06 NOVEMBER 2012 I ISSUE 1 I ABU DHABI ART EDITION ALL FOR ART AND ART FOR ALL THE WINNING DESIGNS of six young Emiratis take flight at Abu Dhabi Art 2012 with the Wings Project. In a competition organised by the Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority and sponsored by Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank, Ahmed Saeed Al-Areef Al-Dhaheri, Aljoud Lootah, Hajer Al- Tenaiji, Khaled Al-Jabri, Nada Khalid Mohammed and Wafa Al-Qassimi gave the Abu Dhabi Art wing logo their very own twist. Their winning designs feature across Abu Dhabi Art’s programme in addition to merchandise sold at Artyfact. A new initiative by the Sheikha Salama Bint Hamdan Al-Nahyan Foundation takes shape to support emerging Emirati talent. IN THE NAME of championing Emirati art, the Sheikha Salama Bint Hamdan Al-Nahyan Foundation (SSHF) launched Art For All – a long-term community programme aimed at supporting and nurturing emerging local talent. Five up-and-coming Emirati artists – Alia Lootah, Dana Al-Mazroui, Hamdan Al-Shamsi, Maitha Demithan and Shamsa Al-Omaira – were chosen to participate in the first Art For All touring exhibition after a series of interviews conducted by SSHF representatives. Each artist was allocated a space in which to show their work, which toured several malls in the Abu Dhabi emirate. It was an intention on the part of SSHF to drum up Continued on page 3 > Aerial view of the Art For All exhibition. ABU DHABI ART WINGS Left to right: The winning designs by Ahmad Al-Areef, Khaled Al-Jabri, Aljoud Lootah, Nada Khaled, Hajer Al-Tenaiji and Wafa Al-Qassimi. Image courtesy TCA Abu Dhabi.
Transcript
06 NOVEMBER 2012 I ISSUE 1 I ABU DHABI ART EDITION
ALL FOR ART AND ART FOR ALL
THE WINNING DESIGNS of six young Emiratis take flight at Abu Dhabi Art 2012 with the Wings Project. In a competition organised by the Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority and sponsored by Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank, Ahmed Saeed Al-Areef Al-Dhaheri, Aljoud Lootah, Hajer Al-Tenaiji, Khaled Al-Jabri, Nada Khalid Mohammed and Wafa Al-Qassimi gave the Abu Dhabi Art wing logo their very own twist. Their winning designs feature across Abu Dhabi Art’s programme in addition to merchandise sold at Artyfact.
A new initiative by the Sheikha Salama Bint Hamdan Al-Nahyan Foundation takes shape to support emerging Emirati talent.
IN THE NAME of championing Emirati art, the Sheikha Salama Bint Hamdan Al-Nahyan Foundation (SSHF) launched Art For All – a long-term community programme aimed at supporting and nurturing emerging local talent.
Five up-and-coming Emirati artists – Alia Lootah, Dana Al-Mazroui, Hamdan Al-Shamsi, Maitha Demithan and Shamsa Al-Omaira – were chosen to participate in the first Art For All touring exhibition after a series of interviews conducted by SSHF representatives. Each artist was allocated a space in which to show their work, which toured several malls in the Abu Dhabi emirate. It was an intention on the part of SSHF to drum up
Continued on page 3 >
Aerial view of the Art For All exhibition.
ABU DHABI ART WINGSLeft to right: The winning designs by Ahmad Al-Areef, Khaled Al-Jabri, Aljoud Lootah,
Nada Khaled, Hajer Al-Tenaiji and Wafa Al-Qassimi. Image courtesy TCA Abu Dhabi.
TOMORROW
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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activities in the lead-up to the fair – buses for children to attend the exhibitions as well as a week-long community programme were organised. In addition to these works being showcased at Abu Dhabi Art, three of the five selected artists will host a panel discussion at the fair as part of the initiative’s programme.
“Sheikha Salama’s aim is to build new audiences and support local artists,” said SSHF’s Hessa Al-Hameli. “This series of programmes are designed to broaden the public’s awareness about the arts.” The selected theme, Between Public and Private, addresses notions of the self vis-à-vis others, as well as features multimedia works including painting, scanography and installation. Al-Omaira explored people’s privacy in Muted Thoughts, a body of work comprising a chair, a carpet, a series of seven paintings and an installation. “This is a collection of my deepest thoughts in visual form; not everything can be said in words because we can be judged sometimes,” she says.
In Them, Al-Omaira framed a found carpet with wooden chairs – the latter symbolised observers around her, while the former represented her psyche. Three horizontal bars feature in the centre of the carpet, the artist’s way of communicating that “sometimes, when we really need our space, we build bars around us – it’s a choice and a desperate scream for privacy when others can be very judgmental and nosy.”
Al-Shamsi’s work, The Verdictum, however explores peoples’ tendency to judge others by their looks through the artist’s use of portraits taken from publications, which are then rendered into a montage. “When people enter my space, where I’ve used reflective glass, I’d ask if they see themselves and the figure looking back at them,” explains Al-Shamsi. “The message is: if you’re trying to judge someone, get to know them first.”
The 31 year-old artist says his multimedia oeuvre is inspired by mankind and people’s way of dealing with difficult situations – a topic that he will address on the 9 November panel, alongside Al-Mazroui and Lootah. Between Public and Private will show at Abu Dhabi Art through the Art for All Community Pavilion. Also on show will be the 12 winning pieces of a student competition that took place during a weeklong community programme as well as the resulting artwork between calligraphy/graffiti artist Karim Jabari and the public.
Art for All: Between Public and Private will take place on 9 November from 17:00–18:00 at the Manarat Al-Saadiyat Auditorium.
Emirati artist Hamdan Al-Shamsi. All images courtesy Sheikha Salama Bint Hamdan Al-Nahyan Foundation.
Left: Dana Al-Mazrouei. How You Appear to Me. 2012. Mixed media. 120 x 75 cm. Right: Artist Alia Lootah.
“Sheikha Salama’s aim is to build new audiences and support local artists.” – SSHF representative, Hessa Al-Hameli
Jeddah’s Athr Gallery (1M8/B1) is among four spaces showing Contemporary Saudi art the fair and brings works by four of its artists – Nasser Al-Salem, Sadiq Wasil, Sami Al-Turki and Ayman Yossri Daydban (two pieces by the latter’s Malcolm X Subtitles series have recently been acquired by The British Museum, London). The gallery’s participation at Abu Dhabi Art stems largely from the fact that “the Gulf-based fair is a serious one and also supported by an important government body,” says Athr’s Mohammed Hafiz. “We believe in enhancing our presence to strengthen our position between institutions and patrons.” The price bracket for the works begins from as low as $2900 to as high as $89,000 for Daydban’s The Bell, showcased in the Beyond section. Al-Turki, who participated in the ADACH collateral event at the 2009 Venice Biennale, presents new photographic works, while Daydban showcases one of his largest pieces from his Subtitles series, extracted from the epic movie, The Message. “This particular scene is essentially a strong commentary on what’s happening in the world today,” says Hafiz.
The newly instituted Edge of Arabia Projects (1M4/B4), an offshoot of Edge of Arabia – a leading platform for the promotion of Middle Eastern and particularly, Contemporary Saudi art – showcases works by Palestinian-born Yazan Khalili and Saudi artist Abdulnasser Gharem at a price range of $3200-48,000. Gharem has just completed a residency in Morocco’s Dar Al-Ma’mun where his interaction with the local craftspeople, who specialise in wood carvings for mosques, led him to create his signature stamps in three unique woodworks. Khalili, on the other hand, shows work from his Colour Correction series in which the artist reconfigures refugee camps in Ramallah using colours. “Essentially, it’s about imagining a better situation,” said the gallery’s Stephen Stapleton, who added that discussions are being held on the possibility of turning Khalili’s Colour Corrections into a performance piece in Ramallah.
Since its establishment a decade ago, Athens’s The Breeder (2P6) has taken part in fairs across Europe and the USA; Abu Dhabi Art marks the gallery’s debut in the region. “This fair is the perfect platform to introduce our programme to a select audience in the Middle East, especially as Abu Dhabi is on its way to becoming a major art hub,”
says the gallery’s George Vamvakidis. Works by two of The Breeder’s 27 artists will be on show – Mindy Shapero and Antonis Donef – both of whom create labour-intensive
pieces, with the former focusing on sculpture and the latter on collage. “Though they come from completely different backgrounds, both
create a very personal cosmos that is abstract and chaotic but which is also poetically universal,” adds Vamvakidis.
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Other new participating galleries include Artspace, Dubai/London, 1M3; CDA Projects, Istanbul, 1M14; Galleria Continua, San Gimignano/Beijing/Le Moulin,1M19; Kukje Gallery, Tina Kim Gallery, Seoul/New York; Ota Fine Arts, Tokyo, 1M5; Simon Lee Gallery, London, 1M18; Tina Keng Gallery, Taipei/Beijing, 1M7.
FRESHMEN ON THE ABU DHABI ART FLOOR
Nasser Al-Salem.God Is Alive, He Shall Not Die. 2012. Neon light on mirror. 120 x 120 cm. Image courtesy Athr Gallery, Jeddah.
