ABU DHABI ART: INAUGURAL EDITION DRAWS OVER 15,000 VISITORS INCLUDING ART WORLD LUMINARIES AND WINS PRAISE FOR QUALITY OF GALLERIES, HIGH CALIBRE OF WORKS DISPLAYED AND EXCEPTIONAL PROGRAMMING, 25 Nov 2009
For Immediate Release
ABU DHABI ART: INAUGURAL EDITION DRAWS OVER 15,000 VISITORS INCLUDING ART WORLD LUMINARIES AND WINS PRAISE FOR QUALITY OF GALLERIES, HIGH CALIBRE OF WORKS DISPLAYED AND EXCEPTIONAL PROGRAMMING
Strong Sales of Works by Modern and Contemporary Masters, including Calder, de Kooning, Richter, Basquiat, Haring, Buren, Neshat, and Haerizadeh
ABU DHABI, UAE, 25 November, 2009 — Abu Dhabi Art, organised by Tourism Development & Investment Company (TDIC) and Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage (ADACH), concluded its inaugural edition on 22 November, bringing to a close four remarkably successful days of exhibitions, programmes, events and art sales. In its first year, this new annual platform for modern and contemporary art, held in the UAE’s capital under the patronage of HH General Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, was recognised by participants and visitors as having exceeded all expectations.
“With the co-operation and support of our world-class partners from the Middle East, Europe, America and Asia, we have now established Abu Dhabi Art as a major new event on the international calendar,” stated HE Sheikh Sultan bin Tahnoon Al Nahyan, Chairman of TDIC and ADACH. “We look forward to welcoming the art world again next year, when we hope once again to meet, and surpass, the high standard we have set for ourselves.”
An exclusive selection of 50 galleries from 19 countries took part in Abu Dhabi Art, displaying a wealth of museum-quality work which more than 15,000 visitors experienced at the landmark Emirates Palace. Surrounding these displays were a host of special exhibitions and an almost round-the-clock schedule of panel discussions, lectures, design workshops, performances, book signings and parties.
Sales were strong throughout Abu Dhabi Art with a high number of important purchases made by various UAE public organisations and museums as well local and international private institutions and collectors. Theses purchases include a painting by Willem de Kooning (Untitled XIII, 1982) which was sold by Gagosian Gallery (New York, Beverly Hills, London, Rome, Athens, Hong Kong). PaceWildenstein (New York) sold a work by Alexander Calder, La Douche (1975). Hauser & Wirth (Zurich, London, New York) sold a Gerhard Richter painting, Abstraktes Bild, and a work by Roni Horn, Blue by Blue (D), (2007). Tony Shafrazi Gallery (New York) sold a work by Keith Haring (Untitled, 1982). Jean-Michel Basquiat’s Prayer (1984) was sold by Galerie Enrico Navarra (Paris). Art Sawa (Dubai) sold Children of the world by Rachid Khimoune. Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac (Paris, Salzburg) sold an untitled work by Tony Cragg, Toledo by Philip Taaffe and I Used to be in Love with Him (2009) by Ramin Haerizadeh. A work by Sean Scully, Passenger Sky (1997), was sold by Kerlin Gallery (Dublin). B21 Gallery (Dubai) sold two sets of Rokni Haerizadeh’s Fictionville (2009) series to collector François Pinault, who also acquired work by David Mach from Galerie Jérôme de Noirmont (Paris). Galerie Gmurzynska (Zurich) sold two works by Zaha Hadid. Gilles Barbier’s The Corn Flakes Theory of Health (2009) was sold by Galerie Georges-Philippe et Nathalie Vallois (Paris). At the Palm by Douglas White and works by Shezad Dawood were sold by Paradise Row (London, Istanbul). Rubber Pipe by Sudarshan Shetty and works by Avinash Veeraraghavan were sold by GALLERYSKE (Bangalore). Nature Morte (New Delhi) sold work by Thukral & Tagra. Daniel Buren’s Untitled was sold by Kamel Mennour (Paris).
