Reviews
April
April 2012
MANAMA
CAPITAL
OF
ARAB
CULTURE
2012
CAPITAL
OF
ARAB
CULTURE
2012
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Selected works from the
38th Annual Fine Arts Exhibition
38th Annual Fine Arts Exhibition
AS THE last champagne lost its bubbles, and the last torches were extinguished on the parapets surrounding Jumeirah Medinat, the venue for Art Dubai 2012, art world pundits had already begun their post-mortem discussions. Differing opinions are flying around the world on the successes, failures, high and low points of this event -- now a firmly established happening on international art world calendar, yet the bottom line seems to be that it has come a long way.
Under the steady stewardship of Director, Antonia Carver, the Fair which took place between March 20th and March 25th, was by all accounts the best showing ever. This year over 75 galleries participated showing the work of over 500 artists. The art, which was still inconsistent by many accounts, did take a giant step forward with regard to both quality and selectivity.
Reports from the Fair’s press office include the following encouraging statistics: “The Middle East’s largest contemporary art fair posted a record attendance figure of 22,500 UAE-based, regional and international guests, including curators, collectors, gallerists, artists, and 75 museum groups”.
And, “new names such as Galerie Rodolphe Janssen, Arndt, The Pace Gallery and Alexander Gray Associates brought museum-quality artworks to Art Dubai alongside returning gallery heavyweights, the majority of which experienced strong sales, with Jeddah’s Athr Gallery selling out within half an hour of the fair’s exclusive Jumeirah Patron’s Preview on Tuesday, March 20. The fair also welcomed five galleries from Indonesia as part of its Marker section, curated by Alia Swastika.”
Under the steady stewardship of Director, Antonia Carver, the Fair which took place between March 20th and March 25th, was by all accounts the best showing ever. This year over 75 galleries participated showing the work of over 500 artists. The art, which was still inconsistent by many accounts, did take a giant step forward with regard to both quality and selectivity.
Reports from the Fair’s press office include the following encouraging statistics: “The Middle East’s largest contemporary art fair posted a record attendance figure of 22,500 UAE-based, regional and international guests, including curators, collectors, gallerists, artists, and 75 museum groups”.
And, “new names such as Galerie Rodolphe Janssen, Arndt, The Pace Gallery and Alexander Gray Associates brought museum-quality artworks to Art Dubai alongside returning gallery heavyweights, the majority of which experienced strong sales, with Jeddah’s Athr Gallery selling out within half an hour of the fair’s exclusive Jumeirah Patron’s Preview on Tuesday, March 20. The fair also welcomed five galleries from Indonesia as part of its Marker section, curated by Alia Swastika.”
According to Ms. Carver, ““Now six years old, Art Dubai has a new maturity. In 2012, we reached out beyond our established base in the Middle East and South Asia, building new links for both the local arts scene and our visiting galleries, recognizing that it’s fundamental to always bring new blood into the fair.” Ms Carver continued, “Looking ahead, we are aiming to develop our relationship with the African contemporary arts scene, reflecting on existing cultural links and shared histories.”
The predominant conversation during the Fair 00 both formally in the seminars at the Global Art Forum -- and informally amongst gallerists, artists, academics, museum and visitors etc was revolved around two fundamental questions.
The first point of constant speculation was: Is the market for ME.NA.SA artists ready for the “big time” -- the world stage? And the second was, basically: How has, or will, the events of the Arab Spring affect that market?
On the first question, it seems that the jury is still out. Many think that the ME.NA.SA region is most definitely becoming a major player on the world’s international contemporary art stage, with artists doing better and more serious work. Evidence includes that fact that the work is definitely attracting a broader and deeper collecting base . This fact coupled with increasing critical acceptance and acclaim is without doubt spreading the news like wildfire that the ME.NA.SA art market is the “new big thing”’
The flip-side of this success that seemed to be worrying many serious dealers and artists, is the worry that the market could grow too fast and that a great deal of speculative money pouring into the market from Russian and Western “art advisors” and collectors, could raise prices to artificial levels and turn some artists into ephemeral art-superstars.
