Abu Dhabi Set for a Record-Breaking Art Showcase
Abu Dhabi is preparing to host the most valuable art exhibition ever staged by Sotheby’s in the Middle East this October. The two-day show will feature six masterpieces worth around $150 million. It marks Sotheby’s first public fine art exhibition in the United Arab Emirates.
The event will take place at the Bassam Freiha Art Foundation on Saadiyat Island, the emirate’s growing cultural hub. Moreover, the show highlights Sotheby’s expanding commitment to the region and acts as a prelude to the upcoming Abu Dhabi Collectors’ Week in November.
Masterpieces from Celebrated Collections
The exhibition gathers works by legendary artists such as Vincent van Gogh, Paul Gauguin, Frida Kahlo, René Magritte, Camille Pissarro, and Edvard Munch. Each painting comes from a major international private collection.
Notably, Munch’s “St. John’s Night (Midsummer Night’s Eve)” was loaned by American collector Leonard A. Lauder, while pieces by Van Gogh and Gauguin previously hung in the Chicago home of philanthropists Cindy and Jay Pritzker.
According to Sotheby’s, three of these works have not been seen publicly for over fifty years. Furthermore, none have ever been exhibited in the Middle East before. After their Abu Dhabi debut, the artworks will travel to London and Paris before returning to New York for Sotheby’s fall auctions.
A Strategic Milestone for the Region
This exhibition marks a turning point for the Gulf’s art scene. Katia Nounou Boueiz, Head of Sotheby’s UAE, stated:
“In recent months, Sotheby’s has hosted remarkable events in Abu Dhabi, but this exhibition is truly historic — our first public fine art exhibition here, and the most valuable one ever in the region.”
The event also reflects the strengthening partnership between Sotheby’s and the UAE. Last summer, Abu Dhabi’s sovereign wealth fund ADQ acquired a minority stake in the auction house. As a result, this collaboration reinforces the city’s vision of becoming a global hub for art and culture, supported by world-class museums and a growing community of collectors.
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