The bigger picture

Think about a museum, and what comes to mind is an imposing building and carefully curated exhibits. But Ramin Salsali has redefined the concept of a museum with the Salsali Private Museum (SPM), which opened in November last year. Salsali is a passionate art collector and has been recognised as a Patron of the Arts for the past two years by His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, for his support for the local art scene.

Salsali wanted to share the joy he derives from art with everybody. So he converted a warehouse in the Al Sarkal Avenue art complex in Al Quoz into a private museum. Besides displaying his own collection in the museum, Salsali also plans to offer the space to other collectors free of charge, to share their collections with the public.

There are other spaces in Dubai displaying private collections, such as The Farjam Collection, the Ayyam Art Centre and The Flying House. But these are either associated with a gallery or dedicated to showcasing only the works or collections of their owners. "I wanted to call this a museum because we have no commercial agenda. We are not selling anything. In fact, even when we host exhibitions by other collectors, we will ensure that they do not use this space to showcase artworks they intend to sell. I am hoping that viewing different collections and interacting with collectors will encourage more people to start collecting art, which in turn will help sustain and further invigorate the local art community. SPM is purely a cultural project," Salsali says.

To the sceptics, who question his idea of a museum, Salsali's tongue-in-cheek response is the neon sign at the entrance, and the title and contents of the first show at SPM. The sign, which says "This is not a Museum" has the "not" switching on and off to change the meaning of the sentence. And the show is called Show Off!

"A lot of people think that collecting art and exhibiting your collection in a private museum is a way of showing off. But this museum is not about a short man with a possible midlife crisis trying to show off. I buy art not for investment or showing off but because I love it," he says. "The real show-offs are those who buy fancy cars, clothes or bags. Through this exhibition, I want them to see that buying art is a more productive way to show off. And unlike a car or a bag, art increases in value with time. I hope that even those who buy art to show off will then start appreciating it and become serious collectors."

Salsali deliberately did not invite a curator or publish a catalogue for this exhibition because he wanted people to see that running a museum and organising an exhibition is easy. "A museum need not be about big programmes, art panels, expert curators and complex administrative processes. It is essentially a place where art is displayed and can be enjoyed by all," he says.

But behind the light-hearted attitude and uncomplicated approach, there is also a serious message. "The artwork I selected to represent this show is a photograph by German artist Max Scheler, depicting deposed Iranian monarch Reza Shah Pahlavi and his wife Farah Diba admiring their official portraits. The image underlines the ephemeral nature of any show-off. All the artworks I have selected for this show remind us of the transient nature of power, and of life itself, and emphasise the fact that only true values such as tolerance and love will remain," Salsali says. "I believe art is a universal and peaceful language that can contribute significantly in building a better society by upholding true values, fostering discussion and being a catalyst for change. And I want this museum to be a temple of tranquillity, love and inspiration that encourages such dialogue."

Salsali was born in Tehran, educated in the United Kingdom and Germany, and now runs a company focused on green technology for the oil, gas and petrochemical industries. He divides his time between his homes in Dubai and Berlin. How Salsali became a collector at the age of 20, more than 25 years ago, is an interesting story.

"During my student days in Berlin, my neighbour was a German artist who always borrowed money from me. He once offered me a painting as a deposit for a loan. I put it up on my wall and gradually I fell in love with the painting. Soon, I began to buy his work and ended up owing him money. That is how my love for art began, and now I am addicted to buying art," Salsali says.

Although he buys a lot of European art, Salsali is a keen supporter of art from the region. Sixty per cent of the artworks in his collection are by Iranian and Middle Eastern artists; and he has been dreaming about opening a private museum to share his collection and promote what he calls "a collecting culture" for 12 years.

Salsali is Iranian and based in Germany, but he wanted to open the museum in Dubai. "This city is like an organic work of art — constantly changing and evolving. It has achieved in a few years what other places took generations to. I admire the vision and leadership of His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum and his ability to deliver on all his promises. And I wanted to support Dubai in my own way by opening this museum here," he says.

"Dubai has a vibrant art scene, but it is missing art museums where visitors and residents can view quality art from the region. SPM is a small step to fill this void, and I hope it will be followed by other individual- and government-run museums. I believe that good art museums will enhance the image of the city and bring in more visitors, resulting in a positive effect on the local economy."

Salsali's vision is to make SPM a "collectors' centre" that offers free consultancy to visiting collectors. "I want to provide all the things that I missed when I visited Dubai, such as having a place where I could meet other collectors and see their collections, getting advice about the local art scene from somebody with no selfish commercial agenda and making friends with other art lovers. Any collector who comes to Dubai should know that they have an office here that will fully support them," he says.

He has already been approached by several people who want to start collecting art. His advice to new collectors is to buy what they love but not to lose their eye for quality. "It takes time to refine your judgement, but if you go deeper into the work, you will be able to differentiate between good and bad art," he says.

As a patron of the arts, Salsali also has several proposals on how Dubai's image as a cultural centre can be enhanced.

"Many things can be done to put some emphasis on Dubai's role as a serious cultural place rather than just a place for shopping and partying. For instance, I have observed that the reading material provided on-board Emirates flights does not include any art magazines and that there are no artworks displayed in their lounges at the airport. Another thing we can do is have a booth at the airport providing information about galleries and cultural events in the city. Similarly, hotel concierges should be trained to inform guests about art exhibitions and events rather than just guiding them to malls and beaches," he says. "It would be nice to have a promotional film about the cultural scene in the UAE. Also, from a collector's point of view, flying to the UAE twice a year for two separate art fairs is difficult. I wish Dubai and Abu Dhabi could combine their annual fairs and hold a fair every alternate year."

After the launch of SPM in Dubai, Salsali now has his sights set on opening a similar museum in Berlin. "I feel sad when I see the way Westerners view the Middle East. I know this comes from a lack of knowledge about our art and cultural heritage. I want to change that by displaying the Middle Eastern part of my collection in Berlin and use the universal language of art to create a better understanding of our culture and global perspective," he says.

Jyoti Kalsi is an art enthusiast based in Dubai.

Show Off! will be on at Salsali Private Museum until February.