Inaugurates Jeddah Art Week

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Press Release London For Immediate Release London +44 (0)20 7293 6000 Matthew Weigman matthew.weigman@sothebys.com Simon Warren simon.warren@sothebys.com Sarah Rustin sarah.rustin@sothebys.

1 Press Release London For Immediate Release London +44 (0) Matthew Weigman Simon Warren Sarah Rustin Sotheby s First-Ever Exhibition in Saudi Arabia Inaugurates Jeddah Art Week -- Sotheby s Exhibition of Highlights From Its I Forthcoming Contemporary Art Auction In Doha Will Be On View To The Public From Tuesday, February 26 th to Wednesday, February 27 th, 2013 At Al Furusiya Marina & Yacht Club, Park Hyatt,, Jeddah -- Chant Avedissian s Icons of the Nile (est. $1 $1.5 $1.5 million) 2010, Gouache, handcoloured stencil, gold and silver acrylic paint on cardboard MONDAY, FEBRUARY 25 TH, 2013,, JEDDAH --- Sotheby s today unveiled its first-ever highlights exhibition in Saudi Arabia, which will be open to the public from Tuesday, February 26 th until Wednesday, February 27 th, 2013 at the Al Furusiya Marina & Yacht Club, Park Hyatt, in Jeddah. This exhibition, which inaugurates Jeddah Art Week a ground-breaking week of arts events and cultural activities founded by Sotheby s will feature select artworks from the company s auction in Doha of Contemporary Art on April 22 nd, Commenting on Sotheby s milestone exhibition in Saudi Arabia, Lina Lazaar Jameel, Sotheby s International Contemporary Art Specialist and Founder of Jeddah Art Week (Jaou), said: We are thrilled to be in Jeddah with this exhibition of highlights from our forthcoming sale of Contemporary Art in Doha, which represents the first-ever auction highlights exhibition to be staged in Saudi Arabia by any international auction house. This landmark exhibition for the kingdom, and for Jeddah in particular, will allow members of the public to view some spectacular artworks by among the most talented contemporary Arab & Iranian artists of our time.

2 Lina continued: Jeddah is at the crossroads of cultures and it boasts a growing community of artists as well as the strongest primary gallery market in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. We felt that Jeddah, with its long cultural history, needed a time of year where all the creative forces can collide and therefore we created a platform in the form of Jeddah Art Week (JAOU) to meet, gather and share ideas. Sotheby s exhibition is one of several exciting art shows and cultural activities which will take place over the course of the week. Highlighting the exhibition is Chant Avedissian s Icons of the Nile, illustrated on the front page. Created in 2010, this gouache, handcoloured stencil, gold and silver acrylic paint on cardboard, in one hundred and twenty-six parts, is estimated at $1,000,000 $1,500,000. Chant Avedissian s remarkable use of stencils is the result of more than twenty years of research during his extensive travels. During this time he has gradually integrated the knowledge gained from his formal studies in Canada and France with his understanding of legendary iconography from the Pharaonic era: the geometry of Arab architecture; the floral patterns of Ottoman textiles; and 20 th century imagery of well-known figures from the Arab world. Avedissian first started his stencils series in 1991, during the Gulf War; witnessing the media coverage he became overwhelmed with feelings of hopelessness and began to recollect faces, places and symbols from his past. This astounding 78-panel installation from Avedissian s Icons of the Niles series, creates a mosaic of Egyptian culture that retraces his country s past, combining nostalgic imagery with a celebration of Egyptian iconographical motifs. In his Icons of the Niles series, the artist avoids the use of oil on canvas. Instead, he mixes his own pigments and uses the delicate stencil technique to transfer the image onto card or locallymade paper. The stencil technique itself requires a simplification of line and colour, and thus becomes similar to the hieroglyphic model of representation. By means of repeating and layering images, Avedissian infuses his works with varying levels of implication and significance, eloquently drawing our attention to the many faces of the modern Egyptian experience and to Cairo s visual landscape. Through this work, the largest piece Avedissian has created to date, the artist conveys his admiration for grandiose Egyptian imagery and the relics of his country s magnificent historical past with an honest and profound sincerity. 2

Illustrated right is Untitled from 2011 by Iraqi-born artist Ahmed Alsoudani, which is estimated at

Alsoudani has established a distinguished standing in the international art market, and his technique and style

An artist capable of bringing a certain beauty to his images of the horrors of war, his work occupies a rich

Untitled from 2011 is a fascinating example of the artist s more recent work, in which his technical brilliance

The work stands as a powerful indictment of war, bemoaning the senseless damage wreaked on humanity by conflict

The violent beauty and sense of chaos that characterises the painting is observed from an intensely personal

brutal shadow of Saddam Hussein s regime, prior to his flight first to Syria and then to the United States.

battle of conflicted identity and displacement which is explored in his work.

in Lebanon in 1975 - the year the civil war began that eventually led to the displacement of his family.

