First ever Moroccan art fair to launch in October

MARRAKECH MOROCCO ART FAIRS ARAB ART

In October this year, the tourist hotspot Marrakech, Morocco, will host the country’s first modern and contemporary art fair. The fair points towards a growing trend of interest and investment in art in the Middle East where Dubai, currently the top art city in the Middle East, is facing increasing competition from upcoming art ventures in Abu Dhabi and Sharjah. (Read our report on this recent trend.)

Gjdn Neshat's 'Untitled96'. Neshat is a participant in this year's Marrakech Art Fair.

Morocco, characteristically, is a country that culturally and geographically straddles the “east meets west” junction. That the Marrakech Art Fair shares some of these characteristics make it all the more special. Out of the thirty galleries exhibiting at the fair, half come from the Arab world, primarily North Africa while the other half come from Europe. For art lovers, this could provide an incredible opportunity to sample international contemporary art.

The city also plans to host simultaneous art events throughout the days of the fair. Some of these are special exhibitions at select museums and galleries in Marrakech. The idea behind engaging the city as a giant art fair in itself is to offer rare insights into Moroccan heritage and its contemporary art world.

The Marrakech Museum, for example, is hosting “Resonance: Contemporary Moroccan artists across the world”, which showcases fifteen artists of Moroccan origin who are based outside of Morocco. Inventing and re-thinking ideas of identity versus the global, these artists will work through various mediums such as painting, installation and video art to map new thoughts about the reality of art in Morocco. Another interesting intervention looks at the culmination of popular culture and art. Six graffiti artists will create spontaneous art to the music of Moroccan rapper BIGG over the period of one night.

Zoulikha Bouabdellah's 'Love'. Bouabdellah is a participant in this year's Marrakech Art Fair.

Other events include talks such as the panel discussions led by Roxana Azimi, a specialist in the international art market, that will deal with the twin issues of “Art market in the Arab world” and “The role of patrons and collectors.” Pascel Amel, a writer and director, will lead a debate on “Art in Morocco at the dawn of globalization.” The talks seem to be marked with hope and enthusiasm for the place of Moroccan art in the world market as well as a belief in the possibility of internal development.

Fifteen of the galleries invited to the fair will respond to a set theme of “From Orientalism to nowadays.” The Jean Brolly gallery is one such participant that intends to showcase work by two artists of different origins – Mahjoud Ben Bella and Francois Morellet. Local galleries are active participants at the fair. The Tindouf Gallery and the Galerie 127 are based in Marrakech itself. Other galleries that are showing at the fair come from Tunisia, the UAE, France and Morocco. The fair will be held from 9 to 11 October this year. For more details, visit the fair’s website.

AM/KN

Related Topics: art fairs, Middle Eastern art, promoting art

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• Sheikh Sultan opens private collection to public putting Sharjah on UAE art map – August 2010 – we take a look at how a personal collection might indicate growing interest in Middle Eastern art
• Globalisation of contemporary art market evident in growth of art fairs – The Economist – August 2010 – points discussed include the hierarchy of art fair location, the lack of local artist representation
• Sotheby’s to hold first ever international auction house sale of calligraphy in Doha – July 2010 – Sotheby’s interest in heritage Asian art predates the recent contemporary boom and rakes in the largest sales, here’s a look at a recent sale in Doha
• Antonia Carver named Art Dubai director, lends Middle Eastern insight to fair– July 2010 – we take a look at how Carver’s experience in the Arab art world will effect the fair’s success
• Xu Zhen takes on Middle Eastern identities and cultures as the new artists’ collective alias Madeln at Ikon Gallery, UK – June 2010 – an in-depth look at how conceptual artist Xu Zhen fabricates his own identity

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Globalisation of contemporary art market evident in growth of art fairs – The Economist

ART FAIRS ECONOMY

A recent article in the Economist comments on the globalisation of art and how art fairs accelerate the transnational exposure of artists, something that could become necessary for artists if they want to attract the attention of serious collectors and art investors. Importantly, it also identifies the current international art fair hot spots. Read on for our summary of this article.

