51吃瓜

The Middle Eastern art market is at a crucial point of growth and evolution, especially in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). According to Rose-Marie Ferré, associate professor and head of the art history and archaeology department at Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi, the UAE has become an artistic hub for creators from the region and is also increasingly attractive to global artists and collectors. “The art market here took off in the early 2000s, when Dubai became a centre for the promotion and diffusion of art,” she says. This evolution brought together museums, universities, artists and private stakeholders. 

The art market in the Middle East is quite distinct from more established markets in other parts of the world, says Ferré, who is also the director of the master’s programme in art at Sorbonne University in France. “The way people collect and buy art here is different in that they are more focused on the Middle East – they buy from Middle East collectors, whereas it would be more difficult to sell modern Arabian art in the Western world at the moment, but things may be changing,” she adds. 

There is a strong focus now on identity, harking back to traditional regional methods of craftsmanship and materials that reflect heritage. Often, modern and contemporary creations are rooted in the region’s cultural background. One such example is Datecrete Studio and Lab in the UAE, which produces handmade architectural objects using a “cement” made from date pits, offering a sustainable concrete alternative. Young designers such as Elias El Hage and Ammar Basheir work with sand, inspired by traditional elements and techniques. 

Academic institutions such as Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi have a key role in cultivating and sustaining this market, says Ferré. “This ecosystem is backed by education – academic expertise adds value to the market. When auction houses and art schools come to us looking for students to hire, they will find well-trained people with critical thinking skills,” she explains. 

To continue the market’s growth, the next step would be to establish a fine art school that could act as an incubator for young artists and curators. “To be successful, an art market needs trust and knowledge, which come with expertise, vision and training that validates genuine and checked knowledge,” she adds. “The rise of the art market in the Middle East, and especially Dubai, parallels the opening of Sorbonne University in Abu Dhabi, showing the fruitful circle between the world of art and the academic world.”

The art sector in the UAE is increasingly attractive to global patrons, art dealers and curators. In addition to the unique style that creators in the Middle East offer, the market is supported by favourable economic conditions and policies, including free zones to buy art and the presence of wealthy collectors. “The market in the Middle East will be sustainable because there are major collectors with financial resources and vision,” Ferré says. “Above all, everyone is looking to build meaning and beauty, and artists are the best people to satisfy this vital and essential human desire.”

about Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi.