DUBAI EMERGES AS MIDDLE

EAST CONTEMPORARY
ART CENTER
NEWS/DUBAI
by Miirlaza Vali

AFTER ORGANIZING A SERIES OF GHARITY

auflions and pre\iew exhibitions (o gauge inarkel strength and stir
Ifual interest, Ohrislie's coridticled its first internal ional rnoderTi
and contemporary art sale in the Middle East on May 24 at the
Junieirah I'iriirales Towers Hotel in Duliai. On oHer were 127 lots
from the Arab world. Iran, India, Pakistan and tlie West, liven the
sharp dip in Gulf stwk market indices in the weeks leading up to
the auction did uol temper enthusiasm for contemporary art. and
the sale total of USD 8.489.400 almost doubled estimates as 53
artist records were established. Over hali the bu\ers were from the
Mitldlf F.ast, most based locally.
Not blessed with the vast oil reserves of neighboring Ahu Dbalii,
the rulers of Diiliai have long focused their development eflbrts on
trade, finance and hospitality, encouraging husiness and commerce
(lirough fn'c trade and enterprise zones and cstalilishing ttic emirate
as a key airline hull and trading port connecting L^urope to Asia
and Africa. The international selection of art reflects Dubai's
cosmopolitanism—SO percent ofthe population is non-local—and
was strategically chosen to appeal to regional buyers Interested in
modern and contemporary Middle Eastern art. The inclusion of
liuhan art capitalized on Dubai's proximity to India and (he large
community o['wealthy Intlians li\ingin the Gulf.
Buoyed by recent success in New York (SEE-W-O), modern and con-
temporary Indian work dominated the sale. Tlie top lot was Numbers
(1979). an enigmatic iiion(K'hroine painting by Rameshwar Hroota.
which sold for $912,000. far above its estimate of $80,000-120,000.
Works by Ihe "hig threi'" Progressive Artists Group founders. M.M
llusain (who has a house iii Dubai). F.N. Souza ami S.II. Haza were
ainoTig the top 10 sellers; the only non-Indian work in this group
was I'.gyptian Ahmed Moustafa's Where Ihe Two Oceans Meet
(Variant No. 3} [2001). a modern calligra|»hie work which sokl for Mart 11 2(K)5 by Sunny Rahbar, Omar Ghobash and Glaudia Cellini,
$284,800. Ol her work from Ihe Gulf region, Iran and Pakistan also the gallery moved into its new permanent space, a converted ware-
sokl well. In at least one case, the ine\|icrienee of some l)u_\ers was house in the Al-Quo/ industrial area in SeptcmlxT 2005. l-miisingon
apparent when a Shirin Neshat print.] um Us secret (1993), from an emerging artists from the region, (he gallery has hekl solo exhibitions
edition of 250. sold for $48,000. more than ten times its estimate, of Egyptian photographer Youssef Nabil and Iranian painters Amir
()utdoing her Vntilled (1995), a photograph overlaid with hand Rillah. Farhatl Moshiri, Lalch Kliorramiau aiid Rokni llaeri. Works
traced calligrapin from an edition of 10, estimated at $l8.t)00- by Moshiri and Shadi Ghadirian (who participated in a gnnip show
22.0OOaiid loppingoH at $31,200. of Iranian photography) were included in Christie's auction.
The w iiulfall return seems to justif\' the auction house's dec ision On the horizon is the Gulf Arl Fair (March 8 - 10. 2007) at the
in April 2005 to establish this booming Gulf emirate as its Middle Madinat Arena on Jumeirab Beach. Located in a complex of luxury
I''ast ba.se. Dubai today is an ever expanding, mind-numbing glass, hotels set around a large lagoon beside the seven star Burj al Arab,
steel and concrete jungle, home to Ifiof the world's ,")() lallcst liuildiTigs the fair will feature 50 galleries and a curated sculpture garden.
now under construct ion and audacious real estate ventures such as The London-based advisory committee, headed by Art London
rile World island resort and de\elopment {SEZAAPAS). Dubai has plentj' fair founder and gallerist John Martin and Michael Hue-Williams
ol erupt \ white walls for art and the fuTiils necessary to acquire it. of bhie-fhip galler\ .Mbioii among others, is currenth soliciting
Responding to gnjw ingdeiiianti. a hantlful of small private galleries aud re\iewiiig applicatioiis from galleries around the world and
have nx-ently appearetl, most notably The TIURI Line. Launched in initial response has been strong.

>.ir BriiiiU — Numbers (lHTfli Oil on canvas. INOx 125 on. Courtc-iy Christie's. Dubai.

HAPPENINGS A A P. 59