TESSA DE CATERS, OF B21 GALLERY, DUBAI, DISCUSSES WHAT TO EXPECT AT ART DUBAI 2010

Ramin Haerizadeh, Shahr-E-Ghesseh,
Mixed-media on paper, 75 x 55 cm, 2009

“This year for Art Dubai, we have chosen to show Afruz Amighi, Reza Aramesh, Lara Baladi, Bita Fayyazi, Ramin Haerizadeh, Rokni Haerizadeh, Khosrow Hassanzadeh, Farideh Lashai, Arnaud Rivieren.

The artists that B21 represents challenge perceptions about the Middle East’s contemporary art scene. They are all relevant, both regionally and on the international stage, and have garnered significant coverage in the world press. We represent a number of young, up-and-coming artists along with names that have become the phenomenon of a generation. Some unpick their societies with grotesque and horrifying visions, others explore the absurdity around them with humour, but all have a clear and affecting aesthetic.

Both Rokni and Ramin Haerizadeh have received extensive press coverage in the last twelve months, with excellently received solo shows each and representation in Charles Saatchi’s Unveiled: New Art From The Middle East exhibition in London in January 2009. Reza Aramesh joined Ramin Haerizadeh in B21’s presence at Paris Photo in November 2009 and was regarded as the ‘revelation’ of the fair by several French publications, while Lara Baladi from Cairo has proved especially popular in the past year. One of Baladi's large scale installations, Roba Vecchia, was created and shown in Cairo in February 2006, and has since been shown during Art Dubai 2008 at DIFC and the Sharjah Biennial in 2007. She recently created Burj Al-Amal, an ephemeral construction and sound installation for the 2009 Cairo Biennial. A good portion of the work we will be showing at Art Dubai will be new pieces by our artists along with Afruz Amighi, newly joined with the gallery, who is fresh from winning the V&A’s Jameel Prize in London in July 2009.

B21 deals centrally with artists from Asia and the Middle East, and we remain passionate and impressed about new talent that continues to emerge from this region. As international attention to the region grows, artists are interacting more with the art world as a whole and this is serving to engage those working locally.

Locally, there was next to nothing ten years ago – no more than one or two galleries in the UAE. In ten years, the country has made several strong and vital steps to carving out a scene that is recognised internationally – a greater commitment to emerging artists, a stronger collector base that is spread throughout the region, events (such as Art Dubai) that can stand up on the world stage and a greater diversity of galleries. Internationally, the art market has been diversified by a greater interest in contemporary art coming out from regions beyond Europe and America.

There is no way to beat a recession. We maintain a commitment to quality work and serving our artists well, even in tougher economic climates.

Dubai is an incredible platform for these artists to show and promote their work. This can often be difficult or impossible in their own country. Dubai and Middle-Eastern art scene has well developed these past years welcoming art fairs, auction houses and collectors, which raise many new opportunities. The challenge would consist in having more cultural oriented initiatives as it is experienced in Europe, rather than ‘commercial’. It is substantial that the current art movement receives a ‘legitimate’ cultural recognition among the international players. There will also be fewer opportunists and more commitment to developing a sustainable, diversified platform for art from the Middle East.

Art Dubai will be hotter than, say, Frieze!”

 


Website Design Agency - Webheads Interactive