Adonis Diaries

Art Dubai 2014? Top Twenty List

“Over the years, Art Dubai has become known as a fair of discovery,” said fair director Antonia Carver at a March 17 press conference.

Art Dubai completed its eighth edition this year and with a big boom!

The energy at the fair was strongly felt and is a reflection of Dubai’s booming economy, yet many of the works are priced under $100,000.

It’s the availability of price points that makes this fair a destination for important local collectors and more modest collectors to expand their collections with reasonably priced pieces.

Corinne Martin posted this March 25, 2014

My Top Twenty List: Art Dubai 2014

I was happy to see Western dealers bringing works by contemporary Middle Eastern artists to the fair.

New York’s Gladstone Gallery showed portraits by Shirin Neshat from the 2012 “Book of Kings” series, priced between $50,000 and $110,000. Gladstone also displayed Anish Kapoor’s Untitled reflective concave dish sculpture.

Dubai-based gallery Lawrie Shabib displayed Nabil Nahas early abstract geometric paintings from the 1970s. It was lovely to see his works, Untitled from 1976 and Untitled 2 from 1978 which both sold.

“Part of a beautiful life is knowing people who make beautiful things” -@GarnieNygren

I enjoyed seeing familiar faces and connecting with new ones.. I saw some very beautiful art. The numerous book launches were a delight.

This year’s fair gave me some great memories, hours of inspiration, and happy creative vibes to last for the year!

As a way of giving back, I have selected a list of works and artists that personally left an impression on me at this year’s fair that I am excited to share with you. They are in no particular order. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did!

Samia Halaby, Golden Leaf, Ayyam Gallery, Dubai/ London/ Damascus / Beirut

Mentalklinik, French Kiss, Gallery Isabelle Van Den Eynde

Hazem Harb, We Used to Fly on Water, 2014, Athr Gallery, Jeddah

James Clar, One Sun Two Times, Carroll Fletcher Gallery, London

Lara Baladi, Freedom is Coming, Gallery Isabelle Van Den Eynde

Shezad Dawood, The Source of Peace From The 99 Beautiful Names of God, Paradise Row, London

Youssef Nabil, Sweet Temptations, 2000, Rose Issa Projects, London

Ziad Antar, Roue De Beyrouth, 2014, Selma Feriani Gallery, London/Tunis

Daniel Arsham, Time is Slipping, Baro Galeria, Portugal

Hayv Kahramani, House of Gaylani, 2014, The Third Line, Dubai

Mounir Fatmi, I Want To Understand, Paradise Row, London

Ramin Haerizadeh, Galerie Nathalie Obadia, Paris/ Brussels

Lalla Essaydi, Harem #1, 2009, Kashya Hildebrand Gallery, London/ Zurich

Khaled Jarrar, Concrete #2, 2012, Ayyam Gallery, Dubai/ London/ Damascus / Beirut

Nabil Nahas, Untitled, 1978, Lawrie Shabibi, Dubai

Kehinde Wiley, American, 2014 Galerie Daniel Templon, Paris

Pascal Hachem, Each One is a Future Dictator, Selma Feriani Gallery, London/Tunis

Graham Day, Al-Fatiha, Rose Issa Projects, London

Shirin Neshat, Bahram (Villains) from the Book of Kings Series, 2014 Gladstone Gallery, New York/Brussels

Athier Mousawi, A New Kind of Machine 1, Ayyam Gallery, Dubai/ London/ Damascus / Beirut

Ayman Baalbaki, 7ay Joubar, 2014, Agial Gallery, Beirut