This type of frenzied buying -- lacking in selectivity and contextual advice -- has been the root of the demise of regional markets in the past, and the leaders of the art world in the Gulf seem determined to make sure that they will not be the next victim.
The predominant conversation during the Fair 00 both formally in the seminars at the Global Art Forum -- and informally amongst gallerists, artists, academics, museum and visitors etc was revolved around two fundamental questions.
The first point of constant speculation was: Is the market for ME.NA.SA artists ready for the “big time” -- the world stage? And the second was, basically: How has, or will, the events of the Arab Spring affect that market?
On the first question, it seems that the jury is still out. Many think that the ME.NA.SA region is most definitely becoming a major player on the world’s international contemporary art stage, with artists doing better and more serious work. Evidence includes that fact that the work is definitely attracting a broader and deeper collecting base . This fact coupled with increasing critical acceptance and acclaim is without doubt spreading the news like wildfire that the ME.NA.SA art market is the “new big thing”’
The flip-side of this success that seemed to be worrying many serious dealers and artists, is the worry that the market could grow too fast and that a great deal of speculative money pouring into the market from Russian and Western “art advisors” and collectors, could raise prices to artificial levels and turn some artists into ephemeral art-superstars.
This type of frenzied buying -- lacking in selectivity and contextual advice -- has been the root of the demise of regional markets in the past, and the leaders of the art world in the Gulf seem determined to make sure that they will not be the next victim.
ART DUBAI 2012: WRAP-UP
Armani Swiss Art Gate UAE Event
The exquisite, minimalist Armani Hotel Dubai was the setting for the exhibition of Swedish artist, Fabian Edelstam’s “The Emirates Re-Visited” on March 19th. On the pre-preview evening of Art Dubai, elegant guests from around the world sipped champagne and enjoyed Edelstam’s arresting, fragmented photographic images of leading figures from the Royal and ruling families of the UAE.
In an “only in Dubai” moment, Mr. Edelstam, a silver-haired gentleman exquisitely dressed in Armani himself, explained his technique. “I take archival photographs of figures from this part of the world and then manipulate them to achieve the tonal quality I like. Then I fragment them like mosaics,” he continues, “and apply them to canvases. The backgrounds for the photographs, awash in gilded and metallic colors evokes both the splendor of decay of mosaic art from the ancient world. The mosaic technique, he explains, is also a reference to the non-linear style of layering memories and impressions in Marcel Proust’s “La Recherche de Temps Perdu”.
When asked about the theme of the show, Mr. Edelstam -- who hails from a family of artists from Stockholm -- answers, “It is really about flux. It is a contemplation on the changes that are happening so quickly in the United Arab Emirates, and indeed throughout the Gulf”.
Asked if he feels that his work is intended to view these changes in a positive, negative, or neutral light, he answers thoughtfully. “Honestly, I don’t think that we can comment at this point in time. We do not have the perspective as we are living through the transformation of a region and a shift in that region’s culture in real time, and truly only time will tell”.
The show was generously sponsored by Swiss Gate, an Abu Dhabi based company that focuses on showcasing the art of Europeans and the MENASA region and was curated by Kurt Blum. Mr. Edelstam’s work is in many prestigious private and corporate collections including Albert II of Monaco, Memoriel Charles de Gaulle, Ralph Lauren, Parliament of Luxembourg, NATO and Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden.
The exquisite, minimalist Armani Hotel Dubai was the setting for the exhibition of Swedish artist, Fabian Edelstam’s “The Emirates Re-Visited” on March 19th. On the pre-preview evening of Art Dubai, elegant guests from around the world sipped champagne and enjoyed Edelstam’s arresting, fragmented photographic images of leading figures from the Royal and ruling families of the UAE.