Of the 42 galleries which occupy spaces in Manarat Al-Saadiyat and the Norman Foster-designed pavilion, 10 are newcomers.
Gavin Turk. (Detail) Triple Elvis Blue on Paper. 2012. Silkscreen on 410 gsm Somerset Satin Tub Size. 152.4 x 122.5 cm. Image courtesy Paul Stolper Gallery, London.
Mindy Shapero. (Detail) Final Inversion. 2012. Wood, paper mâché, acrylic paint and gold leaf. 44 x 100 x 100 cm. Image courtesy The Breeder, Athens.
Participation at Abu Dhabi Art’s fourth edition marks the first time that Paul Stolper Gallery (1M10) shows in the region. The London-based space brings in a collection of works by stellar names on the Contemporary art circuit – Peter Blake, Gavin Turk, Damien Hirst, Pablo Genovés and Shepard Fairey, with whom the gallery has worked with to produce both print and unique works. “We were impressed by the fair’s gallery selection,” said Paul Stolper’s Steve Reed; “the fair seems very well organised and we feel that some of our artists would be of particular interest to Abu Dhabi clients.” Prices for the works offered range between $4800-48,000.
Yazan Khalili. (Detail) Colour Correction 2 (from The Camp series). 2007–10. Digital lambda C-type print. 61 x 99.5 cm. Image courtesy Edge of Arabia, London.
Salsali Private Museum hosts two cutting-edge exhibitions: Iran: RPM and Olympia, both of which delve into music and film through unique multimedia artwork.
ON THE COVER
ON 10 NOVEMBER, the Salsali Private Museum (SPM), founded by Iranian entrepreneur and collector, Ramin Salsali, will see the launch of Iran: RPM Vol I, a book compiled by Iranian curator Ali Bakhtiari, which visually revives a selection of vinyl covers from the soundtracks of Iranian films made during 1965–74. Included within are movie posters, ads and book covers adapted from specific vinyl records, reproductions of which will also be on show at SPM. “Iran: RPM is not just limited to the chronology of the development of film and music in Iran, but also showcases the level of creativity found in graphic design during that time,” says SPM Founder Ramin Salsali.
The proposition to launch and showcase Iran: RPM Vol I arrived serendipitously at the same time as the idea for Olympia on legendary British musician Bryan Ferry. On from 11 December to 28 February, Olympia will display Ferry’s album covers, which he conceived and designed over the last 40 years including his most recent 2010 album cover, Olympia featuring Kate Moss. In a veritable mergence of American glamour with European intellectualism, mass culture and fine art, these two shows are eye-openers in their ability to convey a period which blurred the boundaries between ‘high’ and ‘low’ culture.
Above: Curator Ali Bakhtiari. Image courtesy Salsali Private Museum, Dubai. Photography by Ali Zanjani; Below: A detail of the vinyl cover of The Creator of Love by director Ahmad Nadjibzadeh. 1968. Image courtesy Ali Bakhtiari.
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LA BIENNALE AND THE REGIONThe UAE and Lebanon return with national Pavilions at the next Venice Biennale through one-man shows.
THE LAST VENICE Biennale saw the largest ever number of participating Middle Eastern Pavilions with Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Turkey and the UAE taking part in the world’s oldest and most celebrated biennial (in addition to one collateral event, The Future of a Promise, dedicated to art from the region). Next year’s edition, however, sees only the UAE, Lebanon and Egypt representing the Middle East, as well as a possible collateral event organised by Edge of Arabia. At the time of press, Egypt had not announced its artist or curator. But what the region may be lacking in quantity, it aims to make up in quality – the confirmed artists and their respective curators are a stellar line-up. While Egypt has had a permanent Pavilion since 1952, the UAE returns for the third time and Lebanon makes a sophomore appearance since its inaugural participation in 2007. This will be the first time that the Emirati and Lebanese Pavilions host solo shows, with the former represented by Mohammed Kazem and the latter by Akram Zaatari.
FLYING THE EMIRATI FLAGCurated by Reem Fadda, associate curator of Middle Eastern art at the Solomon R Guggenheim Foundation, the UAE Pavilion is supported by the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Community Development, and for the first time, also by the Sheikha Salama Bint Hamdan Al-Nahyan Foundation. The Pavilion’s commissioner, Dr Lamees Hamdan, asserts that a solo show is an important move for the UAE. This sentiment is shared by Fadda, who added,“We need to see individual voices that are rightful artistic interlocutors from our society.”
