On April 13, 2001, the One & Only Royal Mirage Hotel will host the auction of the oldest Bonhams House for the 7th time, offering contemporary Oriental art and photography. For the first time in the region, the public will be offered art photographs by contemporary artists such as Henry Cartier Bresson, Chuck Close, Sebastio Salgado, Andre Williers and Liliane Bassman, which will allow photographers from the East to demonstrate their art along with the work of Western artists. The works of Steve Sabella, Camilli Zachariah, Halim Al Karim, Faisal Samra, Manal Al Douyan and Lall Essaidi will be put up for auction. And these are just some of the names. We talked with Guy Wisei, Regional Director of Bonhams Middle East, about what Bonhams auction house is, and what works of art it is promoting.
Guy, what brings you to the Middle East?
Since I work in the oldest auction house Bonhams, founded in 1793 and engaged in the sale of art and antiques, of course, our presence in the Middle East indicates a high interest in contemporary oriental art - painting, drawing, sculpture, photography. I have been to the Middle East region several times before we held our first auction here, which took place in 2007. Since that time, we have significantly expanded our presence in the Middle East market, having increased the team, which previously consisted of one person who brought the first paintings from London for bidding, and opened our own office in Dubai. Now, in addition to painting, we can offer our customers jewelry, watches, carpets and much more. Last year we even had old classic cars in our lots, which attracted a lot of attention of wealthy buyers to the activities of Bonhams house. For this year's auction, which will be held in April, I am collecting the best samples of art photography, which will also be sold under the hammer for the first time. Dubai suits us for this as well as possible, as it is a regional center of business, trade and culture. People from all over the world come here - both potential buyers and sellers.
But after all, the UAE is a young state, and antiques come here infrequently. Which public are Bonhams intended for?
The country is young, it’s true, but people here understand well what luxury is. This is part of the overall lifestyle in Dubai. Most expatriates and local residents tend to purchase branded items from leading brands, telephones and cars, houses and furniture, as well as interior items for their own real estate, which today play a huge role in terms of status and status in society.
And yet, in order to approach the purchase of antiques or works of art, you need to have not only certain experience and education for making profitable investments, but also sufficient funds. Why are buyers looking at your auctions first?
You are right, the UAE market cannot boast a thousand-year history of art, which is why modern art is surprisingly highly developed here. It causes the greatest interest among us, as among auctioneers, since today buyers are also primarily interested in worthy works of contemporary authors. And believe me, there are a lot of them in the Middle East. I managed to find the delightful works of talented artists and photographers from all over the region and other countries of the world. Since we already have more than five years of experience in conducting auctions in the Emirates, I can safely say that the diversity of the works of art we represent allows us to confirm that the business has reached a solid international level.
Therefore, for the first time in April of this year, anyone can buy art objects - modern painting, photography, sculpture, jewelry and much more, not in London, Paris or New York, but in Dubai! I am proud of this and understand that true connoisseurs of art will now be able to combine a good vacation with good purchases. And this is just the beginning. I hope that in the future we will be able to present even more international works, especially in the field of contemporary art.
Guy, tell me, how difficult is it to select worthy works for auctions, given that many contemporary artists of the countries of the region are realists and write mainly what they see around - palm trees, dates, camels and Arabian horses?
You're right. Everything comes with an increase in the level of education of both artists and buyers.
Of course, initially the history of local art began with realism, but with the growth of professionalism of artists, photographers and sculptors, it underwent qualitative changes. Moreover, many artists received their education in the UK, the United States, Russia, so today we are talking about an international and fresh vision of contemporary art.
We select every item very carefully for bidding, and no artist can claim to be in the Bonhams field of view if his paintings or drawings have not been exhibited before in art galleries with a solid reputation. We also have a team of experts who are able to correctly and truly appreciate every work of art.
Can we expect the appearance of Russian artists at your auctions?
Of course, we are already negotiating with several authors and plan to expand this segment. Many things connect me with your country, and I consider the foundation of the first Western art consulting company in Moscow to be one of my biggest achievements in life right after perestroika. It was called Carrvessey Ltd.
During my work in the Russian capital, I held negotiations on the purchase of works of art totaling over $ 250 million. Since then, I have maintained extensive contacts with international dealers, artists and collectors. I even went through a training program in St. Petersburg, in the famous Hermitage, and also advised wealthy collectors from Kazakhstan for some time. In a word, I am very optimistic, and my work experience tells me that Bonhams in the Middle East will become one of the most prestigious auctions. With time.
Well, thank you for the conversation, Guy. We just have to wait for the April auction, then to tell about it to our readers and your potential buyers. Good luck and see you soon.