In an “only in Dubai” moment, Mr. Edelstam, a silver-haired gentleman exquisitely dressed in Armani himself, explained his technique. “I take archival photographs of figures from this part of the world and then manipulate them to achieve the tonal quality I like. Then I fragment them like mosaics,” he continues, “and apply them to canvases. The backgrounds for the photographs, awash in gilded and metallic colors evokes both the splendor of decay of mosaic art from the ancient world. The mosaic technique, he explains, is also a reference to the non-linear style of layering memories and impressions in Marcel Proust’s “La Recherche de Temps Perdu”.
When asked about the theme of the show, Mr. Edelstam -- who hails from a family of artists from Stockholm -- answers, “It is really about flux. It is a contemplation on the changes that are happening so quickly in the United Arab Emirates, and indeed throughout the Gulf”.
Asked if he feels that his work is intended to view these changes in a positive, negative, or neutral light, he answers thoughtfully. “Honestly, I don’t think that we can comment at this point in time. We do not have the perspective as we are living through the transformation of a region and a shift in that region’s culture in real time, and truly only time will tell”.
The show was generously sponsored by Swiss Gate, an Abu Dhabi based company that focuses on showcasing the art of Europeans and the MENASA region and was curated by Kurt Blum. Mr. Edelstam’s work is in many prestigious private and corporate collections including Albert II of Monaco, Memoriel Charles de Gaulle, Ralph Lauren, Parliament of Luxembourg, NATO and Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden.
Regarding the impact of Arab Spring, discussed within the context of the theme of the 6th annual Global Art Forum: The Medium and The Media, opinions were wildly divergent and debate was lively. The consensus, however, seemed to be that although geopolitical convulsions in the region couldn’t help but shine a light on the art being produced there and the market for that work, this spotlight may not be entirely a good thing for either the artists or the market.
The argument is that if contemporary artists become overly politicized and begin to create works that are purely focused on specific and temporal issues, they may lose the integrity with which they began in expressing universal themes relating to all humanity.
And, in a more prosaic analysis, many quite rightly made the assessment that the events in the region (not to mention the fact that the region consists of idiosyncratic countries all with individual issues) are far from over. Therefore, logically it is far too soon to tell how these changes will change the art produced, and the art market, and so however tempting it is to constantly relate the Arab Spring to the Middle Eastern art market, it would be wise to take a step back and wait for time to provide some perspective and context.
The Global Art Forum was absolutely one of the great successes of this year’s fair. One reason was quite simply that it lent the Fair a feeling of gravitas that had been missing in previous incarnations And the calibre of the participants prompted Art + Auction to dub the seminars and lectures held in Doha and Dubai as the “Davos Summit of the International Art Market.”
An accolade for which the organizers should feel extremely proud. In closing, the addition of meaningful dialogue, the patronage of young artists lent by the Abraaj Capital Art Prize, coupled with the calibre of much of the work exhibited, signaled that Art Dubai -- while maybe not at full maturity -- is moving out of its awkward adolescent period, and is without a doubt here to stay.
The argument is that if contemporary artists become overly politicized and begin to create works that are purely focused on specific and temporal issues, they may lose the integrity with which they began in expressing universal themes relating to all humanity.
And, in a more prosaic analysis, many quite rightly made the assessment that the events in the region (not to mention the fact that the region consists of idiosyncratic countries all with individual issues) are far from over. Therefore, logically it is far too soon to tell how these changes will change the art produced, and the art market, and so however tempting it is to constantly relate the Arab Spring to the Middle Eastern art market, it would be wise to take a step back and wait for time to provide some perspective and context.
The Global Art Forum was absolutely one of the great successes of this year’s fair. One reason was quite simply that it lent the Fair a feeling of gravitas that had been missing in previous incarnations And the calibre of the participants prompted Art + Auction to dub the seminars and lectures held in Doha and Dubai as the “Davos Summit of the International Art Market.”
An accolade for which the organizers should feel extremely proud. In closing, the addition of meaningful dialogue, the patronage of young artists lent by the Abraaj Capital Art Prize, coupled with the calibre of much of the work exhibited, signaled that Art Dubai -- while maybe not at full maturity -- is moving out of its awkward adolescent period, and is without a doubt here to stay.