“Reem holds onto the things that I find are important in my work and looked at everything I have done,” says Kazem, who is slated for a solo show at Dubai’s Isabelle van den Eynde Galley in February. “The final product will differ from what would be shown at a gallery. At Venice, we focus on one project, rather than a particular theme.” Fadda did mention, however, that rather than focus on a “futuristic outlook which previous UAE Pavilions featured, the next instalment will “showcase a more historical perspective”. A solo representation, adds Fadda, “conveys that there’s enough history and artistic backbone for one artist to be able to narrate and represent the
country. Mohammed is anchored with art history from the UAE, so he is totally capable, especially as he has worked in conceptual, installation and multimedia art for a long time.” Hamdan says Fadda and Kazem have carte blanche to come up with the Pavilion project but has not confirmed the UAE Pavilion’s permanent status at the Biennale. “Watch this space is all I can say,” she said. “I do believe that the UAE needs a permanent Pavilion and the Venice Biennale needs to consider that. The UAE is currently the most important art player in the Arab world, and will only get stronger once the Saadiyat Cultural District projects are finished.”
LEBANON, TAKE TWOLebanon steps into the fore with the commissioning body, the Association for the Promotion and Exhibition of the Arts in Lebanon (APEAL) and curator duo Sam Bardaouil and Till Fellrath. APEAL continues to work to secure funding for the Pavilion amidst an unpredictable political environment. “Everyone working on this has been of the conviction that this Pavilion has to go on no matter what,” says APEAL board member Nora Boustany. “The political volatility gives us a special incentive because for us, this is the antidote to instability.”
The choice of Zaatari was left to the curators and one which APEAL were “thrilled with” says Boustany. “His reputation is fantastic – he has depth and an intellectual sensitivity to issues in Lebanon.” Bardaouil and Fellrath have worked with Zaatari through their groundbreaking show, Told/Untold/Retold as part of the inaugural exhibitions of Doha’s Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art in 2010. The duo say Zaatari’s work for the Pavilion will be an evolution of the artist’s past work, while also representing a new departure in his trajectory. “His work for the Biennale will be more or less biographical and will feature architectural and archival materials,” adds Boustany. The Biennale, asserts Bardaouil, “is not a talent competition, but a question of finding one art installation that’s as strong as possible, rather than being a platform for emerging artists.” It is imperative, he says, for the chosen artist to be “of a certain level of experience in order to compete on the Biennale level.” In doing so, this spurs a sense of inspiration among a future generation of artists – an intention shared by both the UAE and Lebanon Pavilions.
Left to right: Artist Akram Zaatari. Image courtesy APEAL; Curators Sam Bardaouil and Till Fellrath. Image courtesy Art Reoriented; Artist Mohammed Kazem. Image courtesy the artist; Reem Fadda. Image courtesy Art & Patronage Summit, London.
The museum announces acquisitions over the course of nine months.
A SERIES OF lectures have been organised in the name of initiating a dialogue with art enthusiasts and creating awareness surrounding the Louvre Abu Dhabi’s collection and vision prior to its slated opening in 2015. Now in its second edition, the Louvre Abu Dhabi: Talking Art Series hosts a programme of public events in order to explore the cultural and historical significance of the museum’s recent acquisitions. Seven talks, led by specialists and experts from a variety of artistic fields – organised by the TCA Abu Dhabi, Agence France-Museums and the École du Louvre – kicked off in October and will run through to June 2013. Among the new acquisitions announced last October is an octagonal box from the Tang Dynasty (618–907 AD); Paul Gauguin’s 1888 masterpiece Breton Boys Wrestling; a beautifully preserved fountain and pavement ensemble dating to the Ottoman period and Joseph Girault de Prangey’s Ayoucha, reportedly the oldest known photographic representation of a veiled woman.
LOUVRE ABU DHABI: COLLECTION
Right, above and below: Paul Gauguin. (Detail) Breton Boys Wrestling. 1888. 93 x 73 cm. Oil on canvas. Image courtesy Louvre Abu Dhabi; Octagonal Box, Tang Dynasty (618-907 CE), eighth century, China. Wood, tortoiseshell, inlaid mother-of-pearl and painted amber pearls. Image courtesy Louvre Abu Dhabi. Photography by Thierry Olivier.
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ABDULQADER AL-RAIS AT THE SHARJAH ART MUSEUM SHARJAH – Over 100 paintings by renowned Emirati artist Abdulqader Al-Rais are showcased at the Sharjah Art Museum through the third edition of Lasting Impressions – a series of exhibitions which explore Emirati art. On until 30 November, the show features some of Al-Rais’s earlier works from the 1970s in addition to his most recent oeuvre, thus spanning his 40-year career. Through calligraphy, geometric objects and abstraction, the artist manages to create profound and complex artworks, inspired from the region’s landscape, heritage and architecture.
