Christie’s first auction in Abu Dhabi to take place on November 1
Auction house Christie’s will hold its first fine art auction in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, on November 1. More than 70 works by artists from the Middle East and North Africa will be offered at the Mawasim: 20 Years of Modern and Contemporary Middle Eastern Art sale. The event at the Abu Dhabi Edition hotel marks 20 years since Christie’s first auction in the UAE, The National reports.
Works from regional collections
The selection spans more than six decades and includes works by Paul Guiragossian, Samia Halaby, Mohammed Melehi, Nabil Nahas and Marwan. The auction will also feature works by Emirati artist Hassan Sharif and other UAE artists whom he influenced.
Key lots include Guiragossian’s 1955 painting Noces, estimated at $300,000–$500,000, and Palestinian-American artist Samia Halaby’s 1978 work Yesterday, estimated at $200,000–$300,000. Mohammed Melehi’s 1962 canvas A30, from his early “black works” series, is estimated at $100,000–$150,000.
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Five works will be presented from the collection of the Barjeel Art Foundation in Sharjah, including Nadia Saikali’s 1982 painting Mandala Bleu Nuit, estimated at $30,000–$50,000. Another eight works come from Beirut’s Dalloul Collection, including Untitled by Egyptian artist Inji Efflatoun, painted in 1987 and estimated at $40,000–$60,000.
International previews
Before the sale, selected lots will be shown in New York from September 17 to 21, Paris from October 2 to 8, and London from October 8 to 15. In Abu Dhabi, the exhibition will open on October 28 and run until the auction day. Alongside Middle Eastern works, international lots from Christie’s New York sales will also be presented there.
Christie’s chairman for the Middle East and Africa, Ridha Moumni, said the auction is not planned as a one-off event. According to him, further auctions in Abu Dhabi will depend on the results of this sale and decisions regarding the auction house’s international calendar. The stated estimates do not include the buyer’s premium.