Globalisation of the art market

Globalisation is one of the most important phenomenon in the history of recent art. Contemporary art needs the potential of a global market and thus enters the art fair. Biennials and landmark exhibitions help to initiate global change in the art scene. International art fairs spread belief in contemporary art through the help of banks and royalty, from Deutsche Bank to local rulers in the Middle East.

In addition, the article quotes Marc Spiegler and Annette Schönholzer, co-directors of Art Basel, as saying that private collections are becoming increasingly international. Collectors start by acquiring art from their own nation and eventually acquire internationally. In many countries contemporary art has become an economic project involving collectors, dealers and huge cultural districts with museums and art fairs.

Art Basel 2009.

For an art fair to be properly diverse, careful curation is essential. For good international fairs, this not only means that attending galleries show talented artists, but also that they show artists that live in the country the gallery is located in. As quoted in The Economist,

As Lucy Mitchell-Innes of Mitchell-Innes & Nash, a New York gallery, warns: ‘It’s a problem if four or five booths have the same artist’s work. A good international fair wants Chinese galleries to bring talented Chinese artists, not another Antony Gormley.’

International art fair hot spots

The locational hierarchy of art fairs differs from that in the auction market. For art auctions, the three most prominent cities are New York, London and Hong Kong, in that order. When talking about art fairs, Basel would come first, but what follows this lead is unclear: Miami or London, New York or Paris?

Even more notable are the art fairs currently sprouting up in Asian countries. These are creating alternate markets for art and challenging Western leadership. Adding to the hierarchical ladder are two newcomers: Hong Kong’s ART HK (Hong Kong International Art Fair) and Abu Dhabi Art, operating from the Middle East.

What art fairs mean for artists and their art

In general, art fairs can accelerate the transnational exposure of all artists represented. Art Basel is unrivalled in this category and it may be because it has always defined itself as international. The frenzied demand for new art peaked with the creation of smaller art fairs. Some of them work as satellites to the major European events, the biennials, art festivals and fairs such as Basel. These budding fairs cater to lesser known, emerging artists.

Within the art market, that an artist is “international” has become a selling point. Consequently, the local artist has become almost insignificant, while those called “national” are damned with faint praise.

Art fairs, with their aggregation of art dealers forming a one-stop shoppers’ marketplace for art, attract high-spending collectors, generate greater sales and have to some extent replaced galleries with their increasing drawing power. Still the globalisation of the art is not just about money. There are a growing number of non-profit biennials that are developing along with the market structures. As quoted in The Economist,

Massimiliano Gioni, a curator based in Milan and New York, who is overseeing the Gwangju Biennial, which opens in South Korea in September, recalls that the avant-garde was ‘built on a transnational community of kindred spirits,’ adding, ‘sometimes I long for that.’

This is an Art Radar summary of “Global frameworks – Art-fair musical chairs“, first published in The Economist.

JAS/KN

Related Topics: art fairs, international artists, market watch – globalisation

Related Posts:

• Antonia Carver named Art Dubai director, lends Middle Eastern art insight to fair – July 2010 – a summary of media reports from the time of Carver’s appointment
• Is globalisation of the art market slowing down? The Economist reports – June 2010 – discusses the dominance of American artists at Christie’s New York’s recent sales
• World’s top collectors and art professionals attend ART HK: a testament to fair’s growing importance – June 2010 – names the collectors in attendance
• Art industry elite meet at inaugural Abu Dhabi Art Fair – December 2009 – a brief overview of the event with images, mentions segregation of new and established galleries
• Art in storage, at fairs and sales – is it getting harder to insure? – October 2009 – this article explains why this may be the case

Subscribe to Art Radar Asia for more on prominent trends in the contemporary art market

Gallerist Salwa Zeidan explains mission of inaugural Abu Dhabi Sculpture Symposium – interview

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES SCULPTURE SYMPOSIUM

Salwa Zeidan, gallerist and an organiser of the inaugural Abu Dhabi International Sculpture Symposium (ADISS),  (25 February to 7 April 2010 at Zayed University) talks to Art Radar about the mission of ADISS, government sponsorship of the arts and her favourite Emirati sculptor.