Participants agreed that Abu Dhabi Art had enjoyed a strong start in its initial year, with many expressing their anticipation of returning for future editions.
Sukanya Rajaratnam of L&M Arts stated, “We like the boutique scale of the fair and the quality of the galleries that participated. It has been a very positive learning experience. We view our participation as a long-term commitment.”
According to James Lindon of PaceWildenstein, “The booth was mobbed with interest, questions and plaudits, with many local visitors expressing their excitement at seeing Calder’s work in the flesh for the first time.”
“We are very happy about the interest here in all of our artists that we presented, and with the opportunity to showcase our programme here to this region,” stated Iwan Wirth of Hauser & Wirth. “It was a great experience to meet so many people here.”
“The exhibitor turnout was most impressive. I was also impressed with how the local community from Dubai, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi really turned out to support the fair,” said Claudia Cellini, Co-Director of The Third Line, Dubai. “It was an excellent beginning to what we hope is an annual event.”
“It was impressive to have all of the galleries gathered in a stylish environment with museum representatives, collectors, and artists,” said John Kennedy of Kerlin Gallery. “There was a real cross-fertilisation of cultures, where east meets west. It is the global future.”
“Abu Dhabi Art provided great visibility and exposure for the gallery,” said a representative of Galerie Patrice Trigano. “We consider Abu Dhabi Art as one of the best fairs.”
Participants from Pundole Art Gallery stated, “Abu Dhabi is fast becoming the cultural capital of the Middle East, making the Abu Dhabi Art fair a unique venue for promoting art to collectors in the region.”
“Abu Dhabi Art is both a new market for galleries taking part and also a novelty for visitors to the fair,” stated gallerist Jérôme de Noirmont. “I’m very happy with how it went this year, and I would be very happy to go back again for the next edition.”
Important exhibitions included a show of masterworks (such as pieces by Cézanne, Picasso, Léger, Calder, Giacometti, Bacon, Warhol and Lichtenstein) organised by seven international galleries; the opening of The Guggenheim: The Making of a Museum, the first exhibition in the region of masterworks from the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, organised under the auspices of the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi Museum; Disorientation II, a curated selection of work by contemporary Arab artists on the theme of unity in the Arab world, shown as the first exhibition in TDIC’s Manarat al Saadiyat centre on Saadiyat Island; The Funerals of Monna Lisa, a display of monumental paintings by Franco-Chinese artist Yan Pei-Ming, presented by TDIC in collaboration with the Louvre; and special presentations by three of the Arab world’s most influential not-for-profit institutions, Al Ma’mal Foundation for Contemporary Art (Jerusalem), Townhouse Gallery (Cairo) and Darat al Funun-Khalid Shoman Foundation (Amman).
The schedule of events, which kept collectors, curators, journalists, artists and art dealers busily engaged throughout the four days, realised the theme of Abu Dhabi Art as a meeting place on a contemporary version of the Silk Road, where today’s routes of culture, trade and society all interact. Leading off the events was Abu Dhabi Art, Talks & Sensations: The Wings Party, an evening-long experimental mixture of performances, discussions, slide shows, film screenings, featuring artists, musicians, thinkers, writers and designers from around the region and the world, which kicked off by an on-screen welcome message delivered by renowned artist Yoko Ono, and the works and programmes of Stephen Shore, Coco Rosie, Loris Gréaud, Jeff Mills and others.
Other events—which drew standing-room-only audiences, including large numbers of students from Abu Dhabi and the region—included high-level panel discussions on art in today’s Middle East, cutting-edge contemporary design and the history and practice of art collecting; lectures on Alexander Calder and other masters of modern art; and expertly guided tours, drawing on the faculty and guests of Paris-Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi and New York University Abu Dhabi.
“It is very exciting for me, as an art historian, to bear witness to these early stages of Abu Dhabi bringing so much strong and engaging art to the Emirate,” said Mariët Westermann, Provost of New York University Abu Dhabi, who moderated the panel discussion Collecting Today. “As we move closer to the openings of the remarkable museums on Saadiyat Island, the sky will be the limit for Abu Dhabi as a world centre of art that will interact productively with local artistic culture.”
