CD2 ADA2014 ONLINE - Canvas Magazine Daily/ada2014/Issue2/ccdada2en.pdf · paper work by the Pakistani ... Wedding Bouquet (1965) ... This 3D work, however, features 27 works by the

This year’s Abu Dhabi Art sees

the 46 participating galleries

all housed under the Manarat

Al–Saadiyat roof; a set-up,

which many agreed, was much-

improved. The evening saw a

heavy vernissage turnout that

included members of the royal

family, dignitaries, collectors

and art enthusiasts. Though

many galleries had still not

made any sales on the eve

of the VIP preview, all were

confident that the fair would

prove to be lucrative. Crowds

flocked to the booths of Kashya

Hildebrand, Lisson, Acquavella,

Edward Tyler Nahem Fine

Art and Salwa Zeidan; most

galleries reported reserves.

Thaddaeus Ropac (A3), which

has recently signed Imran

Qureshi to its roster, sold Love

Me, Love Me Not, a small

acrylic paint and gold leaf on

paper work by the Pakistani

artist for an undisclosed price.

London’s Kashya Hildebrand

(B14) was abuzz with three

large tapestries (part of a set

of five) by Egyptian calligrapher

Dr Ahmed Moustafa. His

Night Journey And Ascension

painting, on which one of the

THE NEW NYUAD GALLERY

ABU DHABI – On 1 November, New York University Abu

Dhabi launched the 664-square-metre NYUAD Art Gallery

on its Saadiyat Island campus with On Site, an exhibition

featuring works by Ebtisam Abdulaziz, Mohammed

Ahmed Ibrahim, Tarek Al-Ghoussein, Rashid Rana and

Mary Temple. The second exhibition will open during Art

Dubai in March 2015 with works by artist collective Slavs

and Tatars.

05 NOVEMBER 2014 I ISSUE 2 I ABU DHABI ART EDITION

Masterpieces in Abu Dhabi

The Louvre Abu Dhabi announces over 300 loans from major French institutions, including a da Vinci and a Matisse.READ ON PAGE 6

Dubai-Bound

The exhibitions at Dubai galleries participating in Abu Dhabi Art, including solos by Mohammed Kazem and Faisal Samra.

READ ON PAGE 8

Q&A

The Guggenheim's Susan Davidson on the Seeing Through The Light exhibition and its varied explorations of light.

READ ON PAGE 12

To new beginningsTaymour Grahne Gallery fills this year’s Bidaya slot, presenting works by Nicky Nodjoumi, Fayçal Baghriche and Tarek Al-Ghoussein.New York’s Taymour Grahne gallery recently celebrated its one-year

anniversary and makes its second art fair stop at Abu Dhabi Art (the

first was at the 1:54 Contemporary African Art Fair in London last

month). “Abu Dhabi has a strong collector base and some excellent

museums opening up close to the fair, so the city is definitely an

important art centre for my gallery to participate in,” says Taymour

In the news

Mohammed Ahmed Ibrahim. Mountain Rocks With Copper Wire. 2007.Image courtesy Cuadro Fine Art Gallery, Dubai.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 3

Sold!Vernissage sales at the VIP preview of Abu Dhabi Art.

(Detail) Abdallah Akar. Antara Poesie. 2014. Mixed media on tarlatan. 132 x 132 cm. Image courtesy Kashya Hildebrand, London/Zurich.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 12

CONTINUED ON PAGE 6

Tarek Al-Ghoussein. (In) Consideration Of Myths 1132. 2012–13. Archival digital print. 100 x 150 cm.

3

05 NOV 2014 I ISSUE 2 I ABU DHABI ART EDITION

tapestries is based, sold for an undisclosed price to a foundation.

Meanwhile, a 200 x 200 cm ink on canvas work, Tawaf 3, by

Iranian calligrapher Azra Aghighi Bahkshayeshi sold to a regional

collector for between $35,000–40,000; Poeme Suspendu – Antara

by Abdallah Akar sold for between $15,000–25,000 and two works

from Khaled Al-Saai's new series of mixed media and collage were

on reserve at time of press. New York’s Leila Heller Gallery (A13)

sold three works: Wedding Bouquet (1965) by Marcos Grigorian to

a collector from Europe for over $20,000 and two works by Steven

Naifeh to collectors from Abu Dhabi and Doha, one for around

$30,000 and another for approximately $20,000.

At Dubai’s Gallery Isabelle van den Eynde (A26), two works

by Nargess Hashemi and three from Rokni Haerizadeh’s The

Reflection Of The Moon Is Dry In A Bowl Of Water series sold

to Emirati collectors. Dubai’s The Third Line (B5) sold Sahand

Hesamiyan’s Gole Kashi for $10,000 to a collector from the Middle

East. Abu Dhabi’s Salwa Zeidan Gallery (B9) sold two works by

Emirati artist Fatema Al-Mazrouei’s Nostalgia series for around

$3000 each. Over at Ayyam Gallery (B12), Khaled Jarrar’s Olive Tree

Stump and Olive Tree, both from 2013, were sold, as well as Syrian

artist Safwan Dahoul’s Dream 90. Reps would not disclose prices.