3 Illustrated right is Untitled from 2011 by Iraqi-born artist Ahmed Alsoudani, which is estimated at $350, ,000. Alsoudani has established a distinguished standing in the international art market, and his technique and style have earned him the reputation as one of the most talented and original painters of the 21 st century. An artist capable of bringing a certain beauty to his images of the horrors of war, his work occupies a rich pictorial seam between abstraction and figuration that is filled with allusions. Untitled from 2011 is a fascinating example of the artist s more recent work, in which his technical brilliance and astonishing powers of imagination are displayed to full effect. The work stands as a powerful indictment of war, bemoaning the senseless damage wreaked on humanity by conflict and corruption. The violent beauty and sense of chaos that characterises the painting is observed from an intensely personal perspective one that stems from his own experience of living in Iraq during the Iraqi and Gulf Wars under the brutal shadow of Saddam Hussein s regime, prior to his flight first to Syria and then to the United States. Despite successfully establishing himself in the West, Alsoudani s family remain in Iraq, causing a personal battle of conflicted identity and displacement which is explored in his work. A further highlight of this ground-breaking exhibition is Ya illahi (Dear Lord) by Ayman Baalbaki, who was born in Lebanon in the year the civil war began that eventually led to the displacement of his family. The work was created in 2008, in acrylic and gold leaf on panel with brass frame and light bulbs, and measures by 126 by 8.2cm. As eye-witness to numerous brutal, war-inflicted years spent in Beirut, many of the artist s traumatic experiences there have provided the inspiration and subjects of his most powerful work. Depicting the shrouded face of a lone, heroic figure gazing up to the skies, Ya illahi is one of Baalbaki s most important paintings to ever come to auction. 3

Ya illahi is a powerfully charged portrait saturated with ambiguity, nostalgia, controversy and hope.

a broad spectrum of interpretations and responses ranging from the political to the emotional.

utilitarian object into a powerful symbol of turmoil in the Middle East today. It is estimated at $100,000-150,000.

4 Ya illahi is a powerfully charged portrait saturated with ambiguity, nostalgia, controversy and hope. Dominated by the traditional red and white kaffiyeh headdress, a garment worn by men throughout the Arab world as protection against sun exposure and sandstorms, Baalbaki s monumental portrait evokes a broad spectrum of interpretations and responses ranging from the political to the emotional. By focusing upon the kaffiyeh, the artist seeks to explore the acute tension and ambiguity within this everyday garment which has, through war, conflict and the media, morphed from a traditional utilitarian object into a powerful symbol of turmoil in the Middle East today. It is estimated at $100, ,000. At the age of 89, Monir Farmanfarmanian is considered a pioneer within the contemporary Iranian art world, a source of great inspiration and reverence for the current generation of Middle Eastern artists. Farmanfarmanian s artwork, Variations On Hexagon, created in November 2005 using mirror, reverse-glass painting and plaster on wood in aluminium frame, draws inspiration from classical Iranian culture and tradition, which are translated both conceptually and in the technical execution of her works. The intriguing combination of traditional and avant-garde creates an elegantly distinctive style which the artist applies to reinterpret Islamic geometric designs in a variety of mediums, often glass or mirror. A curiosity and thirst for cultural exploration fuelled Farmanfarmanian s extensive travels within Iran, during which she studied the crafts of nomadic tribes and visited various ancient cities to closely study intricate Islamic architectural ornamentation. Through her work Farmanfarmanian reinvents the idea of mirror mosaics, transforming and elevating its purpose from decoration to an individual art form in its own right. The artist s use of mirror acts as a record of her life experiences, each fragment reflecting the surrounding world, referring to notions of one s self, nostalgia and memories. Ultimately Farmanfarmanian s work is a magnificent celebration of classical Persian art and the various nomadic craft techniques the artist absorbed during her travels. Her artwork is a spiritual and visual amalgamation of Persian elements translated through her innately recognisable visual vocabulary to create cutting edge work with a modern aesthetic. 4

World Under Pressure is a fascinating meditation on the social and political aspects of the experience of femininity in 21 st century Morocco, created by one of the country s leading female artists,

Shimi has become renowned for her exquisitely carved editions of gas canisters and pressure cookers and the current work features an eclectic combination of both: laser cut metal gas cylinders and

Whilst the vividly coloured gas cans provide a larger surface area on to which Shimi can carve an outline of the continents of the world allowing the empty space to attain as great an importance as

In Shimi s talented hands this frequently overlooked domestic object is elevated to the status of a major artwork. Executed in 2011, this unique work is estimated at $30,000-40,000.

Patience (My Heart has Become the House of Sadness), illustrated right ($70,000 $100,000).

