looking back uaeat the cultural events happening in the emirates during theof monthmarch ART DUBAI SHARJAH BIENNIAL GUGGENHEIM TALKS AL-BASTAKIYA ART FAIR 56 art dubaiLatifa Echakch. Frames. 2006. Cut out carpets. Variable Dimensions. Galerie Kamel Mennour, Paris. where the grass is green and the art is pretty There is no denying the fact that Art Dubai has been bitten by the credit bug. Yet its third edition proves that art prevails, as do its passionate advocates. More cohesive than its predecessors, this year’s fair reflected a coming-of-age and was a spectacular showcase of the art world’s stalwarts and future luminaries. xxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxx TEXT AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY MYRNA AYAD buffalos by Contemporary Indian artist art dubai andhi made an appearance at last Gandhi: Less than two weeks before Valay Shende set off oohs and aahs the third edition of Art Dubai kicked in, year’s Art Dubai fair, painted in red, among passersby, the majority of his possessions were snapped up Gcast in aluminium and fiddling on whom mistook them for cows. Priced at for $1.8 million at auction by Indian a white laptop. He made an amplified $55,000, three were sold, all to Indian businessman Vijay Mallya, ‘the Richard attendance this year at Aicon Gallery, collectors. The gallery’s Geetha Mehra Branson of India’, who has promised to both in mini, reclining form, priced at noted “lots of inquiries but fewer sales,” donate Gandhi’s round glasses, bowl, $1000 (“to encourage young collectors,” at the fair, adding that the decision to plate, sandals and pocket watch to the said the gallery’s Jagroop Mehta of the show only Shende’s buffalos was, “to Indian government. edition of 75) while a life-sized version, make an impact.” She commended the A couple of booths away at Bodhi Art, retailing at $2000, featured Gandhi fair’s “terrific organisation” and great a Subodh Gupta oil on canvas piece sporting a white iPod. Indian artist mix of curators, museum directors and priced at $593,000 sat, tentatively Debanjan Roy has also made a sculpture speakers at the Global Art Forum. Yet in reserved. It was the only work above of Gandhi with a cell phone, all part of spite of a general mood of apprehension the $10,000–$100,000 bracket that the his India Shining series – Roy’s take on and a subdued level of sales, Mehra’s gallery had brought. “I’m not making any the Indian government and the media’s take on the 2009 edition was much like forecasts,” said the gallery’s Sharmishta description of India’s globalisation. While other gallerists’ – “great for networking.” Roy, “we came with an open mind the series spins a contemporary twist on In time, said Mehra, “Art Dubai could and of course there’s been talk.” The India’s father figure, one wonders what become an important fair.” Gandhi’s impressions of India’s IT sector gallery’s conscious decision to bring mid-range artworks was sound – they triumph may have been. “I think Gandhi OH WOW sold a considerable number of works, would have had a few questions to ask There were a few works that had each priced at less than $100,000, during about India and the rest of the world’s everyone talking, not for their price, the fair’s first day. Despite the rarity of ‘bright shiny’ future and how the world but rather, for their ‘jump at you’ effect. a Gupta painting, this particular artwork is a globalised playground,” said the These included Moroccan artist Latifa went back to Mumbai. gallery’s London director, Niru Ratman. Echakhch’s cutout carpets, Frame, at Indeed, March was quite the month for Meanwhile, Sakshi Gallery’s six brass “Art Dubai is the most expensive fair in terms of square metres!” - Andrée Sfeir-Semler Zoulikha Bouabdellah. (Detail) Love. 2009. Installation on wall, 10 calligraphic gloss paintings on steel. Each piece 150 x 60 cm. Edition of 3. Galerie LA Bank, Paris. buffalos by Contemporary Indian artist Galerie Kamel Mennour; Algerian artist Valay Shende set off oohs and aahs and Abraaj Capital Prize winner Zoulikha among passersby, the majority of Bouabdellah’s Love, a wall installation whom mistook them for cows. Priced at of 10 gloss-painted differently coloured $55,000, three were sold, all to Indian steel artworks that each spell the word collectors. The gallery’s Geetha Mehra hubb (love) in Arabic at Galerie LA noted “lots of inquiries but fewer sales,” Bank and German/Iranian artist Timo at the fair, adding that the decision to Nasseri’s* Epistrophy, a sculpture show only Shende’s buffalos was, “to embedded in a wall and polished in make an impact.” She commended the stainless steel at Galerie Sfeir-Semler*. fair’s “terrific organisation” and great “The