Tunis’s Galerie El-Marsa (A8) sold two works by Khalid Ben

Slimane, a bronze piece from 2008 and Les Soleils 1 from 2014,

to a regional collector for an undisclosed price. Istanbul’s Galeri

Zilberman (B15) sold Ahmed Elhan’s Old Mosque VIII C-print for

$30,000, while Jeddah’s Athr Gallery (B16) disclosed the sale of

Dana Awartani’s Jesus, from the Seal Of Prophets series. The price

was not revealed. October Gallery (B20), where Rachid Koraïchi

was seen chatting to

people all night, made

no sales but interest

in the Algerian artist's

work, as well as in

Ghanain sculptor El

Anatsui’s shimmering

installation, was

steady. Over at

HanartTZ Gallery

(B19), the solo booth

by Liu Guosong drew

lots of interest and

reps were “very

confident”. At the

busy Lisson Gallery

(B6) booth, Anish

Kapoor’s alabaster

work and a glass

vase by Shirazeh

Houshiary were top

draws, but the gallery

made no sales. At

Kamel Mennour (B4), Lee Ufan’s La Peinture Ensevelie drew a lot

of curious and hesitant visitors, but the Paris-based gallery had

made no sales, yet. Fair regulars Galleria Continua (A1) reported

two works on reserve, one by Mona Hatoum and a mirror work by

Michelangelo Pistoletto.

Sold!

Today's Schedule

LOUVRE ABU DHABI TALKING ART SERIES: MUSEUMS AS SITES FOR NEW EXPERIENCESby Jean Nouvel, Ernesto Neto and Vincent Pomarède at the Manarat Al-Saadiyat auditorium.15:00–16:00

ABU DHABI ART ARTIST TALK: MARTIN CREED - WHAT IS ART?16:00–16:45

ABU DHABI ART ARTIST TALK: RICHARD LONG - LAND-ART16:45–17:30

HOURS AND COLOURS: THE BLUE HOURScreening of Blue, A True Colour in Art, a film directed by Fabrice Bousteau, at the plaza.18:00–19:00

HOURS AND COLOURS: THE ORANGE HOURRe-broadcast of Killer Road at the plaza, featuring Patti Smith.19:00–20:00

HOURS AND COLOURS: THE VIOLET HOURMoussa Sarr’s Rising Carpet at the plaza. 20:00–21:00

DURUB AL TAWAYA: PAPER MUSICVideo animations by William Kentridge and live music by Philip Miller at the Manarat Al-Saadiyat auditorium.20:30–21:30

Registration required for all talks and performances taking place in the auditorium.

Register at the Abu Dhabi Art Desk or call +971 2 657 5800.

Four specially commissioned artworks by Emirati artist Ebtisam Abdulaziz celebrate our 10th

anniversary issue, which surveys art and patronage in the Emirates through dedicated features.

IN CANVAS NOVEMBER/DECEMBER ISSUE

Special feature dedicated to 10

of the most influential Emirati patrons of the arts

A special feature that looks

at different genres and

generations of Emirati artists

Inside the studio space of Emirati

artist Mohammed Kazem, in a

warehouse in Dubai’s Al-Quoz area

F

I

an

ge

a

SECTIONS AT ABU DHABI ART

NEWPARTICIPATING

GALLERIES

TEN

A R T W O R K SAT THIS YEAR'S ABU DHABI ART

A R E A I N S Q A U R E

M E T E R S , O F T H E F O S T E R +

PA R T N E R S -D E S I G N E D PAV I L I O N

500CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Safwan Dahoul. Dream 90. 2014. Acrylic on canvas. 120 x 120 cm. Image courtesy Ayyam Gallery.

Khaled Ben Slimane. Untitled. 2008. Bronze. 30 x 12 x 6.5 cm. Image courtesy Galerie El-Marsa, Tunis.

Sahand Hesamiyan. Gole Kashi. 2013. Steel, mirrored stainless steel and paint. 60 x 56 x 54 cm. © Canvas Archives.

4


ATTEND: The Curating A National Pavilion talk tomorrow at 16:30

at the auditorium featuring the curator of the next UAE National

Pavilion, Sheikha Hoor Al-Qasimi alongside the last Pavilion’s curator

Reem Fadda. The talk will be curated by David Bailey, Director of the

International Curators Forum. So far, no news has been released on

Al-Qasimi’s Pavilion, but she may reveal some info.

LISTEN: To Saleh Barakat, Charles Pocock, Michael Jeha and

Venetia Porter discuss the case of fake and looted art in the

Middle Eastern art market on 8 November at 14:30. Moderated

by journalist Georgina Adam, this will be a rare opportunity to

hear these key players discuss their experiences and opinions.

REMINISCE: Just like Ai Weiwei did, about bicycles that remind

him of his childhood. "In our village, there were no real roads and

we always had to ride bikes to carry things. I thought they would be

good for a public sculpture because people relate to bikes," said the

Chinese artist, who showed Forever this year at Lisson Gallery.

EXPERIENCE: Yayoi Kusama’s Infinity

Mirrored Room – Filled With The Brilliance

Of Life at the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi’s

Seeing Through Light exhibition. A

showstopper by all means, some have

said it is mesmerising, others have

noted its soothing effect. Despite the

walkway in it being lined with water, not

to mention the room being dark, the 300

x 617.5 x 645.5 cm room is sublime.

MARVEL: At Cameroonian, Belgium-based artist Pascale Marthine

Tayou’s monumental artwork at Galleria Continua (A1) made from

painted calabashes, a plant native to tropical and subtropical regions.

This installation is yet another impressive example of Tayou’s

questioning of post-colonial culture and modernity.

WATCH: A one-hour replay of the live opening performance of

Killer Road – a sound exploration focused on the death of the Velvet

Underground’s vocalist Nico. It features the incredible Patti Smith,

who narrates Nico’s last poems for an hour. Hours And Colours: The

Orange Hour plays on 5, 6, 7 and 8 November at 19:00 at the plaza.