Her gallery, the Salwa Zeidan Gallery. has collaborated with Zayed University to bring ADISS to Abu Dhabi. Its theme is “Bridging Societies Through the Language of Art,” and involves bringing specially commissioned sculpture to the city as well as opening a dialogue about public art in Abu Dhabi.

Billy Lee, EOS 2004

What is the mission of ADISS?

Our mission is mainly to make art available and accessible to everyone so that ordinary people from all walks of life can enjoy a piece of art and interact with it. We also want to create an artistic atmosphere in Abu Dhabi for residents and visitors to enjoy. As beautiful and peaceful as it is, Abu Dhabi is missing public art in its streets and roundabouts and so I believe we came at the right time to compliment the city with these monumental pieces of art.

Has its mission changed since its conception?

No. However, it became more interesting.. to see how many people are so excited about seeing the sculptures in the streets.

Gregor Kregar, Twisting the Void

How is ADISS different from other art-related international symposiums?

Well it is taking place in Abu Dhabi, a city known for its high-quality events but the most significant difference is that it is under the patronage of the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and is being organized by major entities such as Zayed University and the Municipality – all of these factors have elevated the project to a national scale.

How will ADISS impact the local art scene?

It is very important to see art every day in our lives, and interact with it til it becomes a permanent part of our lives. Events such as ADISS have the power to enrich the art scene as a whole by making it more common and this is very important for a contemporary country such as Abu Dhabi.

What about its global impact?

If we look around the world, we see the economy is not at its best, and this situation is reflecting on the art scene in general, so it is in some areas getting from bad to worse for artists. Abu Dhabi is extending so much attention towards art through Art Abu Dhabi, ADISS and other cultural initiatives by ADACH (Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage) and TDIC (Tourism Development and Investment Company), and through future projects that are being developed such as Saadiyat (the Art district) – this is very encouraging for artists from all over the world as it places art at the forefront of sociological evolution. Such progress is very promising for artists from all walks of life including myself.

Jo Kley, Helix Anröchter

Do you have a favorite piece being created for ADISS? If so, why?

I like most of the pieces being created, the most important thing is that they are being created in Abu Dhabi and for Abu Dhabi the city that I love, and these pieces are going to stay, the thought that we are creating a new reality for this city is great. When I see how these blocks are being transformed into wonderful sculptures everyday and how the artists are so happy to be here to create and leave their work on this land, I feel a great sense of accomplishment. We are about to change the face of Abu Dhabi with all these great artworks!

How does the general population in Abu Dhabi view art, and will their perceptions change after ADISS?

I’m sure it is going to help the change, and eventually their perception about art will change since living with art on a daily basis is bound to change their way of thinking about art in general no matter what the current state of mind may be.

Is public art the best way for people to include art in their everyday lives?

I guess so, it broadens their horizons to a new reality that will bring forth new questions and new answers which will eventually impact their evolution positively.

Masahiro, Lotus

The Abu Dhabi art scene is thriving? Is there anything you would like to change? Why? Regarding the Abu Dhabi art scene, do you have any favorite local artists?

Hassan Sharif is my favorate Emirati artist… He is also one of the Symposium artists working on a great piece called “step” which is going to be 6 meters high. Hassan was the first Emirati national to pursue a career as an artist in the UAE; he has and continues to be one of the most significant influences on the local art scene. There are a few young local artists that I like as well, whom I believe have lots of potential to advance and grow. As a gallerist I have made it my mission to find such talents, nurture them, offer them a place to exhibit their works and give them the right advice to help them realize their full abilities.

