Three personalities, three perspectives on buying art in the region

Curator – Art and the economy

When it comes to the art market in the UAE, the trend is onward and upward. “The art fairs are getting bigger, better and diverse. Auctions are setting record prices for artists,” says Kurt Blanckenberg, director of The Mojo Gallery. “Some of the world’s most important and active art collectors are from the Middle East,” he says.

It’s a sign of the UAE’s healthy economic growth since the worldwide downturn in 2008. “Overall the business of art can and does give an indication of the mind-set and confidence of a certain cross section of consumers,” Blanckenburg says.

The growth in the art market has led to buyers being more meticulous about their choices, he adds. “I think the approach to buying art has become more measured and buyers at all levels want to understand more about the art they are buying and the artists who are creating it.”

But more work needs to be done to establish the UAE as a strong market for local artists and artwork. “I think at the gallery level there is some way to go before the effect of this ‘high level’ progress translates into an increase in locally based collectors and on-going sustainable gallery based art buying,” Blanckenburg says.

Artist – Art and culture:

With the art market in the region in a stage of development, artists from the region and those catering to it need to know how to attract buyers to their work.

“An artist needs to be aware of the cultural sensitivity of the community,” says Hesham Malik, a locally-based artist with clientele in the region and in Europe and Canada.

“Our region houses a large number of beliefs. Peaceful interactions and existence has been the norm,” Malik says.

So what’s selling here? “I believe the clients in the region have a taste for modern and contemporary art,” he says. “Between the existing styles, modern Arabic calligraphy plays a defining role when it comes to what people prefer.”

Arabic calligraphy has been a hallmark of Arabic art. It has played an important role in Islamic art as a method of preserving and displaying verses from the Holy Qur’an in the most beautiful way possible. This speaks to artists and buyers from the region.

“Arabic calligraphy, with its aesthetic, semantic, and philosophic-mystical dimensions, has guided me as an artist to make the Arabic alphabet the object of my artistic exploration in the region,” Malik says.

Agent – Art and purchasing

Even if artists know the market they are catering to, they may still have trouble making the sale. Manisha Sugandh, a local agent, explains that buyers in the region look to buy art as an investment they can use to increase their wealth.

“Often there are limited edition works by well-known artists, which are better “investments” because they have lower risks, and steady returns,” she says.

It may also be difficult for new artists to break into the gallery scene, where most sales are made, Sugandh says.

“When I asked [art collectors] how they prefer to acquire art to their collection, they first mentioned galleries, invitational art events, a one time show where the art is displayed for a month,” she says. “At the end, art in the region is sold more during private exhibits in comparison to public events.”

But if you can’t find a gallery to take on your work, all is not lost. “An alternative is to use online galleries which are more accommodating than the physical ones,” Sugandh suggests, adding that having a good agent to represent you is very important in getting your work out there.