ABU DHABI (ALETIHAD)

Christie’s first dedicated fine art auction in Abu Dhabi realised $8.94 million, marking the highest total for one of its Modern and Contemporary Middle Eastern Art evening sales in more than a decade, the international auction house said in a statement.

The auction, titled MAWASIM: 20 Years of Modern and Contemporary Middle Eastern Art, was held at The Abu Dhabi EDITION on Sunday, November 1, coinciding with the 20th anniversary of Christie’s first auction in the UAE.

The sale brought together works by artists from across the Middle East and North Africa, attracting collectors from different generations.

More than 30% of those registered for the auction were Millennials and Generation Z, while 37% were participating in a Christie’s auction for the first time, the statement said.

The auction established nine records for artists, including Jellal Ben Abdallah, Paul Guiragossian, Faisel Laibi Sahi, Juliana Seraphim, Nabil Kanso, Samia Halaby, Rami Farook, Fatma Lootah and Afra Al Dhaheri.

The highest-priced work was Variations on the Hexagon, a 2006 creation by Iranian artist Monir Shahroudy Farmanfarmaian, which fetched $844,800 after nearly seven minutes of competitive bidding. The work had been estimated to sell for between $150,000 and $250,000.

Fahrelnissa Zeid’s Composition, created in 1948–1949, was the second-highest-priced work, selling for $524,800.

Faisel Laibi Sahi’s Baghdad Café (The Coffee Shop), created in 2016, and Ali Banisadr’s Homo Deus, from 2018, each realised $512,000.

Paul Guiragossian’s Noces (Wedding), painted in 1958–1959, sold for $486,400. Works by the artist were also featured in Christie’s inaugural UAE auction in 2006.

Other notable sales included Mahmoud Saïd’s Portrait de Princesse Fadia, which realised $486,400, and Fahrelnissa Zeid’s Endless Thoughts, which fetched the same amount.

Samia Halaby’s Yesterday, painted in 1978, sold for $358,400, while Ayman Baalbaki’s Babel Tower, created in 2012, fetched $281,600. Farhad Moshiri’s Untitled, from 2003, realised $230,400.

Anthea Peers, President of Christie’s Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA), said the auction represented an important milestone in the company’s two-decade presence in the UAE.

“Two decades on from our first auction in the UAE, it's thrilling to have held the first fine art auction in Abu Dhabi,” Peers said.

“We welcomed so many collectors together with those passionate about art and artists from the wider region to our view, programming and events. The response to MAWASIM has been hugely rewarding.”

The auction followed a week of exhibitions and events in Abu Dhabi, featuring works from distinguished collections, including the Dalloul Collection in Beirut and the Barjeel Art Foundation in Sharjah.

Dr Ridha Moumni, Chairman, Middle East and Africa, Christie’s, and Marie-Claire Thijsen, Head of Sale and Specialist, Christie’s UK and UAE, said the results demonstrated growing international interest in modern and contemporary art from the region.

“The breadth of bidding across the sale demonstrates the international interest this category has achieved today. Its scale reflects the depth of the region's art sector and its capacity to support a major sale of this kind,” they said.

The exhibition and associated events were presented in strategic partnership with the Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO), with support from global luxury group Kering, The Abu Dhabi EDITION and DIETL by Rock-It.

The auction marked 20 years since Christie’s established its presence in the UAE art auction market, with the company saying the Abu Dhabi sale reflected its continued commitment to promoting modern and contemporary Middle Eastern art internationally.