Christie's to Offer an Auction of International Modern and Contemporary Art in Dubai

Monday, 29 September 2008 23:26

DUBAI - Christie’s, the world’s leading arts business, announce their fifth auction of International Modern and Contemporary Art in Dubai which will take place on 30 October 2008 and which will offer the strongest and most important selection of works to date in the region. The auction will present 157 exceptional paintings and sculptures from the leading artists of the UAE, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Egypt, Algeria, Turkey, Europe and the United States. The auction will take place at the Jumeirah Emirates Towers Hotel and is expected to realise US$12 million to US$18 million.

A leading highlight of the auction is Triptych (La passion avec croix, ame et bagages, and triangle bigames), a huge and spectacular triptych by the Algerian artist Rachid Koraichi (b.1947) whose work was exhibited at the Venice Biennale in 2001 and at the Museum of Modern Art in New York in 2006 illustrated above. Painted in 1985 and 1986, this masterpiece represents the most important work by the artist to be offered at auction and is expected to realise US$400,000 to $600,000 / AED 1,500,000 to 2,000,000.

The auction will also offer two of the most important works by Fateh Moudarres (Syrian, 1922-1999) to appear on the open market. Untitled is an extraordinary picture which is offered from the Collection of Adonis, the celebrated Syrian-Lebanese poet and a pioneer of modern Arabic literature in whose house the work was painted (estimate: US$150,000 to $200,000 / UAE 560,000 to 740,000). Executed in 1967, shortly after the end of the Arab-Israeli war, this work dates to a watershed period in the artist’s career during which his work began to take on political themes.
The auction will offer the strongest selection of Iranian masterpieces of the Saqqa-Khaneh School ever seen on the international marketplace. During the 1960s in Iran, a group of artists were drawn together to form the country’s first contemporary art movement. Drawing influence from traditional and historic imagery and symbols and incorporating them into their work, the movement represents the most formulative period for 20th Century Iranian art and since the Saqqa-Khaneh Retrospective at the Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art in 1977, no comprehensive exhibition of the work has ever been presented to the public. Christie’s will offer one of the most impressive groupings ever seen outside Iran, including Untitled, 1962, by Faramarz Pilaram (Iranian, 1937-1982) (estimate: US$350,000 to $500,000 / AED 1,300,000 to 1,800,000) and Untitled by Charles Hossein Zenderoudi (Iranian, b. 1937) (estimate: US$300,000-$500,000 / AED 1,200,000-1,800,000) both of which were exhibited at the Retrospective of 1977.

Happy is a pulsating and vibrant light sculpture by Tim Noble & Sue Webster (British, b.1966 & b.1967) (estimate: US$250,000 to $350,000 / AED 920,000 to 1,300,000). An artistic reflection on the influence of consumer culture on contemporary life, the present work was executed in 1999 and is lit by 298 light bulbs. Earlier this year, the British artists displayed ‘Electric Fountain’, an illuminated water feature, at the Plaza outside the Rockefeller Centre in New York, which has also recently been the site of special exhibitions of works by Jeff Koons and Anish Kapoor.

Heading the Egyptian works in the sale is Umm Kolthoum, 2003, by sculptor Adam Henein (Egyptian, b. 1929) whose work was exhibited at The Metropolitan Museum in New York in 1999-2000 (estimate: US$100,000 to $150,000 / AED 370,0000 to 550,000). Symphony in Blue, 1994, by Omar El-Nagdi (Egyptian, b. 1931) is a further highlight and is expected to realise US$80,000 to $120,000 / AED 300,000 to 400,000.

For the first time, Christie’s will present a section dedicated to Modern and Contemporary Turkish art. In total, 15 works will be offered in the auction, including On the Way to Karbala, 1989, by Erol Akyavas (Turkish, 1932-1999) (estimate: US$120,000-180,000 / AED 450,000-660,000); A Little Night Music II, 1982, by Burhan Doğançay (Turkish, b. 1929) (estimate: US$100,000-150,000 / AED 370,000-550,000); and Untitled by Orhon Mubin (Turkish, 1924-1981) which is expected to realise US$60,000-80,000 / AED 230,000-290,000.

Lebanese highlights in the auction include Le Grande Marché by Paul Guiragossian (Lebanese, 1927-1993) (estimate: US$180,000 to $250,000 / AED 670,000 to 920,000) and La Cathedrale, 1978, by Chafic Abboud (Lebanese 1926-2004) (estimate: US$130,000-$180,000 / AED 480,000-660,000). Nine Faces, 2000, by leading Iraqi contemporary artist Ismael Fattah (Iraqi, 1934-2004) is expected to realise US$100,000 to $150,000 / AED 370,000-550,000.