QUOZ AT AL-QUOZDUBAI – Al-Quoz, one of the emirate’s leading art districts, hosts QUOZ, a community initiative which takes place on 10 November. A public programme which encompasses spaces within the district as well as at Alserkal Avenue, it will see exhibitions presented by 25 spaces in addition to a wide range of activities, such as talks, panel discussions, workshops for adults and children, as well as a performance staged by The Fridge. Art enthusiasts are encouraged to discover the spaces within Al-Quoz through a variety of events catered to all age groups. Visitors are given the chance to express themselves collectively through an outdoor public mural.
MIDDLE EASTERN PHOTOGRAPHY AT THE V&A LONDON – The Art Fund Collection of Middle Eastern photography sees a collaboration between The British Museum and the V&A through Light from the Middle East: New Photography, which presents the work of regional artists working within the medium of photography. Artists include Hassan Hajjaj, Taysir Batniji, Shadi Ghadirian, Manal Al-Dowayan and Jowhara Al-Saud, among others. The show, which kicks off on 13 November and is on until 7 April, focuses on the emergence of Contemporary photography for artists in the Middle East as well as its use as a manifestation of the political, religious, cultural and social changes of the region. Divided into three sections – Recording, Reframing and Resisting, this exhibition displays a variety of techniques and approaches established through the photographic style, including documentary photographs, highly staged tableaux and images transformed beyond recognition. CHINESE ART IN TURKEYISTANBUL – Celebrating the 40th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and Turkey, Transformation: A View of Chinese Contemporary is currently on show at the Istanbul Modern until 25 November. Innovative and creative, this exhibition highlights the concept of an individual’s inner and outer transformation, as it takes a look at the internal and external relationship between traditional Chinese values with today’s world. The works presented apply modern techniques and new approaches to redefine Chinese traditions, culture and philosophy. Supported by the Ministry of Culture of China, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Turkey and the Embassy of China in Turkey, the show includes artists such as Cao Jigang, Gao Rong, Qin Yufen and Yang Fudong, among others.
ART NEWSLONDON CALLINGThe UK capital sees increased activity in the promotion of regional art through museum and gallery exhibitions and three new galleries, whose roster focuses on Middle Eastern art.
AS LONDON – like the rest of Europe – struggles under austere times, its established and thriving art scene continues to be the object of desire for many gallery owners. This month sees a show, Light from the Middle East, dedicated to photography from the region staged at the V&A; Edge of Arabia (1M4/B4) launched its Projects gallery space in London (and are participating at Abu Dhabi Art); Selma Feriani Gallery and Rose Issa Projects whose rosters include established and emerging names from the Middle Eastern art circuit, have been operational for the last few years. These, and other events, indicate a growing appreciation for regional art within the city.
The first Middle Eastern-based gallery to open a branch in London was Artspace (1M3). Last May, it inaugurated its premises on Milner Street with a solo by Egyptian artist Mohamed Abla. “That decision stemmed from our desire to show work by an artist who had responded to the political situation in Egypt,” says the gallery’s Maliha Tabari. The exhibition, she said, was well-attended, with some pieces sold to The British Museum. The space’s next exhibition was a solo by Iranian-born Samira Alikhanzadeh, whose works are also shown through Artspace’s booth at Abu Dhabi Art. “There is more purchasing power in London,” adds Tabari, citing Arab and Iranian clients as the gallery’s predominant buyers. “At the end of the day, we all have one thing in common: to push Middle Eastern and Iranian art.” Both Artspace’s galleries mirror each other’s programming as do the prices offered. “Whenever I put prices up, it is solely because of the worth of the artist’s work,” says Tabari.
WIDER VENTURESFollowing spaces in Beirut, Damascus and two in Dubai, Ayyam Gallery (2P21) will also open up its London doors in January (in addition to a Jeddah branch in the same month). The gallery’s Hisham Samawi says opening in the UK capital is a natural extension for the multi-branch entity. “We’re giving an international platform to some of the top artists coming out of the region, and London is the centre of the global art market,” he says. “The time is now for Middle Eastern art to take the next step from being a regional scene to an international one – the art coming out of here is on par with the rest of the world.” Ayyam’s London launch will see a solo show by Lebanese-born sculptor Nadim Karam and Samawi says the space’s inaugural programming will feature the gallery’s “blue-chip artists” including Iraqi-born Sadek Alfraji and Syrian Safwan Dahoul. Ayyam has confirmed its location on New Bond Street and Samawi says he is looking forward to educating an already established London collector base about Arab and Iranian art. In addition,
Left: Hisham Samawi. Right: Mehdi Nabavi. Canon. 2012. Cut mirrors and coloured glass. 120 x 125 x 250 cm. Images courtesy Ayyam Gallery, Damascus/Dubai/Beirut.