ADMIRE: The labour-intensive fabric work of Turkish artist Fırat

Neziroğlu at Galerie Zilberman (B15), who captures the most mundane

of everyday moments and renders them in a realistic manner through

stitches and weaves.

STAND IN LINE: To attend the Louvre Abu Dhabi Talking

Art Series panel featuring Jean Nouvel, Ernesto Neto and

Vincent Pomarède. The last time Nouvel participated in a

talk at Abu Dhabi Art (in 2012), the line snaked all the way

down to the entrance of Manarat Al-Saadiyat, so register

and be there early to listen in on these titans’ thoughts on

Museums As Sites For New Experiences.

MOVE AROUND: Patrick Hughes’s Matisse Fair, another

one of the British artist’s ‘reverspetive’ optical illusion pieces.

This 3D work, however, features 27 works by the legendary

Henri Matisse. Incidentally, the French artist was the subject

of The Cut-Outs, an exhibition at the Tate, which owns a

work by Hughes.

STARE AT: Baya’s

Femme à la robe rouge

et verte, a 1973 work by

the late Algerian artist at

Tunis’s Galerie El-Marsa

(A8). A self-taught artist

who was orphaned

young, she went to Paris

and was discovered

by André Breton. Her

fairy tale-like paintings

are adorned with

magical symbols and

predominantly feature

animals and women. As

with all Modern Arab

works, this is precious.

By the dozen

Canvas Daily picks out 12 things to see/experience/attend at Abu Dhabi Art.

DISCOVER: Members of

the first batch of emerging

artists selected for the

inaugural Salama Bint

Hamdan Al-Nahyan Emerging

Artist Fellowship (SEAF)

programme in collaboration

with the Rhode Island School

of Design (RISD). The talk,

on 6 November at 18:00,

will be moderated by Anais

Missakian, former Dean of

Fine Arts at RISD and now

Faculty Mentor and Academic

Programme Director for SEAF.

ENTER: A gravel-covered

space with paintings covered

in sand and barely exposed.

This is the work of Lee Ufan,

who occupies the inside area

of Kamel Mennour’s (B4) booth

with La peinture ensevelie,

which takes inspiration from

archaeology and is where the

past, present and future meet.

Yayoi Kusama. Infinity Mirrored Room – Filled With The Brilliance Of Life. 2011. Image courtesy Guggenheim Abu Dhabi.

Patti Smith. © MIQU77.

Baya. Femme à la robe rouge et verte. 1973. Image courtesy Galerie El-Marsa, Tunis.

Ai Weiwei. Forever. 2013. Image courtesy Lisson Gallery London.

Jean Nouvel. © Canvas Archives.

Patrick Hughes. Matisse Fair. 2006. Image courtesy Park Ryu Sook Gallery, Seoul.

Pascale Marthine Tayou. Colorful Calabashes. 2014. Photography by Ela Bialkowska, Okno Studio. Image courtesy the artist and Galleria Continua, San Gimignano/Beijing/Les Moulins.

Fırat Neziroglu. (Detail) Hurt My Lips. 2014. Hand weaving, cotton and fishline. 100 x 120 cm. Image courtesy the artist and Galeri Zilberman, Istanbul.

6

Works by Leonardo da Vinci, Claude Monet, Vincent van Gogh,

Henri Matisse and Édouard Manet will come to the UAE capital

next year, when the Louvre Abu Dhabi opens its doors towards

the end of 2015. Though half of the inaugural display will comprise

the museum’s permanent collection (around 300 pieces), the

other half will consist of over 300 works loaned from 13 French

institutions, including the Musée du quai Branly, the Centre

Pompidou, the Louvre, the Chateau de Versailles and the Musée

d’Orsay et de l’Orangerie.

“The loans complete and enrich the narrative of the museum,

which is to put artworks from different civilisations in dialogue with

one another,” says Hissa Al-Dhaheri, Programmes Manager, Louvre

Abu Dhabi. “We selected the loans in the same way we selected

our acquisitions.” One of the greatly anticipated highlights is da

Vinci’s Portrait Of An Unknown Woman (circa 1495), also known

as La Belle Ferronnière, which will leave Europe for the first time.

Others include Manet’s The Fife Player (1866), Monet’s The Saint-

Lazare Station (1877) and Matisse’s Still Life With Magnolia (1941).

The Louvre Paris will also loan works from its Antiquities and

Islamic Art departments, including a cast bronze fountain spout

known as the Monzon Lion from Spain from the 12th–13th

centuries. However, Al-Dhaheri says the Louvre Abu Dhabi will not

be divided into departments: “It will be one continuous story being

told from the beginning of the museum to the end,” she explains.

TCA Abu Dhabi representatives say that the loaned works

will be on show for a period of two months to three years, with

da Vinci’s masterpiece estimated to stay in Abu Dhabi for one

year. For the museum’s inaugural exhibition, it will be displayed in

dialogue with Bellini’s Madonna And Child from the Louvre Abu

Dhabi collection.


RAMIN SALSALI,

FOUNDER,

SALSALI PRIVATE

MUSEUM

It is not easy to

answer this. Quality

wise, yes. Quantity-

wise, no. Yes,

because we need

galleries with other

programmes and

a focus that differs

to those existing in

Dubai. And no, if any new gallery would offer a programme

similar to that of existing galleries.

Grahne. “I visited last year’s Abu Dhabi Art and was impressed with

the audience, which included a great mix of collectors, curators,

journalists, critics and spectators.”

