(MENAFN- Gulf Times) Western collectors have increasingly become more interested in the works of Middle Eastern artists, said Ashkan Baghestani, specialist, the Middle East Department at Sotheby's.
"I think Western collectors are realising the potential of this market, the art market is currently a very strong one," he stressed.
Baghestani was speaking at the media preview of highlights from Sotheby's April 21 Contemporary Art auction in Doha on Tuesday at Katara € the Cultural Village. Sotheby's will hold an evening auction of 58 artworks of renowned Arab and international artists on April 21.
Besides creating good quality artworks, he pointed out that artists in the region are also focusing more in expressing their opinions, something that has attracted many Western collectors.
He also noted that the masterpieces of Arab artists are well represented by good galleries and good museums. Another reason he cited is due to Sotheby's' coming out of very traditional type of art such as the arts of calligraphy.
"I really think that a decade or so, we'll reach a level of prices that will be a bit more difficult for young collectors but we are really using this trend of Western collectors,"
Baghestani said. "We are getting a strong feed for the Middle Eastern
market and it is very exciting for us."
Sotheby's also saw a lot of Western collectors in Dubai this year and he believes that "Doha is the perfect reflection of it."
Sotheby's has been uniting collectors with world-class works of art since 1744. It has been trying to reach out to its consigners worldwide to bring the best in Doha, according to Baghestani.
"A lot of these artworks would not be accessible in an open market and I think the art world in the region is doing extremely well," he said. "It is very vibrant with Dubai, with Abu Dhabi, with all the patrons, there is a real desire to grow this market and I think people are very supportive of it."
About the auction on April 21, he expressed optimism that they will do extremely well (break records again like last year) since the sale is a tightly curated show.
Baghestani describes the selection as extremely fresh, exciting, vibrant,
and has the best artists from each country.
He said the artworks of extremely good artists are very well priced
especially the highlights.
"Doha is a great platform. We really get international exposures by mixing
Middle East and Western contemporary art. Each work is very thought through before consigning it," he added.
While the market in the region "has blossomed" in the past 10 years, he admitted that it take time for it to grow further. "You have to give time especially in a world where everything is so fast, people don't have the patience anymore but we are doing extremely well," he said.
The Middle East market is another entry point for a lot of collectors that
cannot necessarily afford the "super expensive" artists but still has a good budget to acquire the really good Middle Eastern artists, according to Baghestani.
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