By Joey Aguilar/Staff Reporter
Art should be seen without any geographical boundaries, Sotheby’s international contemporary art specialist Lina Lazaar Jameel has said.
Jameel was speaking during the media launch of the Sotheby’s Contemporary Art public auction yesterday at the Katara Art Centre, Building 5. Fifty-three artworks by Middle Eastern and International artists will be auctioned at 7pm today.
“If you look at this wall, this is the perfect summary: you’ve got a very important US artist, next to a Lebanese artist, next to an Iranian artist, next to an LA artist, next to a New York artist, who is from Iran,” stressed Jameel. “Countries and borders no longer matter.”
She said they want to show the world that an artwork worth $1mn is exhibited next to a $10,000 masterpiece.
“It doesn’t matter how much things are worth, it doesn’t matter where they are from, what matters is that they stand on their own two feet and are able to create interesting dialogue between and among each other,” noted Jameel.
She also cited Damien Hirst’s exhibition in Doha last year, believed to be a “stronger exhibition” than the one he had in London.
Part of Sotheby’s strategy was to create a wider dialogue across the world on Middle Eastern and international contemporary artists and bring them together.
“But, most importantly, we try to give art to the people,” she said.
Some of the artworks that will be auctioned tonight include “Three Brothers” by Iranian Monir Farmanfarmaian, a mirror, reverse-glass painting and plaster on wood in aluminium frame, in three parts (estimated $70,000-100,000); installation art “Ikhtilej” by Tunisian Nja Mahdaoui, Indian ink on vellum and double membrane drums in 20 parts (est $300,000-400,000) and “A Political Map of the World” by Saudi artist Thaier Helal, mixed media on canvas (est $50,000-70,000).
Artworks by artists from Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Egypt, Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia and Palestine have been exhibited and will be sold alongside works by internationally acclaimed artists from the US and UK.
The sale includes eight works by Middle Eastern artists who have never been presented at an auction in the region and five highly sought-after international art stars whose work will be shown and offered for sale for the first time in the Middle East.