Abu Dhabi Art announces 2017 galleries
The fair, taking place from November 8 through 11 at Manarat Al Saadiyat, Abu Dhabi, will welcome 48 galleries from Europe, Asia, North America and the Middle East.
This year, the fair will include a new section titled “Focus: Beyond Territory”, curated by Dr. Omar Kholeif and presenting works by inter-generational artists and major projects from both emerging and leading galleries to a Middle Eastern audience for the first time. Abu Dhabi Art has also added another new category — “Solo Projects” — as part of which Sabrina Amrani Gallery will present a solo show by Chant Avedissian, whilst Meem Gallery will participate with a single monumental work by Dia Azzawi. More info, and the list of participating galleries via art agenda.
Sotheby’s experiences positive trends upwards
Courtesy Sotheby's.
The auction house has announced that its auction sales in the first half of 2017 rose by 8% to $2.54 billion compared to last year, marking a record high in ten years. On Tuesday, shares of the New York-based art auction house closed at $57.70, registering a 1.3% increase.
Sotheby’s top lot this year was an untitled work by Jean-Michel Basquiat which fetched $110.5 million last May. The company’s success was fueled by both a weaker U.S. dollar and collectors’ optimism towards the work of company CEO Tad Smith and its team. More via Bloomberg.
Milan’s Triennial in trouble?
In November last year, the Syrian independent production company Abounaddara Films turned down an invitation by the curator of Milan’s Triennial to show their films as part of the Triennale’s “Terra Inquieta” show, dealing with the refugee crisis.
Today, the company has made their films unavailable to stream after the Triennale has decided to provide screens connected to the Abounaddara's Vimeo Channel, technically not “exhibiting” the works, but making them “available” for the public to watch. According to the Syrian collective, the Milan Triennale “is making use of films that deal with the Syrian struggle for dignity, to serve an aesthetic-political discourse on the "refugee crisis" from a Western point of view.” The official announcement via Abounaddara Films’ Facebook page.
La Terra Inquieta, Triennale di Milano.
