Fouad Elkoury’s photo of Egyptian actor Sherihan (From the Egyptian Cinema. Estimate: US$8 000-25 000). Courtesy Sotheby’s
“The Middle East has a long and storied heritage of great art and, right now in particular, modernism is having a renaissance,” shares Sotheby’s Dubai ahead of its inaugural auction to be take place on November 13. Held under the patronage of Her Highness Sheikha Manal bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, 107 works will be offered, including art, design, photography, prints, books, manuscripts, and jewelry. Titled “Boundless, Dubai, the auction event will be curated by Sotheby’s Arab and Iranian art specialist and head of sale, Ashkan Baghestani. “With the evolving cultural scene of the region and the broadening of tastes here, combined with the trends taking place in the wider art world, this feels like the perfect moment to progressively expand the range of artists offered at auction in the UAE,”Baghestani told Vogue Arabia. Works by Mona Hatoum, Vader Attia, Khalil Gibran, Samia Halaby, and Fouad Elkhoury’s classic photograph of Egyptian actor Sherihan will be featured, among others. “The sale will appeal to collectors across the region as much as to collectors across the globe,” added Baghestani.
Khalil Gibran, Study of a man’s head, graphite on paper. Estimate US$5,000-7,000. Courtesy Sothebey’s
Sotheby’s Dubai is the latest addition to the auction house’s global network of 80 offices across 40 countries. Its launch follows year-on-year growth in the number of clients from the region participating in its sales. Sotheby’s has seen a 30% increase in the number of buyers from the Middle East over the last five years, with jewelry, contemporary art, and paintings by impressionist and modern artists as well as the old master being the most popular purchases. Meanwhile, the value of Middle Eastern art is also rising rapidly. Sales from the inaugural Sotheby’s Dubai auction on November 13 are expected to reach US$2.7 million.
The works will be exhibited from November 6-12 at Sotheby’s Dubai in the Dubai International Financial Centre. The auction will be held on November 13.
Zaha Hadid, Prototype Aqua Table. Estimate US$7 000-10 000. Courtesy Sotheby’s
Marzook reimagines iconic artworks with Middle Eastern flair