most touched object,” as the mix of curators, museum directors and gallery’s Andrée Sfeir-Semler said speakers at the Global Art Forum. Yet in despairingly, caught the public’s eye for spite of a general mood of apprehension its utter uniqueness and beauty, but little and a subdued level of sales, Mehra’s did everyone know just how pricey and take on the 2009 edition was much like painstaking a task it was to produce, other gallerists’ – “great for networking.” ship and assemble. “The quality of the In time, said Mehra, “Art Dubai could walls has improved and we’ve never had become an important fair.” better service in putting up the booth,” she says. Furthermore, the gallery sold OH WOW all of Nasseri’s works while pieces by There were a few works that had Lebanese artists Walid Raad* and everyone talking, not for their price, Akram Zaatari were sold to European but rather, for their ‘jump at you’ effect. collections. One could dub the young These included Moroccan artist Latifa regional artists whose works have been Echakhch’s cutout carpets, Frame, at recently acquired by Charles Saatchi as the YMEAs – Young Middle Eastern to view a work by Saudi resident, Ayman Artists. Fittingly, a work by one such Yossri, who pastes old Arabic movie YMEA at Galerie Sfeir-Semler, Lebanese posters onto wooden tissue boxes. Marwan Rechmaoui, was reserved by a Originally Palestinian with Jordanian European museum. “Everyone expects to nationality, his series Maharem (tissues) see Middle Eastern art [at Art Dubai] and is inspired by the emotions that these old our artists are the best,” said the gallerist, films trigger, although Yossri also infuses whose transported artworks ranged from posters from contemporary Western $1000–$100,000. Yet, she objected that, films, albeit their Arabic incarnations. One “Art Dubai is the most expensive fair in of the last to sign up at Art Dubai, (only terms of square metres!” Why did the three weeks prior) the sole Saudi Arabian gallery with branches in Germany and gallery was overwhelmed with the interest Lebanon participate then? “You can’t be in its artists. Indeed, nine editions of the a Beirut gallery and not come,” she said, Maharem series were sold, among works “I’ve been supporting Art Dubai from by other Saudi artists that all ranged the start.” between $2000–$45,000. “We want to Meanwhile, around the corner, people show the texture of our society,” said the huddled into Jeddah-based Athr Gallery gallery’s founder, Mohammed Hafiz. Subodh Gupta. (Detail) Untitled. 2008. Oil on canvas. 198.12 x 363.22 cm. Bodhi Art, Mumbai. Farhad Moshiri. Golden Allah 1. 2009. Strass and glitter on canvas. 110 x 110 cm each. Galerie Perrotin, Paris/Miami. Another crowd-puller at the fair was lot of interest.” The general talk among Iranian artist Farideh Lashai’s I Don’t buyers rang a plausible note – better Want to be A Tree, I Want to be its wait until the end and haggle over prices. Meaning – a series of animated One rather bubbly gallerist – and also photographs on paintings, on show a newbie to the Art Dubai scene – was at Bahrain’s Albareh Gallery. Lashai’s Emmanuel Perrotin of the Paris/Miami fascination with the tree as an historic Galerie Perrotin who made headlines at symbol and as an element of nature that Art Basel Miami Beach (ABMB) 2008’s witnesses the passage of time and its first day with the sale of a work by events, is at the centre of this fascinating Farhad Moshiri* to a Belgian collector art piece. Like a journey within journeys, for $250,000. “It’s very easy to decide to Lashai’s work (solely shown at Albareh’s bring works by Moshiri, but it’s very hard booth) was a multi sensory experience, to get the work from him,” said Perrotin, inspired by Turkish novelist, Orhan “[Moshiri] was very generous, perhaps Pamuk’s My Name is Red and leaves one because he saw what we did at ABMB.” feeling that the whole is indeed greater Five works by the Iranian Contemporary than the sum of its individual parts. artist were up at Perrotin’s booth for $70,000 each, or $250,000 for the lot. NEW GALLERIES ON THE ART DUBAI BLOCK Two were sold, and while Perrotin tries his It is certainly not rocket science to best to avoid reserves, another two were distinguish between a miserable gallerist put on hold. Another one of his policies and a happy one. The latter will gladly is never to change prices, regardless of disclose sales, while the former will location or economic fluctuations. Bravo. report that the majority of artworks have Was it a good time to participate at Art been reserved, or, faux-cheerily declare Dubai, given the gallery’s sister branch the artsy cliché, “People have shown a in Miami is closed for an undisclosed Valay Shende.