5 World Under Pressure is a fascinating meditation on the social and political aspects of the experience of femininity in 21 st century Morocco, created by one of the country s leading female artists, Batoul S'himi (b. 1974). Shimi has become renowned for her exquisitely carved editions of gas canisters and pressure cookers and the current work features an eclectic combination of both: laser cut metal gas cylinders and pressure cookers, in eight parts. Whilst the vividly coloured gas cans provide a larger surface area on to which Shimi can carve an outline of the continents of the world allowing the empty space to attain as great an importance as the area around it it is the pressure cookers that truly symbolise the anxieties experienced by a modern woman in the country today. In Shimi s talented hands this frequently overlooked domestic object is elevated to the status of a major artwork. Executed in 2011, this unique work is estimated at $30,000-40,000. Further Highlights Include: Mahmoud Said s 1948 oil on canvas Le Porte a Marsa Matrouh, illustrated left ($100,000 $150,000); and Farhad Moshiri s 2003 acrylic, oil and glue on canvas, Stone of Patience (My Heart has Become the House of Sadness), illustrated right ($70,000 $100,000). Notes to Editor: *Estimates do not include buyer s premium and prices achieved include the hammer price plus buyer s premium. Sotheby s has been uniting collectors with world-class works of art since Sotheby s became the first international auction house when it expanded from London to New York (1955), the first to conduct sales in Hong Kong (1973) and France (2001), and the first international fine art auction house in China (2012). Today, Sotheby s presents auctions in 10 different salesrooms, including New York, London, Hong Kong and Paris, and Sotheby s BidNow program allows visitors to view all auctions live online and place bids in real-time from anywhere in the world. Sotheby s offers collectors the resources of Sotheby s Financial Services, the world s only full-service art financing company, as well as private sale opportunities in more than 70 categories, including S 2, 5

6 the gallery arm of Sotheby's Contemporary Art department, as well as Sotheby s Diamonds and Sotheby s Wine. Sotheby s has a global network of 90 offices in 40 countries and is the oldest company listed on the New York Stock Exchange (BID). Calendar of Events during Jeddah Art Week : Tuesday, February 26th: Mostly Visible Mostly Visible is a group exhibition curated by Ashraf Fayadh in collaboration with Athr Gallery. This will take place at Al Furusiya Marina & Yacht Club, Park Hyatt This Athr Gallery show will be on view to the public from 26 th February until the 26 th March. Tuesday, February 26th: Sotheby s First-Ever Exhibition in Saudi Arabia Sotheby s first-ever exhibition in Saudi Arabia will be of highlights from its forthcoming Doha Auction of Contemporary Art. The exhibition, staged at Al Furusiya Marina & Yacht Club, Park Hyatt, will go on view to the public from February 26 th until February 27 th and will be open each day from 9am until 8pm. Tuesday, February 26th: A Talk with Saudi Filmmaker Ahd Kamel Ahd Kamel s talk at Athr Gallery will be about her recent participation with Sanctity at the Berlin International Film Festival. Members of the public will be able to attend the talk, which will take place between 6 and 7pm. Tuesday, February 26 th : Charity Auction, Taken by Sotheby s Lord Poltimore Lord Poltimore, Deputy Chairman Sotheby s Europe and Auctioneer, will conduct a fundraising auction at Athr Gallery on the evening of Tuesday, February 26 th. The proceeds from this charity sale of donated artworks will fund Al Madad Foundation's affiliated education literacy programmes for disadvantaged Lebanese children, as well as Palestinian and Syrian refugee children in Lebanon. Tuesday, February27 th : Pen To Paper Co-curated by Athr Gallery and Al Madad Foundation, Pen To Paper is a group exhibition that will take place at Athr Gallery and will feature Moataz Nasr and Giovanni Ozzola. The show will be on view to the public from February 27 th until March 26 th. 26 th 27 th February: Edge of Arabia Artist Mentorship Programme Stephen Stapleton and Abdulnasser Gharem will host one-to-one mentoring sessions for young Saudi Arabian artists in Dr Sami Angawi s iconic Jeddah residence. 27 th February: Dar Al-Hekma Symposium Finding Your Place, Realising Your Passion: A conversation with 5 women in the Saudi art community. The symposium will take place in the Grand Auditorium of the Hekma School of Art and Design at Dar Al-Hekma College, Jeddah from 3-4pm. The five women in the Saudi art community involved in the symposium will be Abeer Mishkhas, Manal Al Dowayan, Sharifa Al Sudairi, and Maha Malluh. 27 th February: Grand Opening of Ayyam Gallery in Jeddah The grand opening of Ayyam Gallery in Jeddah will feature Mohannad Orabi s solo exhibition Profile Portraits. Ayyam Gallery s Jeddah premisies will be at Bougainvillea center Jeddah, 3 rd Floor King s Road, Al-Shat ta District. For More News From Sotheby s Visit: Follow: Join: & Watch: Images are available upon request All catalogues are available online at or through Sotheby s Catalogue ipad App. # # # 6

SOTHEBY S MAY CONTEMPORARY ART EVENING SALE TOTALS $364 MILLION AND IS 85% SOLD

Press Release New York For Immediate Release New York +1 212 606 7176 Lauren Gioia Lauren.Gioia@Sothebys.com Dan Abernethy Dan.Abernethy@Sothebys.com SOTHEBY S MAY CONTEMPORARY ART EVENING SALE TOTALS