Artist Jeff Koons, a member of the International Patrons Committee of Abu Dhabi Art, confirmed the high level of the works being exhibited and the activities being offered. “I’ve been to other art fairs,” he stated, “but there wasn’t the same sense of quality that was here.”
The Host Committee, chaired by Her Highness Sheikha Salama bint Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Nahyan, received an exceptionally distinguished group of guests from the international art world,, including François Pinault, founder of PPR Group, owner of Christie’s and art collector; Henri Loyrette, Director, Musée du Louvre; Richard Armstrong, Director, Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation and Museum; Deyan Sudjic, Director of the Design Museum, London; Fabrice Bousteau, curator, editor of Beaux Arts magazine, and organiser of the event Abu Dhabi Art, Talks and Sensations: The Wings Party; Tom Krens, President, Global Cultural Asset Management (GCAM); Sir Norman Rosenthal, independent curator and writer; Jack Persekian, curator, Artistic Director of the Sharjah Biennial, Director of the Sharjah Art Foundation, and founder of Al Ma´mal Foundation for Contemporary Art in Jerusalem; Alexander von Vegesack, Director, Vitra Design Museum; Hans Ulrich Obrist, Co-Director, Exhibitions and Programmes and Director of International Projects at the Serpentine Gallery, London; Dr. Farhad Farjam, collector and Managing Director, Farbro Group; Dr. Roger Mandle, Executive Director, Qatar Museums Authority, President Emeritus, Rhode Island School of Design; Anthony d’Offay, collector and art patron; Stefan Edlis and Gael Neeson, collectors; Francis Briest, Co-President of Artcurial, Paris; Arnauld Pierre, Professor of Contemporary Art History, Paris-Sorbonne University; Mariët Westermann, Provost of New York University Abu Dhabi; Anupam Poddar, collector and Sultan Sooud Al Qassemi, collector.
The many artists and designers present included Jeff Koons, Jean Nouvel, Stephen Shore, Subodh Gupta, Yan Pei-Ming, Loris Gréaud, JR, Philippe Ramette, Winschluss, Tarek Al-Ghoussein, Rami Farook, Dr. Najat Makki, Abdul Qader Al-Rais, Muna Al Khaja, Khaled Abdul Wahed, Salem Al Qassimi, Max Lamb, Sevil Peach, Maarten Bass, Ahmad Angawi, Huda Baroudi, Maria Hibri, Younes Duret, Nedda El Asmar, Reem Al Ghaith, and Susan Hefuna.
The sponsors of Abu Dhabi Art are renowned international organisations, including the Principal Sponsor, HSBC Bank Middle East Ltd., and Associate Sponsors Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA) and Audi Middle East. Official Cargo Carrier is Etihad Crystal Cargo, and Host Sponsor is Emirates Palace. Abu Dhabi Art Official Providers are Abu Dhabi National Hotels, Apple, and Sunraysia Five Star. Media Partners include CNN International, Abu Dhabi Media Company (The National), Bidoun, Canvas, The Art Newspaper, ArtNexus, and TimeOut Abu Dhabi.
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About Tourism Development & Investment Company (TDIC)
Tourism Development and Investment Company (TDIC) is a master developer of key cultural, residential and tourism destinations in Abu Dhabi. The principal goal of its cultural programme, up to and including the creation of the Saadiyat Island Cultural District – the world’s largest single concentration of premier cultural institutions – is to establish an international platform in the UAE for arts and culture.
Unprecedented in scale and scope, the Saadiyat Island Cultural District will include museums such as the Zayed National Museum, the Louvre Abu Dhabi and the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi Museum, all due for completion in 2012/2013. Education is essential to fulfilling TDIC’s mission, and this initiative provides opportunities for the local and regional community to participate in programming of the highest quality and to be engaged in the city’s urban, cultural and artistic development, while enabling Emiratis and UAE residents to develop professional skills and knowledge through a dialogue with representatives from the world’s leading cultural organisations.
Alongside the Cultural District project, TDIC presents a diversified programme of art exhibitions, events and talks aimed at all levels to further engage audiences in the arts.