Above: Exterior view of Artspace, London. Below: Omar El-Nagdi. (Detail) Black Alef. 2012. Acrylic and oil on canvas. 150 x 150 cm. Images courtesy Artspace, Dubai/London.
the gallery is open to signing on artists from Europe into its programme. “We have a lot of Middle Eastern collectors, clients, and supporters in London already, but we don’t want to be just seen as that,” he explains. “Our art is great Contemporary art, it just happens to come from the region. It will appeal to the whole cultural scene.”
For Kashya Hildebrand (1S4), owner of the eponymous Zurich-based gallery, “the dream has always been to open a space in London.” Established in Geneva in 2001, the space relocated to Zurich in 2004, and the London move is slated for 2013. “There’s a cosmopolitan, eclectic mix of people in London who have a high conscientiousness about collecting art,” she says. “In addition, there are significant Diasporic pockets of Iranian and Arab collectors.” Hildebrand, a strong promoter of Arab, Iranian and Southeast Asian art, says her move from Zurich means she’s leaving behind a more classical, conservative collector base. “For me to come to London and promote emerging artists from the Middle East is much more exciting,” she says. Hildebrand believes that living in a city where major cultural institutions are supporting emerging artists and galleries is inspiring. “The buzz around Middle Eastern art around the world is the incentive,” she explains. “Institutions here like the British Museum have the same focal point as we do, so that’s very exciting.”
“There is more purchasing power in London.” – Maliha Tabari, Founder of Artspace
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SUPERSIZED ARTWORKBeyond – Abu Dhabi Art’s showcase of oversized artworks is back with three works.
LAST YEAR’S MONUMENTAL artworks were erected outdoors around Manarat Al-Saadiyat; this year they’re coming inside, where visitors walking through gallery booths can take in larger-than-life sculptures and installations. Athr Gallery from Jeddah, Sfeir-Semler from Beirut/Hamburg, and kamel mennour from Paris are all showing oversized art at this year’s Abu Dhabi Art.
Sfeir-Semler has brought over an industrial, urban piece by Mexican contemporary artist Gabriel Kuri. The three powder-coated steel discs that make up my 100%, yours, and their 100%, balanced follow a mathematical coding system – like most of Kuri’s work. Through his art, the artist explores contemporary consumer culture using unconventional or industrial materials like plastic bags, vouchers and newspapers, in order to demonstrate how materials are socially branded and coded, and how the economic system shapes day-to-day activities.
Athr Gallery is showing The Bell by Palestinian/Saudi artist Ayman Yossri Daydban, a piece that explores the issue of identity through the flag (Palestinian, in this case) and its paradoxical capability to create a collective identity through division. Based on a legend about a jaded ruthless king who, to encourage his quiet people to raise their concerns, put up a bell in the town square that they could ring when they felt wronged. When years passed without anyone ringing the bell, it disappeared under overgrown grass and vines – a passing grazing lamb bumped into it, and upon hearing the bell, the people finally rose. By using reflective stainless steel, Daydban ensures that everyone’s lives are reflected in The Bell, leaving room for people to create their own narrative.
Japanese artist Tadashi Kawamata began work on his sculptural installation Chairs for Abu Dhabi about a month ago; the colossal six metre-high piece is constructed from hundreds of chairs stacked in layers. Brought over to Abu Dhabi art by Paris gallery kamel Mennour, Chairs for Abu Dhabi is dedicated to the act of socialisation.
Above: Gabriel Kuri. my 100%, yours, and their 100%, balanced. 2012. Powder-coated steel. Three units, each disc 125 cm. Diameter: 62.5 x 60 x 125 cm. Image courtesy Sfeir-Semler Gallery Beirut/Hamburg. Below: Tadashi Kawamata. Chairs for Abu Dhabi. 2012. Wooden chairs. Variable dimensions. Image courtesy TCA Abu Dhabi.
IN 2009, at Les Halles de Schaerbeek in Brussels, Mazen Kerbaj placed himself in a cage for all to see over the course of nine days. In that time, he created artworks that eventually hid him from view as they were gradually being placed across the cage’s walls. Brought in through participating Beirut-based Galerie Janine Rubeiz (1M21/1S3), the Lebanese-born artist and musician reenacts the same experiment over the duration of Abu Dhabi Art. In a 2.5 x 2.5 metre open-top Plexiglas cage, Kerbaj will create artworks, which, by the time the fair ends, will be wallpapered on the cage, thus hiding him from view. A form of public intimidation? A social experiment? A psychological study? “I really just want people to see the process of the artist working,” says Kerbaj.
