Abu Dhabi welcomes Christie’s first fine art sale, as a Kandinsky leads the preview
Modern and contemporary art takes center stage in Abu Dhabi’s cultural calendar
Abu Dhabi: Christie’s will hold its first fine art auction in the UAE capital on 1 November, 20 years after its debut sale in Dubai, and is bringing a Kandinsky estimated at up to USD$80 million to mark the occasion.
The sale, titled MAWASIM: 20 Years of Modern and Contemporary Middle Eastern Art, takes place at The Abu Dhabi EDITION at 5pm GST. A public preview runs from 28 October to 1 November.
Christie’s said the capital is ‘a natural setting’ for a new chapter in its regional engagement, citing its international outlook, cultural ambition and ability to convene collectors and artistic communities from across the region and beyond.
A milestone sale for the Middle East
MAWASIM is considered a significant milestone, as it will include 70 works spanning nine decades. The sale is intended to bring artists from across the Middle East and North Africa, including works from the Dalloul Collection and Barjeel Art Foundation.
The collection will reflect the diversity of modern and contemporary artistic practices across the region, bringing together perspectives on identity, history, culture and transformation.
The exhibition and events are presented in strategic partnership with the Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO) and through the generous support of global luxury Group Kering, The Abu Dhabi EDITION and DIETL by Rock-It.
A Kandinsky for Abu Dhabi
Three works from Christie’s November New York 20th and 21st Century sales will be shown in Abu Dhabi first. The centrepiece is Wassily Kandinsky’s Betonte Ecken (1923), estimated at USD$60-80 million, with works by Mark Rothko and Pablo Picasso also on view. The painting was formerly in the Guggenheim Museum’s collection and was recently shown in Potsdam and Paris.
Paige Kestenman, Co-Head of Christie’s 20th Century Evening Sale, remarked, “In this masterwork, Kandinsky realises Wagner’s notion of the Gesamkunstwerk, synthesising his creativity into a singular, unifying artistic experience.”
“This painting not only represents new heights in Kandinsky’s own artistic progression, but also a key moment in the development of abstraction that would influence leading post-war artists and generations to come,” she added.
Their presentation in the UAE capital connects an international collecting calendar with Abu Dhabi’s distinctive cultural landscape, creating a compelling platform for collectors, institutions and wider audiences.