For more information visit www.artsabudhabi.ae; www.tdic.ae
About Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage (ADACH)
Established in 2005 as the cultural authority of the Government of Abu Dhabi, the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage (ADACH) has far-sighted aspirations to harness the pride of the people of the UAE through the development of its cultural heritage and to be the leading cultural development organisation in the region. ADACH is committing its resources to the preservation of heritage as well as to the development of Emirati, regional and international arts, music, literature, and cinema. This vision is open to everyone in the Middle East, the Arab world and beyond.
Through its major initiative entitled the “ADACH Platform for the Visual Arts,” the Authority will bring together important contributions from contemporary artists from the Gulf and from throughout the Arab world. It will also present a futuristic vision of Abu Dhabi as a place where living traditions and contemporary culture come together in a new dynamic space.
ADACH has already lined up a number of structures and initiatives to fulfill its strategic objectives in fields including green building design, museum development, excellence in curatorial and museum studies, cultural infrastructure development, film industry, translation and publishing, among others. Abu Dhabi Art, organised in partnership with TDIC, serves the objectives of this strategy.
For more information on ADACH, news and initiatives please visit www.adach.ae
About HSBC’s Cultural Exchange Programme
As the world’s local bank, HSBC aims to encourage and promote the understanding of different cultures across the world through its Cultural Exchange programme. As an international financial services provider, HSBC has to operate across different cultures and knows firsthand how important it is to appreciate and understand the different points of views and values of both its employees and clients, in order to build successful working relationships. HSBC therefore believes that Cultural Exchange can generate important business benefits. HSBC embraces Cultural Exchange in its widest sense; from fine art to cuisine, from language and literature to dance, street arts and all forms of music. www.hsbc.com/culturalexchange
HSBC Bank Middle East Limited (HSBC)
HSBC is the largest and most widely represented international bank in the Middle East. HSBC Bank Middle East Limited has 45 branches throughout the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, Jordan, Lebanon, Pakistan and the Palestinian Autonomous Area. In addition to the branch network, the Bank maintains representative offices in Tehran, Iran and Tripoli, Libya. This extensive regional coverage is strengthened by another member of the HSBC Group, HSBC Bank Egypt SAE; and by its associated companies; The Saudi British Bank; British Arab Commercial Bank Limited; HSBC Saudi Arabia Limited; SABB Securities Limited; SABB Takaful Co.; and Dar Es Saalam Investment Bank.
Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA)
Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA) was established in September 2004.It has wide-ranging responsibilities for building and developing the Emirate´s tourism industry. These include; destination marketing; infrastructure and product development and regulation and classification. A key role is to create synergy in the international promotion of Abu Dhabi through close co-ordination with the Emirate´s hotels, destination management companies, airlines and other public and private sector travel-related organisations.
About Audi
Audi is a car manufacturer rich in tradition. The company was founded 100 years ago by August Horch in Zwickau on July 16, 1909; he named it Audi after the Latin translation of his surname (“hark!”). The four rings symbolise the fusion of Audi, DKW, Horch and Wanderer in 1932. Today AUDI AG employs 58,000 people worldwide, including 46,500 in Germany, and delivered 1,003,469 cars to customers in 2008. The brand with the four rings invests around €2 billion each year in order to sustain the company’s technological lead embodied in its “Vorsprung durch Technik” slogan. Audi plans to significantly increase the number of models in its portfolio by 2015 to 42. AUDI AG’s commitment to the Middle East region was confirmed through the foundation of its fully owned subsidiary in 2005: Audi Middle East.
For press inquiries and images, please contact:
International Media
Kate Lydecker, Ruder Finn Arts & Communications Counselors
+1 212 715 1602 / lydeckerk@ruderfinn.com
Olivia Wareham, Ruder Finn Arts & Communications Counselors
+ 212 583 2754 / warehamo@ruderfinn.com
UAE Media
Mohamed Salhab, Hill & Knowlton
+971 50 554 8209 / mohamed.salhab@hillandknowlton.com
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