What is this project’s core premise?The most important time for me is when I’m actually doing it, not after it’s finished. It’s born when I do it and it’s dead when it’s done. It’s unlike musical performances – I get on stage, play the music and both the audience and I appreciate the output at the same time. With Don’t Feed the Artist, it’s born with the audience and dies with me.
How did you feel after the first time in Brussels?By the time I was done, I wanted to give it its own life. I didn’t want to look at it anymore. The moment of creation is the moment of reception. I’m not showing the artist or the work, I’m showing the artist creating his works until he disappears behind them, so it’s all about the work in the end.
How does working in a cage differ from working in your studio?It’s a big difference. As a performance artist, I know that what I create in this cage is not like what I do at home or in my studio. I like that the habits change. At home, I’ll take a nap, watch TV or just laze around, but in the cage, I know I have to work a lot faster. How do you feel about being watched?
I really do feel like an animal in a zoo. In a sense, I do become that, but also, I eventually become unconscious of people looking at me. I disappear and in the process, the audience disappears too.
You lasted for nine days in the first edition. What did that tell you about yourself?It taught me that what I can do in six months, I can do in nine days! When I put myself in extreme situations, work is way faster, and eventually I follow the work and not the other way round. I’m happy to be obliged to do this. I think dangerous and extreme situations push you – you either fight them off or embrace them.
These situations can breed creativity.Absolutely. During the July 2006 war in Lebanon, for example, a lot of my friends couldn’t go to work; but for me, as an artist, I continued to work, because there’s so much information coming at you. You might be physically stuck at home but there’s an outpouring, an artistic response to what you’re being hit with.
A deadline can be considered an intangible cage.It is, but there is something to be said about a physical cage: I really can’t escape! I am not challenging the audience; I am challenging myself.
Since your artistic production increases when in the cage, why not do it several times a year?The initial idea was to construct a 30 x 30 metre cage with an in-built bathroom and I would be fed, like an animal, and stay in there for a month. But I do think I need to do week-long experiments several times before committing to a one-month one. Who knows, I may not manage to do it!
What happens to the works after the project is done?The works are either sold separately or the entire cage and its interior are sold to a collection or institution. When I did this in Brussels, I really wasn’t happy to remove the drawings and in doing so, destroy the cage. I really think it should be sold as one entity.
Q&A WITH MAZEN KERBAJ
Mazen Kerbaj and below, his
2009 mixed media installation and
performance, Wormholes, in Les
Halles de Schaerbeek in Brussels. Images courtesy the artist and Galerie Janine
12 06 NOV 2012 I CANVAS DAILY I ISSUE 1 I ABU DHABI ART EDITION
5 MINUTES WITH...
ARTISTS I’D LOVE TO HAVE LUNCH AND DINNER WITH: Lunch with Reza Derakshani and
dinner with Sara Rahbar.
FIVE PREREQUISITES FOR SURVIVAL IN THE ART WORLD: Readiness to learn; do not follow
trends; listen; forgive; and remember that art is not the stock market.
IN THE ART WORLD, IT’S NEVER TOO LATE TO: Start collecting.
THE ART WORLD’S BIGGEST CRIME IS: The manipulation of the value of artworks.
ONE OF THE ART WORLD’S GREATEST UNSUNG HEROES IS: German artist Kiddy Citny and all
artists living and working under dictatorship regimes.
MY BIGGEST VANITY IS: That I am a founder of a museum.
IT WOULD MAKE MY MOTHER PROUD TO KNOW THAT: I did it my way.
THE SILLIEST QUESTION I HAVE EVER BEEN ASKED IS: “What is the return on investment
when buying art?”
IF I HAD TO SUMMARISE IN ONE WORD, I WOULD SAY THAT ART IS: Love.
IT MAKES ME UNHAPPY TO KNOW THAT: The level of superficiality is increasing.
MANKIND IS CAPABLE OF GREAT: Mistakes.
IF I WERE STRANDED ON AN ISLAND THAT HAD ABUNDANT FOOD AND SHELTER, THE THREE
THINGS I WOULD TAKE WITH ME ARE: A solar panel, generator and laptop.
I OWE MY SUCCESS TO: My beliefs and hard work.
MY BEST INVESTMENT IS: Education.
THE EXHIBITION THAT LEFT A BIG IMPACT ON ME WAS: SHOW OFF!, my museum’s first show.
THE SONG I CAN LISTEN TO OVER AND OVER AGAIN IS: Slave to Love by Bryan Ferry.