I believe local artists will advance much more once the art projects in Abu Dhabi are fully realized and once they have the chance to see and live with works by some of the most influencial artists of our time. They will definitely develop their talents even more and are keen to do so… I see them working very hard at developing themselves and have all the tools they need at their finger tips so why not? I’m very optimistic about the local art scene and find that all the support they are receiving from their rulers and their governments is bound to strenghten their resolve even further and enable them to acquire their place on the international art arena.

Petre Petrov, Guatemala

Is there any particular news or information you’d like to share with our readers?

Yes I would like them to come and visit this wonderful City that is giving so much attention to art, culture and music, when the whole world is so busy with other matters and thus taking art for granted. Here art has been taken to another dimension and is becoming part of its identity. It is wonderful to see the government focusing on the cultural aspect of the country to make cultural events and artifacts more accessible to the entire community. I wish all the governments of the world paid as much attention to culture, perhaps there will be no more wars!

ADISS lecture: What is Public Art?

On 14 March 2010, there will be a public art discussion at Zayed University. Hassan Sharif from UAE, Caroline Ramersdorfer from Austria, Ehab El Laban from Egypt, Billy Lee from United Kingdom and Jon Barlow Hudson from USA will talk about the Public Art, its effect and its importance within the premises of Abu Dhabi at the scheduled lecture programme. Other ADISS events can be found here.

AL

Related Posts:

• Art industry elite meet at inaugural Abu Dhabi art fair – December 2009
• Where is the Sharjah Art Museum heading? – Manal Ataya, Sharjah Museums Director – June 2009
• Middle Eastern, Indian, and Pakistani artists show seminal works in 3-city exhibition: Lines of Control – February 2009
• The Dubai art market and its future – Nation, Guardian – December 2008

Click here to subscribe to Art Radar Asia to learn more about Middle Eastern art news.

UAE is first Arab Gulf country to have pavilion at Venice Biennale 2009

 BIENNIAL ART MIDDLE EAST

The United Arab Emirates will be the first Arabian Gulf country to create a national pavilion at the world’s pre-eminent contemporary art exhibition the 2009 Venice Biennale, signaling its emergence as a new cultural hub.

Universally recognized as the world’s most prestigious contemporary art event, the Venice Biennale will present its 53rd International Art Exhibition from June 7 through November 22, 2009.

Abu Dhabi has announced it will mount its own independent exhibition as well, reports Artnet. The show’s goal is to represent the “contemporary visual arts and culture from the perspective of Abu Dhabi and beyond.”

Artinfo reports that the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture & Heritage has tapped Paris-based curator Catherine David to organize a “Platform for Venice” for the biennale, which will see her produce a survey of the city “visually interpreted by photographers, artists, and filmmakers from the region and abroad.” David directed Documenta 10 in Kassel in 1994-97, the Witte de With Centre for Contemporary Art in Rotterdam in 2002-04, and will curate the 2009 Lyon Biennial.

• See press release on universes in universes, artinfo coverage
• Latest news about artists from Middle East, biennials, events on now, events coming
• Related post: Survey of Iranian art market New York Times Dec 2008

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Fresh evidence contemporary art price rise is structural says FT

 

 

 

 

 

 

Source: Financial Times

MARKET NEW BUYERS MORE BUYERS The huge wealth from oil and mining in the Middle East and Russia is flowing into fine art, with a rush of new buyers entering a market that was already booming. 

The arrival of Russian, Middle Eastern and emerging market collectors has given fresh evidence to those who believe that the powerful rise in the price of artworks is structural rather than cyclical – reflecting a long-term shift to a truly global market supported by growing numbers of millionaires and billionaires.

 

Last high 1990 surpassed in 2007

Last year, the art market – as measured by proceeds for the top 100 artists sold at auction – in nominal terms surpassed the previous high set in 1990, according to data from Art Market Report. After a decade in the doldrums the market recovered sharply in 2003-04 and has been on the upswing ever since. The rise in the contemporary market has been especially strong, with prices up by 300 per cent in the past three years, according to Art Market Report’s Contemporary Art 100 index.

