AMA NEWSLETTER 8214 December 2012 Qatar: the epicentre of the Gulf’s rising artistic scene Top stories Page 5 Qatar, United Arab Emirate, became independent on 3 September 1971. This oil producing country has passed through unprecedented increase in wealth thanks to sheikh Hamad bin Interview Khalifa Al Thani, who arrived to power in 1995, and established Qatar as one of the most Staffan Ahrenberg powerful countries in the world. The population’s standard of living equals now that of Western and the Cahiers d’Art Europe, with a Gross Domestic Product reaching $78,260/inhabitant. Skyscrapers, restaurants, Page 7 hotels, universities and luxurious villas have now taken over Qatar. This small emirate is developing very fast and seeks more visibility on the international scene. Qatar has become a Data large-scale diplomatic, cultural and even military player, and expresses quite openly its ambitions. Qatar is a Jack of all trades, and gets involved in all kinds of activities. The royal Jean-Michel Othoniel family sponsors the FC Barcelona, and Doha will moreover welcome the 2022 football World Page 9 Cup. Qatar also hosts the Taliban and the Hamas headquarters, as well as other international organisations such as the British Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security Museums Studies, among others, and broadcaster Al Jazeera headquarters (Doha). Page 11 For some years now museums have been developing fast throughout the country, and especially in Doha, that progressively takes over desert. Qatar’s financial means, which are Galleries considerable, enable the emirate to be one of the leading players of the art market on an Page 15 international scale. Some already call it “the Eldorado of the art market”, because of the royal family’s buying so many artworks. By acquiring a great many works, Qatar is willing to fill its museums — almost ten of them by 2030. Two questions must be raised: how did Qatar become Interview the greatest purchaser of artworks throughout the world? And does the emirate tend to rank Speedy Graphito first when it comes to museum industry? (more page 2…) Page 18 Artists Page 21 Interview Alëxone Page 22 Auctions Page 24 Fairs Page 26 ABOUT AMA ADVERTISING LICENCES Art Media Agency (AMA) is a news agency With over 82,000 readers and important AMA proposes operating licences that specialised in the art market. If you would requests, the AMA Professional Newsletter allow you to receive thorough and up-to- like to send us releases, please do so at is now available for advertising. For details date news on the art market, but also to [email protected]. on offers, please contact us via email at reuse the content provided. The agency produces more than one [email protected] or by telephone on If you are interested, please contact us at hundred articles per week, all purely textual, +33 (0) 1 75 43 67 20. [email protected] to find out focusing on art news and current events. To request a partnership, please write to more information on licences and our AMA covers all international markets. [email protected]. contents. THIS DOCUMENT IS FOR THE EXCLUSIVE USE OF AMA’S CLIENTS. DO NOT DISTRIBUTE. www.artmediaagency.com AMA NEWSLETTER 82 2 14 DECEMBER 2012 Qatar: the epicentre of the Gulf’s rising artistic scene (…more) Considerable expenses Owning no auction house — though the sheikh did consider Qatar is now considered the greatest purchaser of buying up Christie’s to François Pinault — Qatar called on artworks throughout the world. Two years ago, the country international experts to get some advice on big purchases, won the name “cultural destination of the year”, and over in order to reduce the margin of error. Indeed, thanks to its the last six years over $430m have been spent in cultural powerful financial means, Qatar systematically bids by 40% goods from the United States. This tendency was to 45% over the established quotations, and thus confirmed by a recent inquiry led by Artprice. It unveiled inevitably wins coveted artworks. For Artprice, this is no the interest of Qatar for Western modern and strategic mistake — for Qatar only buys major works, of contemporary artworks. The royal family surrounded itself museum quality — but it draws many artists up their usual with experts and consultants from the art world in order to quotation. The sheikh, pragmatic but visionary, claims he inquire into renowned contemporary artists. It then trusts in masterpieces only, and by doing so he shows appeared Qatar — just the size of one single German land audacity and manages to bring his country to modernity. — is as active on Artprice database as Germany itself. This will to promote culture and contemporary art has Their requests include American artists Richard Serra and brought Qatar to undertake museum constructions. The Jeff Koons, British artist Damien Hirst, Japanese artist Museum of Islamic Art saw the