IF I WEREN’T DOING WHAT I DO, I WOULD HAVE BEEN AN: Artist or architect.
THE ARTWORK I WOULD ROB A BANK FOR ARE: Any self-portrait by Vincent van Gogh or
Rene Magritte’s Son of Man.
ARTISTS I’D LOVE TO HAVE LUNCH AND DINNER WITH: Both with John Baldessari.
IN THE ART WORLD, IT’S NEVER TOO LATE TO: Wake up early in the morning.
THE ART WORLD’S BIGGEST CRIME IS: Opening nights.
IF THERE IS ONE ERA I WOULD GO BACK TO, IT WOULD BE: The Beatnik era.
MY BIGGEST VANITY IS: My beard.
IT WOULD MAKE MY MOTHER PROUD TO KNOW THAT: I am finally ‘working’.
I FEEL LIKE A CHILD AGAIN WHEN: I’m conceptualising a new work.
IT MAKES ME UNHAPPY TO KNOW THAT: The world we live is as real as it can get.
THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY WAS: Logic
LIFE WOULD BE MEANINGLESS WITHOUT: The Internet.
I OWE MY SUCCESS TO: Being at the right place at the right time making some bizarre works.
THE THREE THINGS I LOOK FOR IN AN ARTWORK ARE: Production value, concept
and execution.
MY BEST INVESTMENT IS: My laptop.
IF I HAD TO SPEND THE REST OF MY DAYS IN ONE PLACE, IT WOULD BE: Las Vegas.
MY BIGGEST VICE: Sneakers.
THE BAD HABIT I CAN’T KICK IS: Smoking.
THE SONG I CAN LISTEN TO OVER AND OVER AGAIN IS: Echoes by Pink Floyd.
I WOULD HAVE LOVED TO BE A FLY ON THE WALL WHEN: During the Cold War era.
I JUST DON’T UNDERSTAND: Mankind.
THE WORST PIECE OF ADVICE I WAS EVER GIVEN WAS: “Get a full-time job.”
UBIK INDIAN-BORN ARTIST, SHOWING THROUGH THE FAIR’S DESIGN SECTION
5 MINUTES W5 MINUTES W
RAMIN SALSALI FOUNDER OF SALSALI PRIVATE MUSEUM IN DUBAI
THE SONG I CAN LISTEN TO OVER AND OVER AGAIN IS
IF I WEREN’T DOING WHAT I DO, I WOULD HAVE BEEN
UBIKINDIATHRO
Iran: RPM Vol I: A Selection of Iranian Vinyl Soundtrack CoversText by Ali Bahktiari.Published by Magic of Persia.
This hardback assembles a selection of Iranian vinyl soundtrack covers with a brief explanation of the various genres which make up Iran’s music scene. Edited and compiled by Iranian curator Ali Bakhtiari, IRAN: RPM presents colourful glossy depictions of vinyl record covers between the 1960s and 70s. Included is an in-depth introduction on Iran’s Pop culture and the Western influence which has transformed it over the years. At 254 pages, this book is a treasure of innovative design, illustration, collage, actors’ photographs and movie stills. The publication tells of an often forgotten, yet important part of Iranian art history.Price: AED 250/$68 available at Salsali Private Museum, Dubai.
Another Country Published by Hatje CantzThis elegant hardcover assembles Iranian photographer Mitra Tabrizian’s most recent oeuvre. In-
depth explanatory texts by Homi K Bhabha, David Green and Hamid Naficy shed light on the main themes within Tabrizian’s photographs, such as the relationship between individuals and society. The artist is interested in the chasm between the developing worlds and often places the protagonist in a way that the political conditions of a certain culture or region are mirrored through the composition of each image. Composed of 144 pages of glossy reproductions of the artist’s photographs introduced by brief theoretical texts, Another Country captures the essence of human relationships within specific cultural and societal circumstances. Price: AED 220/$60 available at Leila Heller Gallery, New York 2P12.
LIBRARY
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.
Hallmark of Geneva, Hand-wound mechanical movement,
Tourbillon, Ø 42 mm
Réf. 89000/000R-9655
17th of September 1755. In the offices of the solicitor Mr. Choisy, a young Master Watchmaker from Geneva named Jean-Marc Vacheron is about to hire his first apprentice. This agreement is the first known reference to the founding watchmaker of a prestigious dynasty and it represents the establishment of Vacheron Constantin, the oldest watchmaking manufacturer in the world in continuous operation.
Ever since this agreement, and true to the history that built its reputation, Vacheron Constantin has been committed to passing on its knowledge to each of its Master Watchmakers in order to guarantee the excellence and durability of its craftsmanship and of its timepieces.