For its inaugural participation at the fair, the gallery

presents new figurative paintings by Nodjoumi that

delve into political and satirical discourse to highlight the

artist’s first-hand experiences in Iran and the USA. Works

from Baghriche’s Musallat series draw on principles of

subtraction and inversion to question the organisation of

human societies. The artist visited Muslim prayer sites

in Montreal and captured the spiritual energy in these

places. Lastly, works from Al-Ghoussein’s two series

K-files and (In) Consideration Of Myths are exhibited

alongside the launch of the artist’s new monograph

Transfigurations tomorrow, which spans over a decade of

Al-Ghoussein’s practice.

Bidaya, Arabic for ‘beginning’, is a section of the

fair that is awarded to one young gallery every year. “It

is a fitting sector for us to take part in, as we are the

youngest gallery participating this year. It positions us

as a young, fresh space, with an alternative programme

and list of artists,” notes Grahne, who, for several years,

exhibited out of his apartment and eventually opened his

eponymous Tribeca gallery last September. It now boasts

a roster of artists that includes Hassan Hajjaj, Lamia

Joreige, Mohammed Kazem and Nida Sinnokrot.

The Louvre Abu Dhabi reveals over 300 loans ahead of its anticipated opening in 2015.

Masterpieces in Abu Dhabi

Left: Leonardo da Vinci. Portrait Of An Unknown Woman (La Belle Ferronnière).1495–99.Oil on wood. 63 x 45 cm. Musée du Louvre Paintings Departement. © Musée du Louvre, dist. RMN/Angèle Dequier.Right: Vincent van Gogh. Self-Portrait. 1887. Oil on canvas. 44 x 35.5 cm. Musée d'Orsay © Musée d'Orsay, dist. RMN-Grand Palais/Patrice Schmidt.

To new beginnings Does Dubai need more galleries?

ASMAA AL-SHABIBI,

CO-FOUNDER,

LAWRIE SHABIBI

GALLERY

It’s a question of quality

as opposed to quantity.

Naturally, having more

galleries is always

good if they present a

programme that is high

calibre and can add

something interesting and valuable to the cultural landscape.

Bearing in mind that the market itself is quite small, any

newcomers would really need to present something unique

and ambitious, bring new ideas and concepts and challenge

existing preconceptions.

VILMA JURKUTE,

COMMUNICATIONS

DIRECTOR, ALSERKAL

AVENUE

Dubai’s art scene has

seen an unprecedented

boom over the last few

years. We have become

the hub for the most

prominent galleries in

the region. We definitely

have room for more – the

art scene is still growing

locally and regionally

and Dubai is in a prime

position to encourage and

develop it further.

(Detail) Nicky Nodjoumi. True Believer. 2013. Oil on canvas. 177.8 x 127 cm. All images courtesy the artists and Taymour Grahne Gallery, New York.

Fayçal Baghriche, Feikô 2. 2012. Gold replica of an emergency blanket. 200 x 150 cm.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

8


Dubai-BoundBooths aside, some of Dubai’s participating galleries in Abu Dhabi Art present several must-see shows on home turf.

1. AYYAM GALLERY (B12)

Saudi artist Faisal Samra presents a retrospective of his

works spanning 39 years of his practice at Ayyam Gallery’s

Al-Quoz space. The exhibition, curated by the artist himself,

surveys Samra’s ongoing investigation of the human figure.

“The works [in the exhibition] are all related, like a puzzle,

and if you take something out of it, you can feel the void,”

said Samra during a talk at the vernissage on 22 October. 39,

named after the number of years of Samra’s practice, features

works including Arab Spring (2013), performance works from

the Distorted Reality series (2007), Surviving 2 (a four-minute

video installation), and early works on paper, among others.

The show runs until 10 January 2015.

2. GALLERY ISABELLE VAN DEN EYNDE (A26)

At the behest of Hassan Sharif, Emirati artist Mohammed Kazem created Sound Of Objects, which is a playful

exploration of objects such as Indonesian masks, hand-carved

bowls and African figurines, rendered using a pair of scissors.

Playing on the idea of departure, the show highlights how

the artist has developed a subjective vocabulary to express

his fascination with overlooked notions of experience. During

Kazem’s residency at the Watermill Center in New York earlier

this year, he created 24 works on paper that form the core of

this exhibition, which runs until 4 January 2015.

3. LAWRIE SHABIBI (A10)

Dubai’s Lawrie Shabibi gallery presents a solo show by

Algerian artist Driss Ouadahi in which he explores his

preoccupation with vacant urban environments. Grand Prix

Léopold Sédar Senghor Prize winner, Ouadahi showcases a

series of new paintings and works on paper that offer a surreal

perspective of a setting and border between reality and his

imagination. His practice involves creating collages using

photographs and converting them into collage-like images. In

doing so, Ouadahi comments on the dreamlike architecture of

the Gulf states, which appear familiar and yet, are difficult to

identify. The exhibition runs until 27 November.

4. MEEM GALLERY (A11)

Independence, which runs until 6 December, closes the cycle of

four exhibitions by Palestinian artist Steve Sabella: Fragments

at London’s Berloni Gallery, Layers at Contemporary Art Platform

Kuwait and Archaeology Of The Future at The International

Center for Photography Scavi Scaligeri in Verona. Independence

presents a photographic series that is printed in a smart phone

format, through which Sabella explores new readings of his

works. “For me, all art is about image making. The technique

is completely irrelevant,” he says. The photographs were taken

during Sabella’s visit to Croatia in 2013, where he choreographed

the subjects. “I moved them the way I wanted, like a brush. But

instead of using the brush, I used the camera,” he says.

5. THE THIRD LINE (B5)

Iranian artist Sahand Hesamiyan’s practice draws inspiration

from Islamic architecture and explores the physical attributes

of an object in relation to its symbolic and spiritual importance.

