icons REVIEW and masters Stellar works make their way into regional salerooms. A Myrna Ayad surveys the last season’s auctions. uction highlights are a little tricky: tara Cultural Village, “is the first time in the history by Judd, Maurizio Cattelan, Julie Mehretu, Hirst they’re often obvious lots – highly coveted and of Contemporary Arab art that such an estimate and even Avedissian – were guaranteed and had unique pieces that are accompanied by hefty es- [$1-1.5 million] is put down in writing,” said Lina La- irrevocable bids. All reportedly sold to Western cli- timates, or they belong to that group of artworks zaar, International Specialist, Sotheby’s. Icons of the ents, except for Icons of the Nile. Perhaps the time whose hammer prices surprise the room and the Nile is rumoured to have been acquired by a Doha is right for Christie’s Dubai to re-introduce such market at large. And sometimes, they are both. So cultural institution, along with Ayman Baalbaki’s Ya pieces given that the non-Middle Eastern lots at when the ads and auction catalogues for the April ‘Illahi – which achieved a world record for the artist the Sotheby’s auction brought in almost $9 mil- two-part Christie’s Dubai and Sotheby’s Doha sales at $377,000 – and Manal Al-Dowayan’s 125-piece lion against a total of $15.2 million? “I think Du- were published, it was immediately evident that Suspended Together, which sold for $329,000, over bai remains the primary platform for regional art Farhad Moshiri’s Secret Garden and Chant Avedis- double its high estimate. – both locally and internationally – and the audi- sian’s Icons of the Nile from their respective auctions Whispers rose in the auction room for what ence and results for Christie’s Dubai auctions and were the apparent star lots. And so they were – the could have been a star lot, when a work by Art Dubai prove this,” commented art advisor Dina former, reportedly consigned from a prominent Ahmed Alsoudani, printed on the Sotheby’s Nasser Khadivi. “When we started our auctions, in- Europe-based Iranian art collector sold for $987,750 catalogue back cover, was removed right before ternational buyers comprised a small percentage up from an estimate of $300,000-500,000 to a non- the sale began. The 46-lot sale was the auction of the sales,” says Hala Khayat, Head of Sales, Asso- Iranian buyer; while the latter went for $1.56 mil- house’s first in Doha since 2010 and comprised ciate Director, Modern and Contemporary Arab, lion, making it the most expensive artwork by a works by artists such as Ai Weiwei, Donald Judd Iranian and Turkish Art at Christie’s. “Today the fig- living Arab artist, surpassing Abdulnasser Gharem’s and Damien Hirst, alongside those by Contempo- ures and stats show that we’re selling more than Message/Messenger, which sold for $842,500 at the rary regional names including Adel Abidin, Monir half of the sale to international buyers, so perhaps 2011 April Christie’s Dubai sale. “A valid comparison Farmanfarmaian and Baalbaki. That sale was remi- there is the possibility to introduce Post War inter- for sure, but let’s not forget that Gharem’s piece sup- niscent of early Christie’s Dubai auctions, which national works.” Bahraini dealer Bashar Al-Shroogi ported a charity,” said a Dubai-based art consultant. included a similar combination of international concurs: “Based on my experience of what people Avedissian’s brilliant 120-stencil installation, which and regional nationalities and diverse genres. It is in the region are buying, at the right price point, draped the walls of the auction room in the Ka- significant to note that five of the top lots – those why not?” 58 REVIEW Records and Applause “Of course Baalbaki is going to cause this ruckus,” quipped one dealer at the Christie’s 91-lot Part II sale, as hands rapidly shot up for the 75 x 55 cm piece; “there’s a waiting list on him from here to kingdom come!” The Lebanese artist’s Al-Moulatham, bought by an American collector during Agial Art Gallery’s participation Facing page: Chant Avedissian. (Detail) at the ZOOM Contemporary Art Fair in Miami in 2010, sold for an impressive $105,750, over five times its Icons of the Nile. 1991–2010. Gouache, high estimate. Among other ‘surprise’ highlights and world records in the 28-lot Part I sale were Modern hand-coloured stencil, gold Master Shafic Abboud’s Le Chemin d’Alep, one of two of the largest works by the Lebanese artist ever made, and silver acrylic paint on board. 120 pieces. 315.6 and which sold for $387,750, up from an estimate of $200,000-250,000 to a collector in the USA; and Syr- x 1452 cm overall. Image courtesy Sotheby’s Ltd, 2013. ian artist Safwan Dahoul’s Rêve 16, which went for $219,750 against an estimate of $100,000-150,000, and This page: sold online to an Asian private collector. The latter was among 13 works by Ayyam Gallery artists in both Left: Farhad Moshiri. (Detail) Christie’s sales – a reflection, said one Arab dealer, “of Ayyam’s increasing presence at auctions”, in addition Secret Garden. 2009. Oil, acrylic, metal, glitter paint, to the sales that the gallery stages in Dubai and Beirut. Khayat maintains, however: “People are obviously beads and Swarovski crystals. 197 x 197 x 5.5 cm. Image buying from a prestigious auction house [Christie’s], but they’re buying good quality artwork and it’s our courtesy Christie’s Ltd, 2013. job to present the best.” Right: (Detail) Manal Over 20 Modern Middle Eastern lots comprised the Christie’s sales, which brought in a total of $6.4 Al-Dowayan. Suspended Together. 2011. Fibreglass million, whereas rival Sotheby’s had included five – a curious inclusion in a Contemporary Art sale, but with laminate coating in 125 parts. Variable dimensions. which presented a unique, sensual and impressive piece, Profil, by Mahmoud Said. “We didn’t want to Unique piece. Image courtesy Sotheby’s Ltd, 2013. present a menu for Mathaf [Arab Museum of Modern Art],” noted Lazaar. Khayat confirms the difficulty in sourcing Modern work “as people are not very willing to part with higher value pieces” and cites the “nec- essary due diligence and provenance that we conduct”. Interestingly, Modern pieces are finding younger buyers – a sentiment echoed by many. Al-Shroogi believes this is due to “a need to balance their portfolios – these works are to be bought at auction.” Of the 86-lot Ayyam Young Collectors auction held on 30 April in Dubai, four were by Syrian Modern Master Fateh Moudarres, all of which came from the Aziz Collection in Switzerland and which all sold for at least double their lower estimates. “It’s not easy to get your hands on them,” said one bidder in the sale, which made $732,600. “The demand will always go up.” Indeed it shall, as several auctions have proven the legitimacy of Modern works. Given the challenging political climate, it remains to be seen just how willing people may be to consign such works. 59
Enter the password to open this PDF file:
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-