‘Magical and inspirational’: Sotheby’s auction pays homage to Beirut
Artworks transcending Lebanon’s political complexities will go on show in Dubai this month before being auctioned. They form part of a Sotheby’s sale in the UK titled A Love Letter to Beirut.
The exhibition and sale bring together varying works, from figurative to abstract paintings and sculptures, by Lebanese and Arab artists who have been influenced or inspired by Beirut. The greater collection of work showcasing Lebanon’s enduring cultural heritage and its influence on Arab artists will go up for auction on April 23 in London.
“Art seems to have transcended the complex politics of the country and radiated beyond its borders to an international level,” Alexandra Roy, Sotheby’s head of sales, modern and contemporary Middle East, tells The National. “The Middle East, in general, has also gone through a lot. This shows us that art transcends politics in many ways. I think that’s magical and inspirational.”
The works to be showcased in Dubai will be open to the public in the DIFC from February 26 to March 1.
The exhibition will celebrate nearly 30 Lebanese creatives, including artist and poet Etel Adnan as well as the painters Aref El Rayess, Nabil Nahas, Saliba Douaihy and Paul Guiragossian. “People will be surprised by some of the artists we have and will forge some interesting connections between them,” adds Roy. “There will also be a chance to discover new artists.”
An untitled 1972 painting by El Rayess is one of the highlights of the show.
The work, which will be up for auction for the first time, was part of the first Baghdad Biennale in 1974.
Rayess was an important and influential artist across the region. He is a founding member of Lebanese University’s department of fine arts.
As a painter, his multi-disciplinary approach had a distinct style, influenced by his travels across West Africa, and incorporated motifs of folklore and mysticism.
Rayess is one of the artists who ensured that Beirut continued to function as a creative centre from the beginning of mid-century modernism in the 1960s to the present day.
“Following Lebanon’s independence in 1943, Beirut welcomed a lot of artists from around the region and it really began to flourish,” explains Roy. “It is interesting to see how creativity in the city continued throughout the 1970s and the 1990s civil war.”
Also showcased as part of the exhibition will be works by Jordanian sculptor Mona Saudi and the Egyptian modern master painter Mahmoud Said, whose 1951 painting Maisons a Aitanit (Houses in Aitanit) will be auctioned for the first time. It is a depiction of Aitanit, a lakeside village in southern Lebanon, that he frequently visited in the 1950s.
“We have a very vibrant sale,” explains Roy.
“This eclecticism has a lot to do with the varying experiences that the artists included had throughout their lifetimes – their preoccupations, travels and influences.”
A Love Letter to Beirut will be running at Sotheby’s, DIFC, from February 26 to March 1. More information is available at www.sothebys.com