ARTS / STYLE / CULTURE FROM THE ARAB WORLD AND BEYOND
# 32
THE COLOURS ISSUE • COLOUR AND MATERIAL • CURATED BY VENETIA PORTER • IMMORTALISING AL-MUTANABBI STREET • • CHRYSTYNA SALAM’S WORLD OF CERAMICS • IN DISCUSSION WITH MUSTAPHA AZEROUAL AND CAROLINE TABET •
LBP 15·000 / AED 37 / QAR 37
www.boghossianjewels.com #boghossianjewels
Moustafa Fathi Towards the Absolute of Nature 5 October - 12 November 2015
Untitled, 1986, Mixed media on canvas, 122 x 207 cm
Unit B11, Alserkal Avenue, Exit 43 SZR, Street 8, Al Quoz 1, Dubai T: +971 4 3236242 dubai@ayyamgallery.com www.ayyamgallery.com
EDITOR’S LETTER
THE COLOURS ISSUE
For its 32nd edition, Selections magazine is delving into the world of colour. Since it is such an inherent component of an artist’s consciousness and, perhaps more importantly, his or her unconscious experience, we invited a diverse body of artists from very different backgrounds to share with us how they employ colour and how they perceive its relevance to their work. Special thanks goes to Valerie Reinhold for curating the theme of this issue, and for her selection of the following artists to cite as the ambassadors of colour: Jacob Hashimoto, Anish Kapoor, Nadim Karam, Maha Malluh, Farhad Moshiri, Nabil Nahas, Jean-Michel Othoniel, Sydney Regis, Hadieh Shafie, Hoda Tawakol and Marcel Wanders. Selections would also like to extend a special thank you to Venetia Porter, curator of the Islamic and Contemporary Middle East Department at the British Museum, for kindly sharing her knowledge in a dedicated section of the magazine.
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Elsewhere, there are plenty of highlights waiting to be discovered this issue, including features such as Immortalising Al-Mutanabbi Street, which explores bookseller Beau Beausoleil’s collection of original artwork celebrating Iraq’s literary culture, and others on Chrystyna Salam’s vast world of ceramics and a discussion between two Lebanese photographers. On the front cover you’ll find one of Sadik Kwaish Alfraji’s works on paper, made with black ink and charcoal and recently acquired by the British Museum. Our desire to look beyond what is presented in a matter-of-fact way in order to give the work its full scope of acknowledgement has certainly coloured our perception of monochrome and, likewise, with this issue, Selections invites you to broaden your spectrum of colour.
CONTRIBUTORS
India Stoughton graduated from the University of Edinburgh with an MA in Arabic and Middle Eastern Studies. Having travelled extensively in the Middle East, spending time in Morocco, Turkey, Jordan, Iraq and Qatar, as well as Syria, she is currently based in Lebanon, where she has written for publications including The Daily Star, Canvas, The Outpost and The National, among others.
Rajesh Punj is a London-based art critic, correspondent and curator, with a specialist interest in Asia. He has previously written for international art publications including Flash Art International in Milan, Deutsche Bank Art Mag in Berlin, and Elephant in London, among others.
Maria Cristina Didero i s an independent design curator and journalist contributing to Domus, Vogue Casa, Flair, Loft, and Apartamento. She has been in charge of the Vitra Design Museum for Italy for more than 10 years and sits on the board of Veritas auction house in Lisbon, is a patron of Design Days Dubai, and curates Design Talks for Miart Milan. She has been Director of Fondazione Bisazza since 2011.
Dr Zoltán Somhegyi i s a UAE-based Hungarian art historian, holding a PhD in aesthetics. Besides being an Assistant professor at the University of Sharjah, he is a curator of international exhibitions, a consultant of Art Market Budapest – International contemporary art fair, and author of books, artist catalogues, and more than two hundred articles, critiques, essays and art fair reviews.
Danna Lorch is a Dubai-based writer focusing on art and pop culture from the Middle East. She blogs at ‘Danna Writes’ and serves as Contributor to ArtSlant. Recent publications include The National, Jadaliyya, Contemporary Practices, Canvas, and Vogue (India). Danna holds a graduate degree in Middle Eastern Studies from Harvard University.
Valerie Reinhold is Amsterdam-based art consultant. She holds degrees in art history, art market as well as in finance and uses her cross-field expertise to assist collectors and artists. Having lived in many countries, Valerie appreciates art that goes beyond cultural differences, at the same time acknowledging the importance of cultural identity. She is also a frequent speaker on topics such as art investment, women in art or the values of art and has contributed to various publications, including Famous City Amsterdam.
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CONTRIBUTORS
Born and raised in Tehran, Pendar Nabipour is a Rotterdam-based artist and curator, who focuses on interactive situations using sculptures, installations, and performances. He also has a strong interest in social phenomena and memory, and the role of artists in their process.
ver the course of a 20-year career, O Marwan Naaman has written for the likes of Fodor’s, Businessweek, Monocle, Harvey Nichols and eHealth Insurance, in a variety of fields that range from lifestyle, travel, design and art to finance and medicine. He spent 12 years as Editor-in-Chief of Aïshti Magazine (later renamed A Magazine), which he launched, transforming it into the most successful luxury lifestyle publication in the Middle East.
Ahmad Minkara is a Lebanese-American doctor and writer. He has lived between Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon and the United States.
Kasia Maciejowska is a London-based writer and editor who spent a year with us in Beirut editing Selections and the Art Paper. She has an MA in Design History & Material Culture from the Royal College of Art/V&A Museum, and a BA in English Literature from the University of Oxford. Her regular subjects are the visual arts, interior design, and contemporary culture. She has previously written for The Times and Ibraaz among others.
Akili Tommasino is a scholar of twentiethcentury avant-garde art and advocate of emerging artists. A former Fulbright Fellow at the Centre Pompidou in Paris, Tommasino is currently completing his doctoral thesis through Harvard University while working as a curatorial assistant at The Museum of Modern Art, New York.
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CONTENTS
ARCHITECTURE 108
Radical wrapping Installation artist Christo’s latest work, The Floating Piers, transforms the Italian Lakes
ART PAPER
STYLE
18 – 39
86
Rolex’s investment in the arts The Rolex Mentor and Protégé Arts Initiative pairs emerging artists from all over the world with established leaders in their fields
112
Hooked on Islamic history Venetia Porter, curator of the Islamic and Middle East department at the British Museum, tells Selections how she came to fall in love with art from the region
90
An explosion of brilliance Vivid colours are at the forefront of this year’s jewellery trends, adding a splash of colour to every ensemble
115
Curated by Venetia Porter
Local, regional, and international news, reviews and interviews
ART 40
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Moscow’s contemporary art hub Selections talks curation, context and drawing in a crowd with Kate Fowle, curator at Garage Museum of Contemporary Art Sculpt me a fable Sculptor Mireille Honein rarely chooses to tackle the same subject matter or use the same material twice
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What days may come Nearly a decade after launching Ayyam Gallery, Khaled Samawi gears up for new challenges
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The dangerous book Hadieh Shafie discusses the secret stories that lie tightlycoiled within her sculptures
58
62
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A fantastical reality Turkish artist Taner Ceylan explains why his paintings are more real to him than daily life Colour and material Selections explores the role of colour and material in the work of 11 contemporary artists in a special section curated by Valerie Reinhold
CURATED BY
LITERATURE 96
Immortalising Al-Mutanabbi Street American poet and bookseller Beau Beausoleil celebrates Iraq’s literary heritage through a vast collection of original artwork
DESIGN 100
Just Lust in Brussels Belgian designer Xavier Lust exhibits his creative experiments with metal at the Botanique museum
104
A passion for pottery Chrystyna Salam gives Selections a glimpse into her extensive private collection, which includes a stunning array of ceramics
PHOTOGRAPHY 133
Experimental images Mustapha Azeroual and Caroline Tabet discuss medium, material and photography in the digital age
CONTENTS
EDITORIAL MASTHEAD Editor-in-Chief Rima Nasser Editor Anastasia Nysten Copy Editor India Stoughton Designer Genia Kodash Illustrator Yasmina Nysten Production Editor Rayya Haddad Production Coordinator Lida Kabbara Contributing Writers Maria Christina Didero, Danna Lorch, Kasia Maciejowska, Dr Ahmad Minkara, Marwan Naaman, Pendar Nabipour, Rajesh Punj, Valerie Reinhold, Dr Zoltan Somhegyl, India Stoughton, Akili Tommasino
The Colours Issue #32
ADVERTISING & DISTRIBUTION
cover: Sadik Kwaish Alfraji, 2014, From Ali’s Boat 1 book, Indian ink and charcoal on notebook paper, British Museum. © the artist
Advertising & Editorial Inquiries info@selectionsthemagazine.com Distribution lebanon Messagerie du Moyen Orient de la Presse et du Livre s.a.l. qatar City News Publishing united arab emirates Jashanmal National Co. L.L.C. Printing Chamas for Printing & Publishing s.a.l. info@chamaspress.com Responsible Editor Fatma Koteich
THIS ISSUE’S CONTENT CURATORS
BPA Worldwide Consumer Magazine Membership Applied for December 2014
Selections magazine digital edition is also available for iPads and Android tablets
selectionsthemagazine.com
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Art news from New York — yasmina nysten Art news from Sharjah — dr zoltan somhegyi Design — anastasia nysten Colour and Material – valerie reinhold Curated by (coordinated) – ahmad minkara Style — marwan naaman
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History in the making
27
Existence in exile
20
Conflict as culture
28
Consumption on camera
22
Emotional mapping
31
Fighting fair
24
Celebrating terracotta
32
Championing African art
25
Leila Heller’s Dubai haven
34
Art at the crossroads
26
Colour studies
36
Dubai art agenda
39
Sombre stories
Ahmed Al Bahrani,The Lightbulb, 100 × 65 × 60, bronze, 2015 , courtesy of Artspace Hamra