 

Doomsayers wrong so far

Doom sayers have been predicting a fall in art prices for the past two years. The high level of nervousness about the market was revealed last November, when shares in Sotheby’s plummeted 28 per cent in a day. The reason? The auction house had failed to sell a work by Van Gogh at its sale the night before. The share price has not recovered.

Many respected dealers and collectors believe the market has reached its peak. Eli Broad, the Los Angeles-based billionaire collector, has said several times that he does not believe prices will continue to rise.

One bearish New York-based dealer says: “Mark my words, the Russians will turn out to be the Japanese of the early 21st century.” During the last art market peak, Japanese property developers were famously among the biggest buyers, snapping up Impressionist works – they were especially fond of Van Gogh – only to offload them at much lower prices just a few years later when the Tokyo asset bubble burst.

 

Customer base from more countries now

The underlying support for today’s art market does appear to be much more broadly based. 

Sotheby’s points out that five years ago, its buyers who spent more than $500,000 on an artwork came from 26 countries. Today, buyers spending that level or more come from 58 countries. Last year, 21 per cent of buyers at its sales were new, the auction house says. Since few buy at auction only once, that means an influx of customers. Helena Newman, vice-chair of Impressionist and Modern art at Sotheby’s, says: “The whole make-up of buyers has changed beyond recognition from 10 years ago. Now we have a far bigger global reach. We are also seeing far greater demand for the very best works. Our big challenge remains the sourcing of works.”

Simon de Pury, who heads the Phillips de Pury auction house, echoes that trend, saying: “Five years ago, the market was concentrated in western European and American collectors, a small group of art cognoscenti. The Contemporary market was dominated by three countries – the US, the UK and Germany. Now we can see the change just in our website: the hits are coming from Brazil, Turkey, China, India, Indonesia, Korea.”

 

Change accelerated 2 years ago

Mr de Pury says the change accelerated two years ago. He predicts that Contemporary art will continue to grow in buyer popularity, in part because the sheer number of buyers means that demand for works from previous eras cannot be met. “It is a question of availability. If you have unlimited money, you can no longer buy the best Old Masters collection in the world. But you can buy the best collection of living artists. For that reason Contemporary art will be the most significant market for the next 20 years.”

 

New museums adding to demand

He adds: “In China, every new [top-end] real estate complex being built has an art museum. All these spaces need to be filled and that will keep demand high.”

Most Middle Eastern nations are likewise building art museums, with both a Guggenheim and a Louvre destined for Abu Dhabi, for example. These museums will start accumulating works to fill their vast spaces later this year. In the US, the home of most of the world’s billionaires, there is a growing trend for rich art-lovers to build their own museums rather than donate works to existing museums as used to be the practice.

 

More millionaires 

There are far more rich people in the world and they are simply far more likely to buy artworks. The number of millionaires in Brazil, Russia, India and China grew by 19 per cent last year, according to the World Wealth Report, released this week by Merrill Lynch and Capgemini. The top 10 collectors in the world now include Victor Pinchuk, a Ukrainian steel billionaire, Carlos Slim, the Mexican telecommunications tycoon, and Qatar’s Sheik al-Thani, according to ARTnews magazine, which this week released its annual list of big spenders.

Art is also seen as a socially desirable channel for the wealth resulting from the 20-year growth in financial services. US hedge fund managers such as Steve Cohen have emerged as big Contemporary collectors. Ben Crawford, the chief marketing officer of MutualArt.com, says: “It starts with the wealthy and then there is a trickle-down effect. Look at the beginning of the century – who bought designer clothes? Tiny numbers of high-society people – but once they became available to more and more people, the buyers didn’t go back. The art buyers won’t go back to putting Star Wars posters on their walls.”

Image details: Eli Broad, art collector

See:

• Billionaires from Russia Middle East new in top 10 art collectors 
• How Russians, Asians are changing the art market

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