07 NOVEMBER 2012 I ISSUE 2 I ABU DHABI ART EDITION

20TH CENTURY STARS VERNISSAGE SALESWorks by some of the art world’s celebrated names dot this year’s fair. Mid-range works sell on

opening night with a positive outlook from galleries.

THE FOURTH EDITION of Abu Dhabi Art opened on a high note with a bustling crowd, full booths and an optimistic outlook for the rest of the week. Museum representatives from the Louvre, Guggenheim and British Museum were spotted among the crowd of collectors, artists, gallerists and art enthusiasts at the fair’s vernissage. A common note amongst the attendees was the fair's new layout that split the galleries into two halls – Hall 1 in Manarat Al-Saadiyat and Hall 2 in the Norman Foster-designed pavilion.

At the time of press, it had not been announced whether or not President Obama succeeded in attaining a second term as Commander-in-Chief of the USA. Yet in the name of hope, London/New York gallery Waterhouse & Dodd (1M17/1S1) commissioned American Pop artist Robert Indiana to create works specifically, and in time for, the American elections. “It certainly wasn’t a coincidence,” adds the gallery’s Ray Waterhouse, “and I was also aware of the works’ meaning in relation to the current climate in the Arab world.” It is an interesting observation that two of the works showing at the gallery stand for hope in the face of tumultuous times (in the region) and democratic success (in the USA). Nine months ago, Waterhouse & Dodd approached the 84 year-

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Tadashi Kawamata. Chairs for Abu Dhabi. 2012. Wooden chairs. Dimensions variable. Images courtesy TCA Abu Dhabi.

Halim Al-Karim. New Orientalism 7. 1997. Lambda print covered with black silk. 170 x 120 cm. Edition of three plus two artist's proofs. Image courtesy Galerie Brigitte Schenk, Cologne.

Robert Indiana. HOPE (Red/Violet). 2011. Aluminium sculpture. Edition three of nine plus one artist's proof. 46 x 46 x 23 cm. Image courtesy Waterhouse & Dodd, London/New York.

Hundreds of chairs stacked in layers to form a six metre-high structure make up Japanese artist Tadashi Kawamata's Chairs for Abu Dhabi installation, situated in Manarat Al-Saadiyat. Dedicated to the act of socialisation, it was specially commissioned for the fourth edition of Abu Dhabi Art and was brought in by Paris's kamel mennour (2P18/B2). The monumental piece invites visitors to take a seat and reflect on the architecture of the space.

GRAB A CHAIR

Lee Hwaik Gallery (1M2) Director Kim Dong Hyun was delighted with the turnout and the increased interest shown in Korean art at their booth. “We wait for people to approach us with interest; we like to tell the story of the artist and the artwork before quoting a price,” explained the gallery's Dong Hyun. The Seoul-based space sold two works – Instant Landscapes by Kim Nampyo for $15,000 to a UAE-based buyer new to the gallery, and Jowoonyoung by Kim Duck Yong to another UAE-based collector new to the gallery for $37,000.

Turkey-based CDA Projects (1M14) sold The Constellation by Janet Bellotto to a regional collector for $5000. Nearby gallery, Janine Rubeiz (1M21) from Beirut saw crowds flocking to a performance/installation

by Mazen Kerbaj. For the duration of the fair, the artist will work in a Plexiglas cage and create works on paper. As the evening progressed, three of his drawings were sold for between $1400-2800 to Lebanese and French collectors. The gallery also sold a photograph by Rania Matar for $2500 to an international collector. Zurich and Lucerne-based AB Gallery (2P19/1S2) sold one work by Samira Hodaei to a European collector for $8000, while Cologne-based Brigitte Schenk (2P10) sold a photograph by Halim Al-Karim for $35,000 to an Emirati collector.

A representative from Muscat's Bait Muzna Gallery (2P5) pointed out the fair's spacious layout and diverse attendees and had a number of works on reserve including a work by Khaled Al-Saai. Their only sale of the night was Broken Heart by Anna Dudchento for $8000. Abu Dhabi Art regulars Waterhouse & Dodd (1M17/1S1) had a good evening selling seven works in total. Mid-range works seem to be the order of the day for the London and New York-based gallery, with a majority of sales in the $20,000 range. French photographer Jean-François Rauzier’s Mosque Rustem Pasta was sold for $26,500 to a member of the UAE royal family, while an oil on canvas work by Karina Wisniewska sold for $20,000 to a local collector familiar to the gallery. Sweat of the Sun by Justine Smith sold for $19,500 to an unnamed collector. The gallery also sold a paper and card collage by Robi Walters for $7500.

Tunis-based Galerie El-Marsa (2P4) brought works by their star artists for the fair, including those by Rachid Koraichi and Nja Mahdaoui. The only sale reported on the night was a set of seven works by Halim Karabibene from an untitled series for $700 each to an Emirati collector. Meanwhile, art world star Damien Hirst was well-represented by Paul Stolper Gallery (1M10) which sold a few works by the artist for between $5000-8000. Beirut-based Agial Art Gallery (1M6) was pleased with the interest in their booth and saw the sale of a gouache work by Farid Haddad and a mixed media piece by Shafic Abboud to the same international collector. October Gallery (1M9) cited great interest in their star artist El Anatsui and sold a piece by Rachid Koraichi to a UAE-based international buyer and a work on paper by Hassan Massoudy for what the gallery described as mid-range prices.

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Justine Smith. Sweat of the Sun. 2011. 24-carat gold leaf and acrylic on paper. 102 x 102 cm. Image courtesy Waterhouse & Dodd, London/New York.

