the UAE Pavilion for the 52nd and 54th Venice Biennales and founder of Shiffa, an organic line of skin products. These notable roles are only a few of her long list of accomplishments. Having worked closely with her at Image courtesy Art &Patronage Summit. the Venice Biennale in 2008, I came to realise the level of dedication and enthusiasm that she puts forth in her work. A devoted supporter of the arts, a working mother and a successful businesswoman: hats off to this inspirational woman. Lamya Gargash is an Emirati artist represented by The Third Line, Dubai. 115 POWER 50 RAMIN SALSALI BY NAZZY BEGLARI-SCARLET Perhaps we can dub Ramin Salsali ‘the Santiago Calatrava of culture’, for he builds bridges to connect art lovers. The 47 year-old Iranian-born global nomad materialised his dream of sharing his passion for art in 2011 with the opening of the Salsali Private Museum (SPM), Dubai’s first private museum. While the space showcases works from Salsali’s collection – acquired over two decades and which includes Middle Eastern Photography by Anna Wallace-Thompson. and Western artworks – among SPM’s tenets is an open invitation for patrons to showcase their collections. In 2010 and 2011 Salsali was recognised by the Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al-Maktoum Patron of the Arts Awards, and yet, in spite of his achievements, he is neither an uptight businessman nor is he a supercilious collector. With his contagious energy and endless enthusiasm, he is of that rare breed of fun-loving intelligent KHALED SAMAWI entrepreneurs. Look into his eyes and you’ll see BY SAMIA HALABY that Salsali is already dreaming of even more ambitious projects. Reverse his daughter’s name, add serendipity and you spell Nazzy Beglari-Scarlet was Senior International Ayyam. Over five years ago Khaled Samawi, having abandoned Correspondent for Voice of America TV before turn- banking, found himself with an empty space adjacent to his home ing her focus to painting and media consulting. in the elegant suburbs of Damascus. Generative discussions with artist Safwan Dahoul led to the idea of a gallery. Wholeheartedly entranced, Samawi soon put Syrian art on the international map. Seeing the growing importance of Arab art, he expanded his vision and opened three more galleries in Dubai and Beirut. Ayyam appears on a scene with unparalleled weight in terms of exhibitions and publications, yet you do not see Samawi everywhere. You wonder how he does it. If you visit him, you will find yourself seated in front of his desk with a drink in your hand. He is smiling, multitasking and his eyes are dancing; his right hand is working electronic media, perhaps juggling picture files, his other hand holds a cigarette or a catalogue. He is thinking; you are examining. But his sparkling creativity lies in private time somewhere between © Canvas Archives. the art world and the sanctuary of family and home. Samia Halaby is a New York-based Palestinian painter represented by Ayyam Gallery. 116 Image courtesy Traffic, Dubai. RAMI FAROOK BY JAMES CLAR Rami Farook’s role as an art patron has been fundamental in the development of art and culture in Dubai. This extends from his support for young artists, and his attention to the need for them to grow, to the dedication he has shown in educating the public about art and design more generally. Farook’s art collection reflects his progressive mindset and exploration of the possibilities of art. Not just collecting what is pretty, trendy or can be placed on a wall, he includes in his collection many experimental installations and media works, further evidence of the ways in which he supports all types of art. He has also curated his collection into shows inspired by deep conceptual themes, further educating the public with a ‘now’ state of art. Farook’s focus on the social effects of art make him unique and inspiring and have ensured his impact upon the very cultural identity of Dubai. James Clar is a media artist living between Dubai and New York and is represented by Dubai-based Carbon 12 gallery. 117 Many thanks to contributors of the Power 50 feature: HH Sheikha Mariam Bint Mohammed Al-Nahyan, Lateefa Bint Maktoum, HE Omar Ghobash, Princess Alia Al-Senussi, Mohammed Afkhami, Savita Apte, Negar Azimi, Fabrice Bousteau, Claudia Cellini, Hala Choucair, James Clar, Carole Corm, Chantal Crousel, Catherine David, Nada Debs, Manal Al-Dowayan, Anthony Downey, Laura Egerton, Emilie Faure, Andrew Finkel, Lamya Gargash, Robert Goff, Mohammed Hafiz, Samia Halaby, Leila Heller, Henry Hemming, Tariq Al-Jaidah, Julia Peyton-Jones, Dina Nasser Khadivi, Wassan Al-Khudairy, William Lawrie, Zain Masud, Omar Mazhar, Abaseh Mirvali, Nabil Nahas, Dariush Zandi, Zaki Anwar Nusseibeh, Jack Persekian, Maya Rasamny, Nazzy Beglari-Scarlet, Hamza Serafi, Bashar Al-Shroogi, Fatima Al-Shroogi, Ciğdem Simavi, Sharifa Al-Sudairi, Noor Al- Suwaidi, Rima Khodr Takieddine and Ayla Jean Yackley.
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