Bahrain art show sales hit new high

 

Of this, Bahraini artists recorded sales of BD156, 097, which is a jump over last year’s BD147, 900 and the highest recorded so far at ArtBAB.

 

The show was marked by the engagement of new ideas and new avenues to take Bahraini artists to bigger global platforms.

 

Held under the patronage of HRH Princess Sabeekha bint Ebrahim Al Khalifa, wife of the King of Bahrain, the show saw 11 countries participating in the fair this year, including Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Russia, Bulgaria, Argentina, India, Belgium, UK, Italy and Portugal.

 

The 16 participating international galleries recorded sales of BD93,156.

 

Participating local galleries and universities recorded total sales of BD11,050. The Bahrain-based galleries and universities included Baghdad Art Gallery, the Bahrain Contemporary Art Association, Art for Heart, the University of Bahrain and the Royal University for Women. This year there were 17 artist stands and a BAAB Pavilion of Bahraini contemporary art show framing the works of 30 selected Bahraini artists.

 

“The success of the Bahraini artists, especially the emerging talent, is a sign that ArtBAB as a movement has clearly helped to elevate the recognition levels and commercial victory of Bahraini art which is increasingly finding a place in some of the most prestigious collections around the world,” commented fairs and programme director Kaneka Subberwal.

 

She added: “The growing weight of excellence that the ArtBAB shows have brought to international attention, has resulted in many significant collaborations and exposure. Ten Bahraini artists will be participating in an artists’ residency programme in New York, founded by well-known art authority Nathalie Angles. The 18-month programme, which begins in September 2019, will be a valuable insight for our artists on trends and techniques of the contemporary art scene internationally. The artists will attend the residency in two batches of 5 artists each.”

 

In another development, the works of five Bahraini artists being selected for inclusion in CollectorIQ, a US–based art-collection management online system that lists over 320,000 artists and 6.5 million listed works of art from around the world. The Bahraini artists listed on the platform are Balqees Fakhro, Omar Rashid, Jamal Abdulrahim, Faika Al Hasan, Nabeela Al Khayer and Othman Khunji.

 

The organisers have also announced that Bahrain will be the ‘invited country’ at the prestigious La Paris Biennale with a 300 sq m pavilion dedicated to contemporary Bahraini art. The Paris exhibition shall be conceived and curated by Subberwal and Art Select programme manager Tasneem Al Shuroughi, in collaboration with a curatorial team from Paris. The pavilion will also exhibit artefacts and collectibles from ArtBAB’s newly-launched crafts showcase, The Bahrain Room.

 

According to the agreement, the Biennale shall feature a central pavilion that will showcase over a 100 works of Bahraini artists.

 

"With 300 sq m, the Bahrain Pavilion will be the biggest one at the Biennale Paris,” said Mathias Ary Jan, president of the Syndicat National des Antiquaires, which organises the biennale. “Bahrain’s presence as a guest country at the Paris Biennale is expected to energise the event and reinforce its international standing. In addition to this significant presence, Bahrain will also sponsor several tables during the traditional gala dinner. We are confident that this robust presence along with the excellence of contemporary Bahraini art will attract collectors from the region and also other parts of the world.”

 

The Paris Biennale runs from September 13 to 17.

 

ArtBAB 2019 also broke new ground, with visitors getting to experience kingdom’s traditional crafts heritage through The Bahrain Room, a curated collection of specially designed collectibles that were based on Bahraini craft traditions but given a contemporary look by international fashion and design icon JJ Valaya, assisted by Ameena Khan.

 

There was also a CRAFTed section where Bahraini and international designers working with design elements unique to the Kingdom showcased their fashion and style portfolios.

 

“We are delighted with the warm response of art-lovers, collectors and the artist community to ArtBAB – it’s an indication of the continuing relevance of the fair to the spread of Bahrain’s artistic narrative across borders,” said Shaikha Maram bint Isa Al Khalifa, director of the office of Her Royal Highness Princess Sabeekha bint Ebrahim Al Khalifa. “We are pleased to have started new global conversations about contemporary Bahraini art and the Kingdom’s crafts heritage.”

 

The ArtBAB initiative is being held in collaboration with Tamkeen.