Rachid Koraichi. (Detail) A Nation in Exile: Hymne Grave. 1981 Etching. 76 x 56 cm. Image courtesy October Gallery, London. Photography by Jonathan Greet.

Rania Matar. (Detail) Dania 9, Burj El-Barajneh, Refugee Camp, Beirut. 2011. Archival pigment print. 90 x 70 cm. Image courtesy Galerie Janine Rubeiz, Beirut.

TODAY

Guggenheim Abu Dhabi Talking Art Series - Manarat Al-Saadiyat AuditoriumA panel about the vision and architecture of the future museum. Speakers include Zaki Anwar Nusseibeh, Frank Gehry and Richard Armstrong. Moderated by Vishakha Desai.

*Art, Talks and Sensations Teen Workshop: Enchanted Place - Studio Manarat Al-SaadiyatCreate your own enchanted place using old books. Utilise a range of sculptural techniques to make a unique and personal book sculpture.

Abu Dhabi Art Design Storytellers - Inside Chairs for Abu Dhabi by Tadashi KawamataA spoken-word performance inspired by artisans and craft, by artist Hala Ali.

Abu Dhabi Art Interview with Edward Tyler Nahem - Hall 1 Art LoungeDrop in on an intimate and informal discussion with some of the most fascinating Contemporary artists and gallerists participating in this year’s fair.

The Abu Dhabi Art Panel: Where is the Centre? Searching for the Cross-Roads of the Art WorldManarat Al-Saadiyat AuditoriumA panel that looks at the growing importance of the UAE and wider Middle East in the global art market. Speakers include Kamel Mennour, Sunny Rahbar, Thaddaeus Ropac and Andrée Sfeir-Semler. Moderated by Zaki Anwar Nusseibeh.

Abu Dhabi Art Interview with Joanne Cohen - Inside Chairs for Abu Dhabi by Tadashi KawamataDrop in on an intimate and informal discussion with some of the most fascinating contemporary artists and gallerists participating in this year’s fair.

*Art, Talks and Sensations Adult Workshop: Enchanted Place - Studio Manarat Al SaadiyatCreate your own enchanted place using old books. Utilise a range of sculptural techniques to make a unique and personal book sculpture.

Saadiyat Cultural District Talking Art Series: Architecture VisionariesManarat Al-Saadiyat AuditoriumAn insightful discussion between legendary architects Jean Nouvel and Frank Gehry. Moderated by Saeed Al-Hajeri.

Art, Talks and Sensations Opening Night - Inside Art, Talks and Sensations exhibitionJoin us for the opening performances of Art, Talks and Sensations: The Island/A Game of Life, curated by Fabrice Bousteau - an imaginary territory, exotic haven and strange universe with its own exhilarating ambiance projected in the heart of Manarat Al-Saadiyat.

Abu Dhabi Art Design Storytellers - Inside Chairs for Abu Dhabi by Tadashi KawamataA spoken-word performance inspired by artisans and craft, by artist Hala Ali.

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A MAGICAL DISPLAY OF BULGARI HIGH JEWELLERYBulgari sponsors Abu Dhabi Art once again, returning with a display of some of the House's most pivotal jewellery pieces.

A passion for colour, volume and a sublime sense of beauty are all elements which serve to create the magnificence which is a Bulgari piece of High Jewellery. After the brand’s successful travelling exhibition, 125 Years of Italian Magnificence in 2011, Bulgari returns to Abu Dhabi Art as the fair’s principal sponsor. The House’s superb creations are on display in an installation reflecting the brand’s heritage as well as its modern-day essence, erected by architectural team NaNa – Notanumber Architects. “As a platform for Modern and Contemporary

art and design, Abu Dhabi Art is the perfect occasion to share the impactful creativity of our High Jewellery pieces,” said Vice Chairman of Bulgari, Nicola Bulgari. “They have been designed and executed to convey a sense of perfect, unquestionable and timeless beauty, like that of a work of art.” The installation showcases the brand’s latest High Jewellery creations which were unveiled in September during the Biennale des Antiquaires in Paris.

ss ation eations Biennale Right: Serpenti High Jewellery necklace with emerald beads, turquoise and diamonds.

Image courtesy Bulgari. Left: A rendering of the Bulgari Lounge at Abu Dhabi Art. Image courtesy NaNa Architects.

VERNISSAGE

The fourth edition of Abu Dhabi Art held its VIP opening at Manarat

Al-Saadiyat in an event that was attended by members of the UAE

ruling family, dignitaries, collectors and art enthusiasts. Showcasing works by around 400 artists, the

fair was inaugurated by HH Sheikh Hazza Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan,

National Security Advisor and Vice Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council and HE Sheikh Sultan Bin Tahnoon Al-Nahyan, Chairman of TCA Abu Dhabi.

Attendees included renowned art world personalities such as Adel

Abidin, Jean Nouvel, Ghada Amer and Marina Abramovic.

Gallerist Andrée Sfeir-Semler, curator Sam Bardaouil and Guy Vesey of Christie's and curator Till Fellrath.

Guests at the Majlis Al-Salam ballroom.

Jessica Morgan of the Tate.

Lebanese artist Mazen Kerbaj’s installation and

performance piece Don’t Feed the Artist.

John Diviney, Rita Hayworth and Gareth Roberts.

HH Sheikh Hazza Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan.

Tunisian artist Nja Mahdaoui.

Director of Christie’s Middle East, Isabelle de la Bruyère.

