BEIRUT ART FAIR 2014: TREND OVERVIEW

Beirut Art Fair 2014 is set to kick off this week from September 18 to 21, 2014 at Beirut International Exhibition & Leisure Center (BIEL).

The fair welcomes 47 galleries from 14 countries including the GCC region. Over the years, the fair has established itself on the regional and international art scene presenting an art perspective with features from the ME.NA.SA region, giving it a unique positioning in tune with the collectors’ interests.

5 galleries from the Middle East: Al Mohtaraf Gallery and WARD Gallery (also present in Egypt)representing Saudi Arabia, Samer Kozah Gallery representing Syria; and representing the UAE:JAMM, with its first participation (formerly based in Kuwait), and Salwa Zeidan Gallery based in Abu Dhabi.

Alongside the thematic areas and interactive workshops which mark its 5th edition, BEIRUT ART FAIR’s participating galleries represent the echoes of the artistic development in the ME.NA.SA region.

PROMOTING DISCOVERIES VIA THEMATIC PLATFORMS

Laure d’Hauteville and Pascal Odille are delighted and excited with the participating galleries’ programs and promise memorable artistic encounters in Beirut: « This program was built throughout the year during our meetings and based on our best ideas…  Freedom of choice, with no dogmatism, but always concerned with the quality of the work that is presented. This reflects well BEIRUT ART FAIR’s atmosphere which is constantly open to innovative and exciting offers to be presented to collectors » they explain.

This year, BEIRUT ART FAIR creates new bridges reaching contemporary creation of the ME.NA.SA region by inviting Indian contemporary artists. From Delhi to Mumbai, The IndianPavillion « Small Art is Beautiful – Dharma », curated by Fabrice Bousteau, celebrates small sizeart work created around the Wheel of Dharma theme. The concept of this exhibition is to bring up an opportunity for visitors to perceive art’s greatness in its smallest sizes.

Design has conquered a proper and significant place of its own within the contemporary art world. Within this context, BEIRUT ART FAIR presents, for its second consecutive year, a platform dedicated to young designers, with the participation of Philippe Tretiack. This initiative would not have been possible without BLC Bank’s support, who has been investing for many years in the promotion and support of Lebanese artistic development.

Based on Fadi Mogabgab’s idea, the Lebanese public will also have the opportunity to discover theart of engraving with an interactive workshop set up between the aisles of the fair. This initiative is supported by BankMed who is committed to sharing its passion for art and making it accessible to all.

With Byblos Bank’s support, BEIRUT ART FAIR confirms its commitment to Lebanese photography welcoming projects from 10 artists preselected for the BYBLOS BANK AWARD:May Arida, Hussein Baydoun, Angelo Beaini, Myriam Boulos, Sandra Fayad, Shogh Ian, Danielle Kassouf, Diana Mehrez, Richard Sammour and Nina Sharabati. This award, created in 2012, supports young Lebanese photographers and offers to its candidates a visibility on the international scene.

Video Art and Video artists are also celebrated during the fair through the VIDEO PROJECT curated by Silke Schmickl. This program entitled « Body Politics » is composed of a series of videos from the Middle East, North Africa, and South and South East Asia, which puts political and social issues into the perspective of contemporary artists.

BEIRUT ART FAIR demonstrates once again that it is open to different forms of creation by pursuing its artistic drive towards the exceptional. A must see event supported by the city of Beirut andSolidere, BEIRUT ART WEEK’s route, curated by Marine Bougaran, reveals twenty monumentalprojects : installations, sculptures and performances which take shape throughout the streets of the capital as they interact with the public.

A GLANCE AT BEIRUT ART FAIR’s GALLERIES

Of the 28 Lebanese galleries, 8, who are participating in the fair for the first time, are specialized in design: Barjis Design, Creations By W|F, ESPACES EPHEMERES, Espace Jacques Ouaiss,Mécanismes, Minkara Sahar Interior Design Studio, Nalbandian SAL and V World SAL.

Also, it’s the first time ARTLAB, Noah’s Ark Art Gallery, SAWART (also present in Egypt), ToshFesh and Tosh Fesh 2 and The Urban Fusion take part in this event.

Besides them, 16 other galleries once again demonstrate their trust in BEIRUT ART FAIR and confirm the Lebanese artistic creative potential: Agial Art Gallery, Art on 56th, L’Atelier 85, Ramy Boutros, Emmagoss Art Gallery, Galerie Janine Rubeiz, Galerie Tanit, Hamazkayin “LucyTutunjian” Art Gallery, RIMA KHATIB DESIGNART, Lebanese Autism Society – LAS,Cynthia Nouhra Art Gallery, OUNOVIS by baalcreations, Les Plumes Galerie Elsie Braidi,Smogallery, South Border Gallery and twentytwentyone gallery.

Strengthened by opening its doors to Asia, especially with the creation of the South East Asia Pavilion which started last year and the launching of SINGAPORE ART FAIR in November 2014, BEIRUT ART FAIR welcomes several renowned galleries like Sana Gallery (Singapore), Island6(China) and Adler Subhashok Gallery (Thailand). For the first time, an Armenian gallery, Gala Art Gallery, will also take part in the fair.

6 European galleries also join this 2014 edition. Bouillon d’art, Galerie Sophie Deschamps & Nathalie Gaillard , Séquence Graphique, Bel Air Fine Art (also present in Switzerland, UAE, and Lebanon), and Mark Hachem Gallery (also present in the USA and Lebanon), representing France,and from the UK Hania Farrell presenting an exposition entitled “TEAL”

One gallery comes from South America: Laura Arce Art Gallery, based in Buenos Aires. As for the United States, they are represented by Jennifer Norback Fine Art Gallery based in Chicago.