LONDON.- The Auction Room announces the second auction of Middle Eastern Contemporary Art which will take place online at www.theauctionroom.com on 1st October 2014 at 7pm London time. The category returns to the online platform following the success of last- year’s 40 lot auction which realised a total of £235,348. A particular highlight from last year was Hayv Kahraman’s diptych Carrying on Shoulders 1 & 2 which saw fierce international bidding online and achieved a price of £57,100 against its pre-sale estimate of £36,000 - £40,000. The Auction Room is pleased to be offering another outstanding piece by the artist, Flaying the Lamb (estimate: £30,000 - £50,000), as well as a fantastic piece by Farhad Moshiri, Brain, 2005 – both highlights in this exceptional sale.
A host of other well-known and up-and-coming Arab and Iranian artists will be offered, including: Ramin and Rokni Haerizadeh, Jeffar Khaldi, Abbas Kiarostami, Youssef Nabil, Khosrow Hassanzadeh and Laila Pazooki. This includes a selection of works from two major private collections, a number of which were in the critically acclaimed exhibition: Unveiled: New Art from The Middle East held in 2009 at the Saatchi Gallery, London.
The Auction Room’s specialist for the sale, Janet Rady, has commented “we are very excited to be holding our second Middle Eastern Contemporary Art auction online, with the unique element of a physical preview exhibition in London. Overall confidence in the market remains high both in the Middle East and internationally as we see major exhibitions being mounted in this category, such as the current exhibition at the New Museum in New York of art from and about the Arab world. It’s exciting to see new artists emerging, such as Gohar Dashti, Laila Pazooki and Mostafa Darehbaghi and for more established ones consolidating their position worldwide. With estimates ranging from £1,000 to £50,000, the auction provides the perfect opportunity for a variety of collectors from all parts of the world to participate. ”
Many of the works confront the political and social issues of the artists’ native countries with a clarity and bravery which, in several cases, has resulted in exile or arrest, whilst they also draw clear influence from and take great pride in their county’s artistic heritage and legacy of decorative arts.