HE Dr Anwar Gargash, UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs.Collectors Noura and Mohamed Al-Refaey.

Rose Issa of Rose Issa Projects, London.

Lam Art Gallery’s Lamya Al-Rashed.

Director of Lisson Gallery, Nicholas Logsdail with Eva Karcher.

Collectors Farid and Rita Karkaby.

Sharifa Al-Sudairi of Pace Gallery and Schyler Waterman.

Gallerist Andrée Sfeir-Semler looks at a work by Gabriel Kuri.

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Edward Tyler Nahem Fine Art's Paloma Martin Llopis, Sarvenaz Moshaver, Reza Nader-Sepahi and Ali Bakhtiari.

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ARTISTS ACROSS BORDERSFor many of today’s artists, constant travel has become the norm. How this has affected the work of Middle Eastern artists?

AN ARTIST MAY exhibit in Tokyo, have another show in Paris, yet be based in Tehran and Dubai. Given that an artist’s work is greatly influenced by his/her surroundings, such a constant state of travel must affect one’s creative process as they navigate various cultures and geopolitical influences. With the increase in demands on an artist’s production, in addition to the rapid growth of the Contemporary art market, some artists, such as Iraqi Adel Abidin, Iranian Farhad Moshiri and Indian UBIK, are consistently working across a multitude of international and cultural borders.

Having recently exhibited at the Kunsthalle Winterthur in Switzerland and Arab Art Express at Tokyo’s Mori Art Museum, Abidin shows at Abu Dhabi Art through CDA Projects (1M14). He has lived in Finland for the past 11 years and constantly finds himself on the road. “Showing in different geographical and cultural settings influences my artistic process in that I am consistently exposed to a diversity of people from totally different backgrounds,” he says. His recent work, Symphony, refers to the stoning of 90 Iraqi teenagers by religious extremists and was produced in Amman and later shown in Istanbul's ARTER. Although the work was created outside his homeland, the recalling of a specific event in Abidin's country posits the idea that an artist cannot escape the cultural influences of their country of origin, no matter where they happen to be.

Moshiri, who is exhibiting through The Third Line (1M13) and Thaddaeus Ropac (2P16), lives and works between Paris and Tehran.

While geography doesn’t affect his artistic process, he says that he is most comfortable when working in his native Tehran. Moshiri believes that viewers perceive his work differently, depending on where it is exhibited. “I have not yet been able to escape the stigma of being labelled as an Iranian,” he says. “Wherever I am exhibiting, if I put the colour green in my work, people immediately refer it to Iran’s Green Revolution.” This, he says, is perhaps the fault of Middle Eastern artists themselves. “Many of us began by creating works relating to our political and cultural situations, then we started thinking of ourselves as global instead of ethnic artists and then, we pulled back to desiring to be Middle Eastern artists again and the cycle continues,” he adds.

UBIK, who has created Geographical Slurs Vol 1for the fair, admits that even though he is a foreigner in Dubai, he can’t escape his art being influenced by the region’s political events. “The Arab Spring certainly had an impact on me and on my work,” he says. “The event is important for me because I am based here although I’m not from here.” UBIK travels to his native Kerala, from where he consumes a lot of information which feeds into the work he creates in Dubai. While the geographical location in which an artist works is certainly a determining factor in his/her artistic production, it is not the be-all and end-all of their creativity. Cultural influences will certainly play their role, but it is ultimately the artist’s perception of such circumstances that will determine their part

Farhad Moshiri. (Detail) SHOOTEMUP! 4. 2012. Embroidery and acrylic on canvas on board. 175 x 175 cm. Image courtesy The Third Line, Dubai.

Adel Abidin. Consumption of War. 2011. Video installation. Three minutes and 20 seconds. Image courtesy CDA Projects, Istanbul.

Over 300 works were auctioned during the last week of October in Dubai. Still, auction rooms continue to be full for the last few sales for Middle Eastern art.

EYEBROWS WERE RAISED as Dubai embarked on what has become known as its ‘Auction Week’ with 339 artworks sold through three sales – two by galleries, Opera and Ayyam, and one by renowned auction house, Christie’s. Interestingly, Sotheby’s recently cancelled its Contemporary Arab and Iranian sale in London in October; the auction house stated that it was re-evaluating the sale’s timing vis-à-vis its clients.

Eager buyers first attended Ayyam’s Young Collectors Sale on 22 October – the same date and time chosen by Opera to launch its first-ever auction. Buyers then made their way to the Christie’s Part I sale a day later, followed by its Part II sale on 24 October.

While the Middle East remains prey to political tension, the results of these sales spell stability and maturity for the region’s art market. Opera’s 140-lot sale (all consigned through the gallery) comprised Impressionist, Contemporary Middle Eastern and international Post War artworks and brought in $7.4 million, with the majority of works selling for prices within their estimates; the star lot was Pierre-Auguste Renoir’s 1918 Deux Femmes dans le Jardin selling to a private collector for $1.8 million. Prices soared well beyond their estimates at Ayyam’s auction, which concluded in top lots by Mohannad Orabi selling for $33,000 up from an estimate of $7000–9000. Both Christie’s sales brought in a combined total of $5,900,350 with fierce bidding wars being fought over Iraqi artist Hayv Kahraman’s The Triangle and first-timer at auction Turkish artist Ramazan Bayrakoglu’s Sandra. Among Modern Arab artists, Egyptian Mahmoud Said’s Pêcheurs a Rashid

(Rosette), consigned from a private Egyptian collection, sold for $680,000 against a pre-sale estimate of $400,000–600,000.

