Art in effect

Shopping in Dubai may be among the best in the world but the emirate is by no means known for its abundance of high-end contemporary art. All that is about to change.

Two women with extensive experience in the field have pooled their skills to organise The Royal Academicians Art Exhibition being held from October 19 to 21 at the Park Hyatt Hotel, in Dubai.

Cream of talent

Tania Buckrell Pos and Herdis Gustavs have been working on bringing together the collection of 45 paintings, sculptures, drawings and prints for this event since they founded the Art Management Corporation (AMC) in August 2005.

Thanks to their strong relations with the Royal Academy (RA) of Arts in London, the exhibition will solely feature the work of Royal Academicians — elected members of the organisation of which there are around 80.

For those unfamiliar with the RA, this significant coup will ensure only the very best artwork from the cream of talent in Britain is on display.

Leaders

Art director Buckrell says: "What we are bringing is the best of British and some of the best artists in the world working now. These people are leaders in their field, be it architecture, painting, sculpture or print making."

With an average age of 70, the contributing Royal Academicians have a wealth of talent and experience that have earned them a coveted place in the most elite artists' club in Britain.

During the last year, Buckrell visited all the artists in their studios around the UK to hand pick the pieces to be included in the exhibition.

In selecting their work, she sought examples that would be "immediately appealing" but with depth and meaning.

"It's a very eclectic mix, very modern and contemporary," she says.

"We've got everything from Professor Norman Ackroyd who is a master print maker, to sculptors who are working in bronze and painters painting in oil and acrylic. It is mostly abstract art with some representational landscapes but, above all, the work is vibrant and full of life."

For all tastes

Buckrell — an art consultant with 15 years' experience and a Masters degree from Sotheby's Institute — believes the collection offers something for everyone.

"If you are a beginner collector, there are prints that are very affordable and then there are some very large-scale, dramatic paintings that have much gravitas and can go in a public place," she said.

But, I ask, will it have appeal in Dubai?

Buckrell is confident it will, following the Christie's auction in May where the prices fetched for contemporary art well-exceeded expectations.

"That indicated to me that there is a hunger here to learn more and there is a demand," she said. "There are many established collectors throughout the Middle East and there is genuine interest. I know people who travel the world to attend auctions and gallery openings so why not bring that here?"

AMC's aim is to stage three exhibitions a year to the Middle East to encourage commissions and offer professional art consulting for interested collectors.

It will focus on representing only bespoke, high-end and exceptional quality pieces by artists of international standing and longevity.

With AMC setting such standards, Dubai and the Gulf region could well become the place to be when shopping for contemporary art of note.

Joining the club

To become a Royal Academician, a candidate should have had a long and successful career in the arts, been represented by top galleries and have pieces in major international collections.

After being nominated by their peers, they will be voted in by existing members only if they are deemed good enough. Once accepted they are given a diploma by Queen Elizabeth II and may use the acronym "RA" after their name. Past members include Sir Joshua Reynolds, John Constable and Thomas Gainsborough. Current members include Sir Norman Foster, David Hockney and Gary Hume.

The artists

Professor Maurice Cockrill, 70 — painter and Keeper of the Royal Academy Schools.

Professor John Hoyland, 71 — painter.
Ian McKeever, 59 — painter.
Professor Norman Ackroyd, 68 — print maker.
Ann Christopher, 58 — sculptor.
Donald Hamilton Fraser, 77 — painter.
Albert Irvin, 84 — painter.
Michael Kenny, 65 — sculptor.
Professor Bryan Kneale, 76 — sculptor.
Anthony Whishaw, 76 — painter.

The exhibition

What: The Royal Academicians art exhibition.
Where: Park Hyatt Hotel, Dubai.
Time: 9.30pm onwards daily.
Date: Thursday, October 19, for royalty and VIP guests. Friday, October 20, for corporate guests. Saturday, October 21, for members of the public.
Entry: Free.

Artwork at the exhibition will be for sale at prices ranging from Dh4,000 to Dh370,000. There are 45 pieces of art on display at the exhibition.

For more information visit http://www.artmanagementcorp.com/ or contact Rania Helmy on +971 50 807 0789.