In Khalvat, which is Persian for ‘a private sanctum’, Hesamiyan

layers his sculptures in an attempt to search for the truth and

then peels them apart to open a world of discovery to viewers.

“The theme itself is not something which is alien to the region’s

people, but it is his interpretation which might pleasantly

surprise many and possibly force them to look at familiar forms

with a new understanding,” says the gallery’s Sunny Rahbar. The

show opens on 19 November and runs until 24 December.

(1) Faisal Samra. (Detail) At

My First Studio In Paris. 1975.

Pencil on paper. 25 x 21 cm.

Image courtesy Ayyam Gallery.

(2) Mohammed Kazem. (Detail)

Tongue. 1994. Part of a group of

nine silver gelatin prints. 10 x 11

cm. Image courtesy the artist.

(3) Driss Ouadahi. Unter Uns.

2014. Oil on canvas. 200 x 300

cm. Image courtesy the artist

and Lawrie Shabibi, Dubai. (4)

Steve Sabella. Independence 13.

2013. Lambda print on Diasec. 81

x 45 cm and 3.5 cm aluminium

box edge. Edition of six plus two

artist’s proofs. Image courtesy

the artist and Meem Gallery,

Dubai. (5) Sahand Hesamiyan.

Khalvat (Paper Maquette).

2014. Cardboard, cyanoacrylate

adhesive. 100 x 60 x 60 cm.

Image courtesy the artist and The

Third Line, Dubai.


1

2

4

3

5

Talk: How Archaeology Shapes History

Tuesday 18 November 2014

18:30 – 19:30

Discover how archaeology can help us understand history and culture in the Emirates by looking at changes inmaterial culture

whilst interpreting the political, economic and social reasons behind these changes.

Speakers: Dr. Timothy Power (Assistant Professor at Zayed University) and

Peter Sheehan (Historic Buildings Manager, Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority)

The exhibition is open daily from 09:00 to 20:00.Prior registration for talks and workshops is required. To register or for more information, please call 02 697 6472, or email [email protected]

Dates and times are subject to change.

Ronal

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i ©

TC

A A

bu D

hab

i

qasralhosnfestival.aevisitabudhabi.ae

ABU DHABI CLASSICSINTERNATIONAL CONCERT SEASON

OCTOBER 2014 - MAY 2015

The One-Night-Only World Premiere of the Ground-Breaking ‘Ibn Battuta: The Voyager of Islam’ by Spain’s

award-winning composer Jordi Savall and Hesperion XXI on November 20th at Emirates Palace Auditorium

A Night of Bruch, Britten and Elgar as The City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, with Canadian violin

soloist James Ehnes, Performs on a Floating Stage at Corniche Breakwater on December 15th

The City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra at Al Jahili Fort in Al Ain for a Film Music Night: A Space Symphony,

Featuring Music by one of Hollywood’s Greatest Composers, John Williams, as well as Indian Film Composer

A.R. Rahma on December 16th

Tickets are available now from ticketmaster.ae

For more information visit abudhabievents.ae

Join This Traveller’s Journey Through Classical Music

Starring The Finest Musicians of East & West, and featuring

10


#Throwback

2010

At the Emirates Palace Hotel: the installation

of Frank Stella’s Damascus Gate (Stretch

Variation II) from 1970 at Edward Tyler Nahem

Fine Art, New York.

2011

The fair’s first edition on Saadiyat Island. Two

portraits of the Shah of Iran and Empress Farah

Pahlavi by Andy Warhol at Leila Heller Gallery,

New York.

2012

Mona Atassi of Atassi Gallery with an oil on

canvas triptych by Syrian artist Ahmed Moualla.

2013

Emirati artist Hassan Sharif's Iron No 5 placed

outside the Foster + Partners-designed

pavilion as part of the Beyond section.

All images © Canvas Archives.

A look back at Abu Dhabi Art through the years.

Dignitaries, collectors and art enthusiasts attended the Abu Dhabi Art VIP preview last night at Manarat Al-Saadiyat.

Emirati artist Abdul Qadir Al-Rais, Mariam Al-Mazrouei, VIP and Collector Relations, Abu Dhabi Art, HH Sheikh Hamad Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, Managing Director of Abu Dhabi Investment Authority with Hunar Gallery's Alanood Al-Warshow.

HE Sheikh Nahyan Bin Mubarak Al-Nahyan, UAE Minister of Culture, Youth and Social Development and Dr Johannes Beermann, Chief of the State Chancellery and State Minister of Saxony.

Nick Nahoum and Maryam Massoudi.

The British Museum's Dr Venetia Porter, Mohammed Afkhami and Princess Alia Al-Senussi, VIP Relations Manager, Art Basel.

Dubai Culture's Khalil Abdulwahid and Abdelmonem Alserkal of Dubai's Alserkal Avenue.

Ramin Salsali of Dubai's Salsali Private Museum and Paula Askari.

Meem Gallery's Charles Pocock with the Guggenheim's Reem Fadda and Valerie Hillings.

Yasmine and Saad Salaam.

Maneli Keykavoussi and Sheikha Lulu Al-Sabah of JAMM Art.

Jassim Al-Darmaki, Board Member of Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority (TCA), HE Sheikh Sultan Bin Tahnoon Al-Nahyan, Chairman, TCA and Rita Aoun-Abdo, Art and Cultural Advisor, TCA.

HE Zaki Nusseibeh, Advisor at the UAE Presidential Ministry, gallerist Andree Sfeir-Semler and Richard Armstrong, Director, Solomon R Guggenheim Foundation and Museum.

All

imag

es ©

Can

vas

Arc

hive

s

FRIENDS OF QUOZ ARTS FESTIVAL

#MyDubai

AN INITIATIVE BY

A DAY OFARTDESIGNMUSICFILM

12


In the news

21,39’S NEXT EDITION

JEDDAH – Cuadro Fine Art Gallery’s Bashar

Al-Shroogi has been appointed curator of the

second edition of 21,39, which will run from

22–25 January 2015. This non-profit initiative,

named after the geographical coordinates of

Jeddah, is organised by the Saudi Art Council,

and will host gallery openings, exhibitions,

workshops and talks.

A HOME FOR MOROCCAN ART

RABAT – On 7 October, HM King Mohammed

VI inaugurated his namesake museum, a

three-floor $23 million facility dedicated to

Modern and Contemporary Moroccan art.

The museum, which has already established

partnerships with the Louvre and the

Smithsonian, features an auditorium, library,

lab for restoration and educational department.

Its inaugural exhibition features works by 150

Moroccan artists from the last century.

SHIRIN NESHAT AT MATHAF

DOHA – The Iranian artist presents her first

solo exhibition in the region at Mathaf: Arab

Museum of Modern Art on 9 November.

Afterwards, curated by Mathaf’s Abdellah

Karroum focuses on Neshat’s The Book Of

Kings series. In addition, a series of video

installations surveys the historical, cultural and

political realities in Iran. The exhibition runs until

15 February 2015.

SEEING THROUGH LIGHT is the Guggenheim

Abu Dhabi’s first exhibition, showcasing

works by 19 artists from its holdings and two

loaned from its mother organisation in New

York. It begins in the 1960s and continues

chronologically through five sections that

examine light: Activated, Celestial, Perceptual,

Reflected and Transcendent. “There’s a work

from the 1960s and one from today – we’re

looking at dialogue and aesthetic issues,” says

Susan Davidson, Senior Curator, Collections

and Exhibitions, Solomon R Guggenheim

Museum, who put the show together with

Sasha Kalter-Wasserman, Assistant Curator,

Guggenheim Abu Dhabi Project, Solomon R

Guggenheim Foundation and Maisa Al-Qassimi,

Programmes Manager, Guggenheim Abu

Dhabi, Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority.

Among the featured artists are Ghada Amer,

YZ Kami, Douglas Wheeler, Yayoi Kusama and

Bharti Kher. “This is just a taster of what is to

come,” says Davidson.

LIGHT HAS MANY METAPHORS AND MEANINGS AND THIS SHOW HITS ON SEVERAL. We could have kept going but we don’t have the space! As a good curator, you need to know how to edit yourself. My role was sharing this experience and being confident explicating; so much of what we’re doing is starting this process of education of how this collection will be used.

HOW DOES A CURATOR EDIT THEMSELF? You must first let the work speak to you as a curator and when you are there with it, which is such an intimate experience, let the work unfold and look at it more and more. If you see that it’s not speaking the right language for the show, then you have to have the nerve to take it out or find the right place for it.

MONIR SHAHROUDY FARMANFARMAIAN CREATES MIRROR MOSAICS AND IS INSPIRED BY GEOMETRY, ISLAMIC ART AND ARCHITECTURE AND YET, WHEN HER PIECE IS PLACED IN THE SHOW’S CONTEXT, IT EASILY FITS AS ONE BY AN ARTIST WORKING ON THE THEME OF LIGHT.

She doesn’t work with light as a medium as Flavin does; she is inspired by light and religion. Not only are her works transcendental, but they have a lot of reflection in them. A number of pieces in this show can fit in two or three categories. This collection is ever-changing and provides new ways to look and present and it was important to show the breadth of the collection, which encompasses videos, paintings and sculpture. This show was a great exercise to look at it that way.

IT’S ALSO INTERESTING TO SEE THE INCLUSION OF A WORK BY SAMIA HALABY, WHO IS A PAINTER. Yes. Part of it was understanding her working process in the 1970s – she would shine light on still lifes in her studio and looking at this geometric painting, you can see that.

HOW DIFFERENT IS THE PLAN FROM THE REALITY?On the one hand, working in the model is to ensure that you have enough space to rough out, like a sketch, and it takes a bit more dimension, but they’re just paper maquettes. Nothing compares to a work on the wall and having the majesty that it has; it’s absolutely thrilling, as there’s dimension, depth and refinement – all of this in the work itself. I have never gone into a show in my 30 years and hung it as I’ve done in the model. I call it twirling – you keep twirling the pictures and sculptures until they work in the right place. The model is the guide, but you need time to get the right vision.

HOW DID YOU FEEL WALKING IN TO THE COMPLETE SHOW THE FIRST TIME AND HOW DO YOU THINK OTHERS WILL FEEL?My heart stopped! The show opens and closes with strong and different works and it just confirmed to me that we were doing the right thing. I was very pleased. It was exciting and thrilling. I think people will have different feelings and different moments as the work is pretty diverse. I hope they enter into a dream and exit into infinity. Somewhere in between, there may be harsh moments as light can be harsh – it doesn’t always have to be soft.

Q&A with Susan Davidson

© Canvas Archives

Image courtesy Mohammed VI Museum, Rabat.

Shirin Neshat. Offered Eyes. 1993. Image courtesy Gladstone Gallery. © Shirin Neshat.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Photography by Lina Bertucci. © The Solomon R Guggenheim Foundation, New York. L I B R A R Y

STEVE SABELLA: PHOTOGRAPHY 1997–2014PUBLISHED BY HATJE CANTZ VERLAG.$62

This 208-page hardback cover is

Steve Sabella's first monograph,

which looks at the Palestinian artist’s

work over the last two decades. The

cover is a detail of a work from 2014

entitled Sinopia. “I wanted the text

on the cover to be as discreet as

possible, because I wanted the work

to speak for itself,” says Sabella.

Known for printing on an extensive

range of materials, the artist’s oeuvre

reflects on themes of exile, identity

and migration. He recently staged

Independence, an exhibition of

his photographic works at Dubai’s

Meem Gallery, which features

photographs he shot during a trip

to Croatia last year. “I didn’t want to

guide the viewer, I wanted the works

to guide them around the space,”

he notes. His visually stimulating

photography conveys a state of

alienation that enables viewers to

familiarise with his struggles. For

Sabella, his photographic arabesques

are non-symmetric, which act like

a metaphor for his non-symmetric

life that reflects a state of constant

transition. This is further amplified

with the abstractions featured in

his artworks, which lack gravity

because as an artist concerned

with what precedes the obvious, he

focuses on the concept of space.

This is a key factor that readers will

be able to observe while viewing

his entire body of work in this book.

Artist Kamal Boullata has penned

the foreword, while Hubertus von

Amelunxen contributes essays that

afford readers an opportunity to

explore Sabella’s dreamlike world.

The book also features quotes by the

late, celebrated Palestinian poet

Mahmoud Darwish.

To order visit www.hatjecantz.com

R

13


1. HAMRA ABBAS.

KAABA PICTURE AS A MISPRINT 3. The Pakistani artist created a series of

six prints (priced between $5000–8000),

which strip the iconic image of the

Holy Ka’aba to its simplest geometric

representation: two black rectangles.

The form is further broken down into

primary colours that are used in offset

printing: cyan, magenta and yellow. By

using this technique, the black is only

achieved when the three colours are

layered upon each other. Abbas, who is

intrigued by black and its simultaneous

absence and presence of colour, deems

this method a misprint. This highlights

her attempt to link the quest for truth

through religion to a number of ways in

which that truth can be understood.

Leap of faithCanvas Daily rounds up artworks around the theme of religion. From minimalistic pieces by Hamra Abbas to a painting by Mohamed Al-Mazrouei, faith is explored in myriad ways.

2. FAYÇAL BAGHRICHE.

MECCA. In 2011, the Algerian artist traveled to

Ouarzazate in Morocco and shot this

image using a Pentax 6 x 7 medium

format camera. Ouarzazate is a city

known for its cinema studios and is a

popular location for films being shot in

the desert. Baghriche draws inspiration

from the movie A Journey To Mecca –

In The Footsteps Of Ibn Battuta, which

was shot in this city in 2009. The image

of Mecca is usually a representation

of pilgrims surrounding it during the

Hajj, but in this reproduction, the artist

depicts it in a barren setting to replicate

the location of a movie set. In doing so,

Baghriche raises essential questions

about religion and an individual’s

relationship to these holy sites.

3. MOHAMED AL-

MAZROUEI. SOUMAYA SYNDROME.The Emirati artist explores a number

of themes in this work, which

depicts Jesus in a faint orange

outline on the left side of the

composition. Al-Mazrouei’s artistic

practice is non-linear, in which he

employs human figures and faces

and abstracts them using black-

and-white pigments. Soon after the

artist’s mother passed away, he

found a picture of the Virgin Mary in

her drawer. This moved Al-Mazrouei

to create works that are inspired

by Christianity. “I have the freedom

to experiment with forms and

figures, creating mere shadows and

silhouettes,” says the artist.

4. AHMET ELHAN. OLD MOSQUE VIII. An individual’s relationship with the

environment and time is essential to

the Turkish artist’s practice, which he

skilfully explores through this work

(priced at $35,000). Elhan investigates

the process of deconstruction

and reconstruction as the physical

space depicted in this photograph

and disintegrated into thousands

of components. They are then

reassembled to create a completely

new image that looks like a mosaic

in which each piece significantly

constitutes to a larger image. The

mosaics are detailed and the viewer is

forced to familiarise themselves with

those specifics rather than looking at

the image objectively.

5. ADEL QURAISHI. THE GUARDIANS (ALEF GROUP OF 8) – NOURI MOHAMMED AHMED ALI (SHAIKH OF THE GUARDIANS).For the Word and Illumination

exhibitions held earlier this year in

Medina, the Saudi photographer

created eight portrait shots of the

guardians of the Al-Masjid Al-Nabawi,

the Prophet’s Mosque located in

Islam’s second holiest site. Clad in

traditional outfits with embellishments,

these eight men hail from Abyssinia

and at the time these photographs

were taken, were the last of their

generation. The guardians date back

to the Ottoman Empire and are the

keepers of the keys to the Prophet

Mohammed’s (PBUH) burial chamber.

(1) Hamra Abbas. Kaaba Picture As A Misprint 3. 2014. Archival pigment print mounted on dibond. 137 x 110 cm. Edition of five plus two artist’s

proofs. Image courtesy Lawrie Shabibi, Dubai. (2) Fayçal Baghriche. Mecca. 2012. Pigment inkjet print on Hahnemuhle fine art pearl. 110 x 134 cm.

Image courtesy the artist and Taymour Grahne Gallery, New York. (3) Mohamed Al-Mazrouei. Soumaya Syndrome. 2013. Acrylic and oil on gauze

mounted on canvas. 170 x 120 cm. Image courtesy AB Gallery, Lucerne/Zurich. (4) Ahmet Elhan. Old Mosque VIII. 2014. C-print. 140 x 200 cm. Image

courtesy the artist and Galeri Zilberman, Istanbul. (5) Adel Quraishi. The Guardians (Alef Group Of 8) – Nouri Mohammed Ahmed Ali (Shaikh Of The

Guardians). 2014. Photograph. 164.5 x 111 cm. Image courtesy the artist and The Park Gallery, London.