While the resounding world-record prices witnessed a few years ago at the Christie’s Dubai 2007 and 2008 sales are no longer present, these results are solid and tell of a maturing and sustainable market. “The world was a different place back then,” says Christie’s Middle East Managing Director, Michael Jeha. “We’ve finally reached a stable and mature market.” This, however, is not just about the Middle East art market – clients from the region are now seen buying at international sales and this is reflective of the Middle East’s growing collector base.

To read a full review of this article, see Canvas’s current issue.

WIDENING THE FIELD

Hayv Kahraman. The Triangle. 2012. Oil on linen. 117.7 x 167.6 cm. Image courtesy Christie’s.

“IT’S TRULY A DISASTER ZONE,” said Leila Heller, founder of her eponymous New York gallery (2P12), of Hurricane Sandy, which swept through the Mid Atlantic, Caribbean and parts of Northeastern USA last week. An employee of Heller’s lost her home and nearby galleries, CRG and Zach Feuer suffered from destroyed artworks and walls and no power. “We didn’t experience serious destruction, but we have lost 10 days of business,” says Heller, whose shipment to Abu Dhabi Art was taken care of weeks in advance, as was that of fellow participating gallery Edward Tyler Nahem Fine Art (2P7). “We were affected in that my staff living downtown and in Brooklyn couldn’t get to the gallery because all the transportation is down,” said the gallery’s founder, Edward Tyler Nahem, whose space in midtown Manhattan luckily did not report any damage. “I felt a bit guilty abandoning my great city and heading here, but this was in the plans and life must go on. There will certainly be longstanding scars on the art world because of Sandy.” The Brooklyn Museum has confirmed that its collection was not damaged. What is positive is the amount of help which art institutions across New York have been dolling out to those in need; Christie’s has offered offices to galleries who have lost their work space and MoMA’s Conservation Department will provide assessment of damaged artworks.

SANDY’S HAVOC

New York galleries participating in Abu Dhabi Art recover from the damage of the storm.

Flooding on 24 street between 10th and 11th. Image courtesy Artinfo.com.

A view of flooding on 23rd street and 10th avenue. Image courtesy Artinfo.com24th street between 10th and 11th Image courtesy Artinfo.com

Our Planet, Your ChoiceEco Future, an interactive, family-friendlyexhibition about the environment

Visit now at Manarat Al SaadiyatSaadiyat Cultural District, Abu Dhabi

Open Daily 10am-8pm

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08 07 NOV 2012 I CANVAS DAILY I ISSUE 2 I ABU DHABI ART EDITION

SOUND AND SOLIDThe works are rare, with most in private hands, yet the Modern Arab art market continues to strengthen.

SPECULATORS ARGUE THAT an appreciation of Modern Arab art exploded with the famed Christie’s Dubai sale that saw Mahmoud Said’s Les Chadoufs rocket to over $2.5 million. Subsequent auctions which sold Modern Arab artworks for record prices confirm such conjectures: the genre is sound. “It is the most legitimate market,” stresses Meem Gallery’s (1M15) Charles Pocock. “What makes it solid is the works’ depth and the collections that they are held in.” The Park Gallery’s (1M20) Robin Start shares the same sentiment: “You can’t say Rembrandt or Picasso are going out of fashion; these Modern Arab masters stand the same ground.” Others, however, reflect on the establishment of Doha’s Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art in 2010 as a major catalyst in the current strength of Modern Arab art. Since then, the last few years have seen major shows being organised for some of Modern Arab art’s pioneers – Saloua Raouda Choucair’s retrospective at the Beirut Exhibition Centre (BEC) caught the eye of the Tate which is giving her a show next April; a retrospective for Shafic Abboud also took place at BEC; Aref Rayess is set to have a show curated by Catherine David next year; and. A retrospective on Hamed Abdullah is slated at Paris’s Institut du Monde Arabe next year – pending sponsorship. “In the absence of museums, there is a fundamental need to get historical,” says Saleh Barakat of Beirut’s Agial Art Gallery (1M6) and the driving force behind the aforementioned exhibitions. His booth at Abu Dhabi Art, he says, “is a history lesson, an intellectual position, a didactic venture, a defence of modernity and nationalism.” Barakat’s booth showcases works by Saliba Douaihy, Jean Khalifeh and Huguette Caland, among others. His has always been an educational mission, as has Pocock’s through Meem’s publications and country-focus shows.

Yet there exist only a handful of specialised dealers in the field who offer works from this period and initiate dialogues in the form of exhibitions, major retrospectives and book publishing. Start is

convinced that the genre’s small pie will be shared as “more dealers move towards Modern Arab art.” As the region plunges into greater turmoil, more collectors may part with their prized works for the sake of financial security; Pocock confirms that this has begun. “We’ve recently sold two pieces that have come out of Syria in the last six months,” says Pocock. “I expect the same will happen in Egypt; works will get redistributed.” The Dubai gallery’s booth showcases some stellar names in the Modern Arab art arena, including artists from Iraq, Morocco, Egypt and Syria with pieces priced at between $25,000-120,000. “They are key works which any museum or serious private collector would like to acquire,” he says.

At The Park Gallery, important pieces by the likes of Louay Kayyali, Fateh Moudarres, Saliba Douaihy and Paul Guiragossian are on show, including works by Contemporary Iraqi artist Hanaa Malallah, whose oeuvre, believes Start, is influenced by Modern Iraqi master Shakir Hassan Al-Said. “The Contemporary art that we see today did not come out of a vacuum,” he says. “Some of today’s Contemporary artists are tomorrow’s masters – the real criteria is who among these will be dubbed a master.” Interestingly, Start cites Chinese collectors among those keen on acquiring Modern works. The Arabs, however, belong to a generation which relates to this genre, particularly as it shares the same ideals of these Masters: that of nationalism and identity. “These are rare pieces by artists who have immense quality and this is why they’re much appreciated today,” adds Barakat. “The only way is up.”

Louay Kayyali. (Detail) Boy with Sugared Apples.1975. Oil on canvas. 94 x 75 cm. Image courtesy The Park Gallery, London.

Jewad Selim. (Detail) Untitled (The Gardener). Circa 1950. Oil on canvas. 62 x 52 cm. Image courtesy Meem Gallery, Dubai.

Aref Rayess. (Detail) Untitled. 1964. Oil on canvas. 92 x 97 cm. Image courtesy Agial Art Gallery, Beirut.

Istanbul-based CDA Projects is this year’s choice for Bidaya, Abu Dhabi Art’s designated section showcasing one emerging art gallery.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

FOR 30 YEARS Moiz Zilberman was a full-time industrialist, producing parts for the automotive industry. A love for art translated into collecting, which he has been doing for over two decades. When he sold his company, he decided to dedicate himself completely to art through the foundation of a gallery.

Galeri Zilberman was founded in Istanbul in 2008 and is centrally located on Istiklal Street within the city’s cultural centre. The gallery works in cooperation with two other spaces in the same building: CDA Projects and Kat 1, both of which are also owned by Zilberman. The entire space offers a 500-square metre exhibition venue and is committed to supporting emerging artists from Turkey as well as international artists. “Our policy is to have 20 per cent of our artist’s roster represent international artists,” states Zilberman. “We are a Turkish gallery with an international presence.”

Just five years old, CDA Projects has been selected for Abu Dhabi Art’s Bidaya, a section presenting one cutting-edge emerging art gallery without the normally required three-year fair experience. While the gallery has already participated at numerous art fairs such as Art Platform in Los Angeles, the Vienna Fair and Contemporary Istanbul, Zilberman is enthusiastic about showing among such renowned art world names at Abu Dhabi Art. The 90-square-metre booth encompasses works made in various media by predominantly Turkish artists, including Ahmet Elhan, Azade Köker and Zeynep Kayan with the exception of two other artists: Iraqi Adel Abidin and Italian/Canadian Janet Bellotto. “We tried to strike a good balance between the Turkish works made in a mix of photography, collage and painting with the video installations by Bellotto and Abidin.” In line with its designation as a new and emerging art gallery, CDA Projects presents a carefully curated booth emphasising an art which speaks at once to a Middle Eastern as well as an international audience.

Janet Bellotto. The Lure. 2011. Video installation. Three minutes and 20 seconds. Edition of five plus one artist’s proof. Image courtesy CDA Projects, Istanbul.

THE ART OF SHAKESPEARELONDON: In collaboration with the Royal Shakespeare Company, the British Museum in London presents an exhibition on the world of Shakespeare taking place until 25 November. This show provides an innovative and unique perspective on London’s role as a rising world city 400 years ago. Over 190 objects, many of which are on loan from both private and national UK collections are featured. London, as it was four centuries ago, is portrayed through Contemporary performances as well as several objects including maps, prints, drawings, coins, medals and more, which are interpreted through the lens of Shakespeare’s plays. This exhibition explores various aspects of the theatre, including its as a popular developing field during this time in British history.

CELEBRATING LEBANESE ARTBEIRUT: Held at the Beirut Exhibition Center, Art from Lebanon runs until 9 December and displays works by several Lebanese artists from 1880 to 1975, in addition to the launch of a book that serves to document these artists’ lives. Curated by Saleh Barakat and Nadine Begdache, this exhibition is a celebration of Lebanese nationalism as the works presented encompass the country’s history and heritage. Many of the pieces shown are from public and private collections, some of which have been exhibited for the first time. The themes and styles featured in these works vary from classical landscapes to still-lifes, and from traditional religious art to personal expressions. Organised by Nour Salame Abillama and Solidere, Art from Lebanon showcases artwork by pivotal Modern Masters such as Khalil Saleeby and Philippe Mourany, among others.

25 YEARS OF IMAPARIS: With notions such as exile, tradition, heritage, religion, identity and violence as themes for its exhibited artworks, the Institut du Monde Arabe celebrates its 25th anniversary with the show 25 Years of Arab Creativity running until 3 February. On display are works by around 40 Contemporary artists from the Middle East, as well as pieces commissioned especially for the show. This exhibition takes places in several areas of the museum as well as at the Mobile Art Pavilion. Participating artists include Nadim Karam, Doris Bittar, Jowhara Al-Saud and Jafar Islah, among others.

YAN PEI-MING IN QATARDOHA: Known for his portraits of Chinese communist leader Mao Zedong and actor Bruce Lee, renowned Chinese artist Yan Pei-Ming presents his work in Painting the History, an exhibition that takes place at the QMA gallery in Doha until 12 January. Through his oeuvre, Pei-Ming aims to use painting as a tool to narrate history’s most important events and iconic figures. The first section of the show highlights events taken from the Modern history of Arab culture, as Pei-Ming uses watercolours to portray several iconic figures from the Arab world, such as Egyptian president Gamal Abdel Nasser and Lebanese singer Fairuz. The second section explores pivotal masterpieces within art history, using Jacques-Louis David’s The Death of Marat as an example. For the last section, Pei-Ming paints assassinated political leaders in the Arab world, intending through his work to compare today’s photojournalists to older painters such as Jacques-Louis David.

ART NEWS

ALI ZANJANITEHRAN RE-VIEWED SERIESSALSALI PRIVATE MUSEMWWW.SALSALIPM.COM

Her inspiration stems from her observation of nature, an examination which Iranian-born Shirazeh Houshiary feels is part of our very being as products of nature. “Its underlying processes can unlock the limitation of perception,” says the artist, who shows through Lisson Gallery (2P15). Her Persian heritage, she says, is central to her oeuvre, as are influences from various cultures. Meditative, reflective and serene, Houshiary’s multimedia practice has seen her tackle themes of energy, light, geometric abstraction and spirituality – the latter effected through the philosophy of Sufi poet, Rumi.

What was the inspiration behind Between, showing at Lisson Gallery’s booth?It animates the fields of energy between it and the viewer and awakens the ideas of ‘relationship’. By engagement and contemplation of these fields and forces and their dual nature of the macro/micro, the viewer may better understand the movements that mediate between destiny and will, between life and death, or between finite and infinite.

Your works are elusive, barely visible and yet amazingly seem to play with vision over time. Do you intentionally seek to play with perception?Through our perception, we construct the world around us. For me, it is the most important tool and yet can lead to misunderstandings. Many decisions in the world are made with

this elusive tool. In my painting, distance can change the way we perceive it. From afar, the work appears hazy and vague, but close-up, it is concrete and definable.

Your works seemingly record a process in time while also playing with the viewer’s sense of self. How does your work play with the idea of the self in comparison to the collective?Our understanding of time is related to our biological processes. For instance, time appears similar to the movement of a river and yet the same river finally pours into an ocean. The river is our biological time (clock time) and the ocean is all around us (timeless). The river is the ‘self’ and the ocean is the ‘collective’. Their substance is one and yet their appearance is different.

There’s a great sense of spirituality in your works similar to that experienced in a Rothko painting. Do you find that your that works encompass a sense of universal spirituality? For me, art is a precious gift that can reveal a sense of doubt over certainty. It can also reveal the journey from the opaque to transparency. It is the synchronicity or point of connection between the inner and outer event. Many artists would share these ideas but I would suggest that my work is reflective.

Do you feel that your works are viewed differently according to differing cultural and geographical contexts?Yes, cultures have different tools of perception that affect the way they experience the world around them. My paintings demand the viewer to slow their perception and, after an extended period of looking, they open up. In that moment, their vibration affects the physiology of the viewer and the act of looking and breathing becomes the being.

You’ve created works, predominantly those exhibited at the British Museum in 1992, accompanied by the poetry of Rumi. What is the relationship between your work and the written text?My obsession with words started with my desire to give form to breath. Words are the manifestation of our breath. Rumi understood this when he began his book, the Masnavi, with the poem ‘Listen to the tale of reed’. One could also say listen to the tale of ‘breath’.

10 07 NOV 2012 I CANVAS DAILY I ISSUE 2 I ABU DHABI ART EDITION

Q&A WITH SHIRAZEH HOUSHIARY

old Indiana for this commission. The sculpture (not exclusive to the gallery) is priced at $160,000, while the silkscreen is available at $100,000. “Indiana is one of the last remaining original American Pop artists,” says Waterhouse, whose gallery has taken Hope one step further: talks for a version of the piece in Arabic letters have begun, and Waterhouse intends on showing it at Abu Dhabi Art’s next edition. “All I’m saying is watch this space!” he said.

A stunning piece from Frank Stella’s Protractor series is on show at New York’s Edward Tyler Nahem Fine Art (2P7). At 304.8 x 914.4 cm, Khurasan Gate Variation III takes its name from a province in Persia, which Stella visited in addition to other cities in the Middle East in the early 1960s. Stella’s focus, says the gallery’s Edward Tyler Nahem, “was on the gates of these cities and how he charted out the architecture of these areas in his own fantasy in a sense.” The gallery,

a longtime participant at Abu Dhabi Art, had shown a similar work by Stella entitled Damascus Gate and which belonged to the artist’s Stretch Variation series. Work on these series began in 1967 and culminated in 1970 with Damascus Gate which has been placed, thanks to Nahem, with an Abu Dhabi

entity. Khurasan Gate Variation III differs from Damascus Gate in its patterning, and also in its price, $2.8 million, whereas the latter’s asking price was $5 million, largely due to its size. Stella, says Nahem “was thrilled to know that we sold his work in Abu Dhabi and loves seeing his work out there in the world.” The gallery also brings in a 1970 self-portrait by Pablo Picasso entitled Torero, which came from a private collection in Spain and is priced at around $3.6 million. Rendered in a thick impasto and taking its inspiration from the artist’s passion for bullfighting, the painting was executed when Picasso was in his eighties. “It was done towards the end of his life, during a period involving a lot of introspection and exploration of the self,” says Nahem. “It’s interesting because it’s very painterly and in some places, he may have even used his fingers.” Beginning last February, the National Museum of Modern Art in Tokyo has staged a retrospective of Jackson Pollock’s works from his 44-year career. One of the seminal pieces on show is Mural on Indian Red Ground, from 1950 and which is part of the staggering collection at the Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art (TMOCA), initiated by Her Majesty Farah Pahlavi during her reign as Empress of Iran. Interestingly, the Islamic Republic of Iran and the American government are ‘patrons’ and ‘special supporters’ (respectively) of this retrospective. It was at TMOCA that Leila Heller (2P12) saw Pollock’s works, in addition to more pieces by the Abstract Expressionist artist at New York’s MoMA. In commemoration of what would be Pollock’s 100th birthday this year, Heller constructs a mini booth within her space at Abu Dhabi Art in which she showcases an early set of prints by the artist, and paintings by his wife, Lee Krasner. “So many Middle Eastern artists I know have told me how influenced they are by Pollock and Krasner,” says Heller. “There is a lot of abstraction

in Islamic art.” The Pollock prints, she says, reveal his early figurative painting and were secured from the artist’s foundation, while the Krasner works come from a private collection.

20TH CENTURY STARS (CONT)

Frank Stella. Khurasan Gate Variation III. 1968. Acrylic on canvas. 304.8 x 914.4 cm. Image courtesy Edward Tyler Nahem Fine Art, New York.

Shirazeh Houshiary. (Detail). Right of Spring. 2012. Pencil, pigment and black aquacryl on canvas and aluminium. Image courtesy Lisson Gallery, London/Milan.

Jackson Pollock. Untitled 3. 1951. Screen print. 58.4 x 73.7 cm. Image courtesy Leila Heller Gallery, New York.

Pablo Picasso. Torero. 1970. Oil on canvas. 64.8 x 54.6 cm. Image courtesy Edward Tyler Nahem Fine Art, New York.

Continued from page 1 >

cda@cda-projects.com www.cda-projects.com // zilberman@galerizilberman.com www.galerizilberman.com

12 07 NOV 2012 I CANVAS DAILY I ISSUE 2 I ABU DHABI ART EDITION

In Ramallah Running Text by Guy Mannes-Abbot.Published by Black Dog Publishing.This detailed paperback brings together a series

of short poetic stories and in-depth essays by Guy Mannes-Abbott as he relives his experiences in Palestine. The book gives readers a tour of Ramallah – its culture and traditions coming alive through the vivid descriptions of the areas in and around the city as well as the territorial limits which still continue to plague the city. Abbott provides glimpses into parts of Ramallah’s noticeable past events through interviews and reactions by international writers and artists, expressed through both texts and artworks juxtaposed side-by-side with his poignant words. It is through these personal accounts shared by the author that Ramallah comes to life once more charming its readers with stories of joy, pain, sadness and sorrow. Price AED 126/ $34 available at Artyfact

Meem Projects 2012Edited by Samar Faruqi.Published by Meem GalleryThis comprehensive tome is the first instalment of a new series of exhibitions

and publication projects bringing together a series of different works by numerous Middle Eastern artists. At123 pages, the publication aspires to join both audiences and collectors of different tastes through its vivid illustration of numerous artworks by some of the Middle East’s most pivotal artists. It is divided into two sections: Modern Arab Art, presenting works by pioneering artists of the late 19th and early 20th century, and Letter in Art, featuring artists such as Parviz Tanavoli, Ali Omar Ermes and Nja Mahdaoui who use the written script within their startling oeuvre. Alongside colourful depictions of the artist’s works are in-depth essays and biographies of each artist.Price AED 110/ $30 available at Meem Gallery, Dubai 1M15

From 7–10 November, the ArtBus departs daily at 14:00 from Dubai’s the jamjar to Abu Dhabi Art. As part of the collaboration between ArtintheCity and Abu Dhabi Art, the ArtBus will once again feature the artwork made by the winners of the Wings Project. It departs back to Dubai from Manarat Al-Saadiyat each day at 21:00. Tickets priced at AED 50.

For more information call +971 43417303 or email artbus@artinthecity.com

ART

BU

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5 MINUTES WITH...

THE ARTWORK I WOULD ROB A BANK FOR IS: A still-life by the 17th century Spanish

painter Francisco de Zurbaran.

ARTISTS I’D LOVE TO HAVE LUNCH AND DINNER WITH: Lobster for lunch with Dali and

dinner with Caravaggio.

FIVE PREREQUISITES FOR SURVIVAL IN THE ART WORLD: Stamina, self-belief, Paul Smith

suits and a good team.

IN THE ART WORLD, IT’S NEVER TOO LATE TO: Start collecting.

I WAS LOST FOR WORDS WHEN: I finally opened my Beirut gallery against all odds.

THE ART WORLD’S BIGGEST CRIME IS: My travel schedule!

ONE OF THE ART WORLD’S GREATEST UNSUNG HEROES WERE: Early female artists.

IF THERE IS ONE ERA I WOULD GO BACK TO, IT WOULD BE: The Renaissance.

MY BIGGEST VANITY IS: Not always accepting my mistakes.

AT ART FAIRS, I WISH THEY WOULD SERVE: Shawarma!

I FEEL LIKE A CHILD AGAIN WHEN: I walk through a museum.

THE SILLIEST QUESTION I HAVE EVER BEEN ASKED IS: “Who is the best artist in history?”

IF I HAD TO SUMMARISE IN ONE WORD, I WOULD SAY THAT ART IS: Storytelling.

I AM HAPPIEST: In that moment when a show is installed, but not yet opened.

THE WORLD WOULD BE A BETTER PLACE IF: People would compromise.

LIFE WOULD BE MEANINGLESS WITHOUT: My family.

I OWE MY SUCCESS TO: My passion.

MY BIGGEST VICE: Is never being satisfied.