light of day in 2008, Takashi Murakami and American French artist Louise followed by the Mathaf, Museum of Arab modern art. By Bourgeois. Qatar indeed is interested only in the leaders of 2030, between 5 and 10 museums should emerge. The the art market, and neglects works under €100,000 — a National Museum, designed by Jean Nouvel, shaped as a rather criticised strategy. This explains however the desert rose, is expected to open by 2014. Doha will purchase of Cardplayers by Paul Cézanne, for $250m, the furthermore welcome a museum of Orientalist art, designed biggest operation ever registered on the art market. A by architects Herzog and De Meuron — who notably version of Munch’s The Scream, on auction at Sotheby’s in produced a pavilion of the Serpentine Gallery, and the new May 2012, was coveted by the Qatari royal family who building of the Parrish Art Museum, New York. This museum planned to purchase it, before it was eventually bought by will feature 1,300 Orientalist artworks and 400 valuable businessman Leon Black, who paid out $119.92m for the pieces. Qatar will soon be able to boast of owning the finest masterpiece. The royal family, that includes great and most precious collections in the world. Alongside these collectors and contemporary art connoisseurs, yields to new museums, Qatar is also undertaking eclectic buying works by major artists such as Andy Warhol and programming of contemporary art. It all began abroad, when Mark Rothko. Rothko’s White Center (Yellow, Pink and the country sponsored the Takashi Murakami exhibition at Lavender on Rose) was indeed purchased by the sheikh’s the Château de Versailles, and the Damien Hirst daughter for $70m. Whole American and European retrospective at the Tate Modern London. For the latter, only collections go to Qatari foundations, aiming at the Qatari royal family could afford such a risky enterprise, “establishing themselves definitely as essential players, for the transportation of works alone was a challenge. along with museums and contemporary art centres, to Besides, the Qatar Museums Authority purchased Lullaby compete with their American and European colleagues”. Spring for £9.7m (€12.02m) in 2007, (more page 3…) Terenuthis-Stela: Standing Adorant with Horus and Anubis, Nida Sinnokrot, KA (JCB, JCB), 2009 1st A.D. 2 JCB 1CX Backhoe Arms, 460 × 255 cm Collection of Roemer- und Pelizaeus-Museum Hildesheim. View of the installation of the Sharjah Art Museum Photo: Sh. Shalchi Image courtesy Sharjah Art Foundation THIS DOCUMENT IS FOR THE EXCLUSIVE USE OF AMA’S CLIENTS. DO NOT DISTRIBUTE. www.artmediaagency.com AMA NEWSLETTER 82 3 14 DECEMBER 2012 Qatar: the epicentre of the Gulf’s rising artistic scene (…more) and a Damien Hirst retrospective is scheduled in Doha next year. As stated by Edward Dolman — who left Christie’s to become executive director of the office of sheikha Mayassa, the sheikh’s daughter and head of the Qatar Museums Authority, the aim is for Qatar to become, by 2030, a country with a culture-based, rather than an oil-based economy. Qatar thus highlighted Louise Bourgeois, with the exhibition “Conscious and Unconscious”; Richard Serra, who installed a monumental work in front of the Museum of Islamic Art; and Chinese artist Cai Guo-Qiang, on display at the Mathaf. Qatar aims at becoming the main destination of cultural tourism in years to come. However a new question arises: is art really at stake, or is this only a money matter? Art and freedom Though Qatar seems to focus exclusively on blockbusters of Western contemporary art, it is normal to question the true position of art in the country. Is it considered a mere source of income, or is it entrusted with a real educational value? New exhibitions organised in Doha might show the royal family and Qatar are truly interested in art. Let us recall the exhibition “Tea with Nefertiti”, organised at the Mathaf, under the curatorship of Sam Bardaouil from Lebanon and Till Fellrath from Germany. It is the first time an exhibition created in that part of the planet will tour to Paris and Brussels. This remarkable exhibition, dedicated to the historic figure become some freedom of expression. pop icon, Nefertiti, presents both ancient and However, on a closer look, one realises Qatar is not so contemporary art, uncensored. It includes indeed different from other emirates and Middle East countries. feminine nudes, as for instance Natacha Atlas by Indeed Qatar wants to be singled out, preferring art to oil Yussef Nabil, as well as an installation by Ala Younis, and choosing not to be involved in its neighbours’ made up with Nefertiti sewing machines, launched in conflicts: Qatar claims its neutrality. Nevertheless, in the 1950s to promote modernity in Egypt. Qatar spite of its open support of Hamas, it took part to military follows this path by organising at the same time an operations in Libya against Khadafi.