• The Louvre Paris will lend its Islamic art expertise to the Abu Dhabi branch
• Art institutions like Maraya Art Center constitute a soft power. This, in the long run, will reflect positively on the country’s economy
• Art from the region remains undervalued because the modern art scene is still developing
Islamic art breaks the negative stereotype associated with the word ‘Islamic’ in the world – particularly, the West, says moderator Ahmed Salim, Founder of 1001 Inventions UK, an international
science and cultural heritage organisation that raises awareness of the
creative golden age of Muslim civilisation. Moderating a session on Islamic art during Global Islamic Economy Summit (GIES) 2016, he also said that now is the time to invest.
Mai Eldib, Consultant at Sotheby’s Egypt, agreed. She noted that there are two
distinct types of Islamic art, sought after by different audiences. The
art from the era of the Islamic empire and until the year 1900, attracts
mostly Western buyers, whereas post-1900 Arab and Iranian art, not
necessarily created by Muslims, sells more in the MENA region.
“When
it comes to investing in art, it’s a tricky discussion,” Eldib said,
“Art doesn’t yield dividend like bonds or stocks, yet it is now very
much coveted as an asset. Art from the region remains undervalued
because the modern art scene is still developing. However, events like Art Dubai
are placing local and regional artists on the international map. Once
an artist surpasses their niche aspect of being an Egyptian, Saudi,
Emirati, etc. artist, the value of their art goes up.”
Yannick Lintz, Islamic Art Director at The Louvre Museum in Paris, France said the Louvre had begun with a focus on Islamic art in France in a room with contemporary design and is branching outwards. "..we are always working to develop programmes outside the confines of the museum itself. We now have accords with museums in the Islamic world in places like Cairo, Tehran, and Istanbul. The time is now to create an international network of directors of Islamic arts museums,” he said.
Lintz added that the Louvre, Paris will lend its expertise to the Louvre Abu Dhabi, offering advice on how, where, and when to buy pieces of Islamic art to add to the museum’s current collection of 300 pieces. The larger the local collections grows, she noted, the less the Louvre Abu Dhabi will depend on pieces coming from France.
Giuseppe Moscatello, Art Director at the UAE’s Maraya Art Foundation, explained that art institutions like Maraya Art Center constitute a soft power that will reflect positively on the country’s economy in the long run. “The art scene in the UAE – and the region – is looking at positive growth, seeing as a majority of the population in the Gulf is under the age of 30, and many young artists are emerging. These artists are most often represented by galleries, which is important to further their careers, and the government is supporting our efforts.”