IF I WEREN’T DOING WHAT I DO, I WOULD HAVE BEEN A: An architect.

THE ARTWORK I WOULD ROB A BANK FOR IS: The Guernica.

ARTISTS I’D LOVE TO HAVE LUNCH AND DINNER WITH: Lunch with Caravaggio and dinner

with Dalí.

FIVE PREREQUISITES FOR SURVIVAL IN THE ART WORLD: Work, work, work, work and work.

THE ART WORLD’S BIGGEST CRIME IS: Pompousness.

MY BIGGEST VANITY IS: Technology.

IT WOULD MAKE MY MOTHER PROUD TO KNOW THAT: I became a father.

AT ART FAIRS, I WISH THEY WOULD SERVE: Adrenaline.

THE SILLIEST QUESTION I HAVE EVER BEEN ASKED IS: “Why did you put that colour here?”

IF I HAD TO SUMMARISE IN ONE WORD, I WOULD SAY THAT ART IS: Emotional.

IT MAKES ME UNHAPPY TO KNOW THAT: We find it difficult to ‘feed the hungry, educate the

children and explore space’.

THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY WAS: A photo opportunity during the Hajj.

I OWE MY SUCCESS TO: Perseverance, good teaching and timing.

MY BEST INVESTMENT IS: The cheapest lens I have.

MY BIGGEST VICE: Colours.

THE BAD HABIT I CAN’T KICK IS: Tobacco.

THE SONG I CAN LISTEN TO OVER AND OVER AGAIN IS: Mosquito Song by the Queens of the

Stone Age.

I JUST DON’T UNDERSTAND: Economy.

THE WORST PIECE OF ADVICE I WAS EVER GIVEN WAS: “Don’t worry.”

IF I WEREN’T DOING WHAT I DO, I WOULD HAVE BEEN A: Farmer or a blacksmith.

SAUDI-BORN SAMI AL-TURKI’S WORKS ARE SHOWN THROUGH ATHR GALLERY (1M8/B1)

ANDRÉE SFEIR-SEMLERFOUNDER OF SFEIR-SEMLER GALLERY (2P14/B3)

LIBRARY

B2*

1M15 1M16

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1S3

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B4

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B1

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2P6 2P14

2P13

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2P21

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2P182P172P162P152P20

2P19

2P12

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B3

HALL 1 MANARAT AL SAADIYAT

HALL 2 UAE PAVILION

VIP Desk/Majlis

MODERN & CONTEMPORARY GALLERIES

2P19 / 1S2 AB Gallery Lucerne/Zurich, Switzerland

1M6 Agial Art Gallery Beirut, Lebanon

1M11 Art Sawa Dubai, UAE

1M3 ARTSPACE Dubai, UAE / London, UK

2P3 Atassi Gallery Damascus, Syria

1M8 / B1 Athr Gallery Jeddah, KSA

2P21 Ayyam Gallery Dubai, UAE / Beirut, Lebanon / Damascus, Syria

2P5 Bait Muzna Gallery Muscat, Oman

1M14 CDA Projects Gallery Istanbul, Turkey

2P7 Edward Tyler Nahem Fine Art, L.L.C. New York, USA

1M4 / B4 EOA. Projects London, UK

2P17 Gagosian Gallery London, UK / New York/Beverly Hills, USA

Paris, France / Rome, Italy / Athens, Greece /

Geneva, Switzerland / Hong Kong, China

2P10 Galerie Brigitte Schenk Cologne, Germany

2P4 Galerie El Marsa La Marsa, Tunisia

2P22 Galerie Enrico Navarra Paris, France

2P9 Galerie GP & N Vallois Paris, France

1M21 / 1S3 Galerie Janine Rubeiz Beirut, Lebanon

2P1 Galerie Jérôme de Noirmont Paris, France

2P11 / 1S4 Galerie Kashya Hildebrand Zurich, Switzerland

2P16 Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac Paris, France / Salzburg, Austria

1M19 Galleria Continua San Gimignano, Italy / Beijing, China / Le Moulin, France

2P8 Hanart TZ Gallery Hong Kong, China

1M12 Hauser & Wirth Zurich, Switzerland / New York, USA /

London, UK

1M16 Horrach Moya Palma de Mallorca, Spain

2P20 Hunar Gallery Dubai, UAE

2P18 / B2 kamel mennour Paris, France

1M1 Kerlin Gallery Dublin, Republic of Ireland

2P13 Kukje Gallery / Tina Kim Gallery Seoul, Korea / New York, USA

2P2 Lam Art Gallery Riyadh, KSA

1M2 Leehwaik Gallery Seoul, Korea

2P12 Leila Heller Gallery New York, USA

2P15 Lisson Gallery London, UK / Milan, Italy

1M15 Meem Gallery Dubai, UAE

1M9 October Gallery London, UK

1M5 Ota Fine Arts Tokyo, Japan / Singapore

1M10 Paul Stolper Gallery London, UK

2P14 / B 3 SFEIR-SEMLER Beirut, Lebanon / Hamburg, Germany

1M18 Simon Lee Gallery London, UK / Hong Kong, China

2P6 The Breeder Athens, Greece

1M20 The Park Gallery London, UK

1M13 The Third Line Dubai, UAE

1M7 Tina Keng Gallery Taipei, Taiwan / Beijing, China

1M17 / 1S1 Waterhouse & Dodd London, UK / New York, USA

1M # are galleries located in Hall 1 2P # are galleries located in Hall 2

1S # are galleries participating in Signature B # are galleries participating in Beyond

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