1

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54

14


The ideal meal with one artist is: Indian food with Anish Kapoor. Looking back at my career in the art

world, I wish I had: Better professors at university. The

art world’s biggest crime is: Damien Hirst. Life would

be meaningless without: Family and friends. The three

things I look for in an artwork are: Novelty, attitude and form. The song I can listen to over and over

again is: She Will Be Loved by Maroon 5. I just don’t

understand: The work of Tracey Emin. My favourite

fictional character is: Tyrion Lannister. The most

overused art term is: ‘Investment’. The artist I’d want

my portrait created by: Gisele Freund. The artwork I

can stare at for hours: The Hug by Gustav Klimt.

Word searchSeeing Through Light's Participating Artists

CrosswordAbstract Expressionist Artists

ACROSS2. Major works by him formerly in Mellon collection

up for sale on 10 November

4. Invented 'soak-stain' technique and married

Robert Motherwell

8. Woman III was acquired by Tehran Museum of

Contemporary Art

10. Lived mainly in France

11. Notable Color Field Painter

12. Drip painting

DOWN1. Created Pictographs in the 1940s and 1950s

3. Married to drip painter

5. Black and white paintings with abstract motifs

6. Namesake museum in Denver

7. He coined the 'New York School'

9. Originally Armenian, hanged himself

Five prerequisites for survival in the art world:

Talent, humour, persistence, resilience and narcissism. The art world’s biggest crime is: Sexism. If I had

to summarise in one word, I would say that art is:

Knowledge. I am happiest when: Productive. Mankind

is capable of great: Wickedness. Life would be

meaningless without: Mystery. The three things

I look for in an artwork are: Inquiry, wit and being independent of time. My best art investment is: My new studio in Lahore. My biggest vice: Attention deficit. I just don’t understand: Kim Jong-un. I will always

say yes to: A good foot massage.

HAMRA ABBAS ARTIST, SHOWING THROUGH LAWRIE SHABIBI (A10)

5 Minutes with...

MARC MOUARKECH DIRECTOR, GALERIE TANIT (A19)

Across: 2) Rothko 4) Frankenthaler 8) DeKooning 10) Mitchell 11) Newman 12) PollockDown: 1) Gottlieb 3) Krasner 5) Kline 6) Still 7) Motherwell 9) Gorky

AMERBELLBULLOCHDONGFARMANFARMAIANFLAVINHALABY

HOUSHIARYIRWINKAMIKHANKHERKORAICHI

KUSAMALOZANOHEMMERMACKPIENESONNIERWHEELER

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ABU DHABI ART MAP

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B2

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AB GalleryAthr GalleryAyyam Gallery

Carpenters Workshop Gallery Edward Tyler Nahem Fine Art, L.L.CGaleri ZilbermanGalerie GP & N Vallois Hanart TZ GalleryHauser & Wirth

Horrach Moya kamel mennour Kashya Hildebrand GalleryKukje Gallery/Tina Kim GalleryLeehwaik GalleryLisson GalleryOctober GalleryPaul Kasmin GallerySalwa Zeidan Gallery Sfeir-Semler Gallery The Breeder The Third LineAcquavella Galleries, Inc.Agial Art GalleryAicon Gallery ARNDTDavid Zwirner Elmarsa Galerie Brigitte SchenkGalerie Enrico NavarraGalerie Janine RubeizGalerie Tanit BeirutGalerie Thaddaeus RopacGALLERIA CONTINUA

Gallery Isabelle van den EyndeHunar Gallery DubaiLawrie ShabibiLe Violon Bleu Leila Heller GalleryMeem GalleryPark Ryu Sook GalleryPaul Stolper GallerySimon Lee Gallery Taymour Grahne GalleryThe Park GalleryWhitestone GalleryXVA Gallery

Lucerne, SwitzerlandJeddah, KSABeirut, Lebanon / Damascus, Syria/ Dubai, UAE / Jeddah, KSALondon, UK/ Paris, FranceNew York, USA

Istanbul, TurkeyParis, FranceHong Kong, ChinaLondon, UK / New York, USA/ Zurich, SwitzerlandPalma de Mallorca, SpainParis, FranceLondon, UKSeoul, Korea / New York, USASeoul, KoreaLondon, UK / Milan, ItalyLondon, UKNew York, USAAbu Dhabi, UAEHamburg, Germany / Beirut, LebanonMonte Carlo, Monaco /Athens, GreeceDubai, UAENew York, USABeirut, LebanonNew York, USA / London, UKBerlin, Germany / SingaporeNew York, USA / London, UKTunis, Tunisia / Dubai, UAECologne, GermanyParis, FranceBeirut, LebanonLebanon / Munich, GermanyParis, France / Salzburg, AustriaSan Gimignano, Italy / Beijing, China/ Le Moulin, FranceDubai, UAEUAEDubai, UAE Sidi Bou Said, TunisiaNew York, USADubai, UAE London, UKSeoul, KoreaLondon, UKNew York, USALondon, UKTokyo, JapanDubai, UAE

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CD2 ADA2014 ONLINE - Canvas Magazine Daily/ada2014/Issue2/ccdada2en.pdf · paper work by the Pakistani ... Wedding Bouquet (1965) ... This 3D work, however, features 27 works by the