Sotheby’s summer show in London to focus on Middle East

Hafla will be a celebration of art and design from the region across disciplines and time periods

Hafla will take place at Sotheby’s London galleries in August. Pictured: Untitled by Abdulrahman Al Soliman (2014). Photo: Sotheby's

Sotheby’s is bringing the Middle East to London.

At the auction house's New Bond Street location, their London galleries will be exhibiting a diverse and curated selection of Middle Eastern art and culture.

Entitled Hafla, which translates to celebration or party in Arabic, the exhibition will run from August 12 to 30. Highlights will include paintings, jewellery and calligraphy from the Islamic world and limited-edition handbags designed by Saudi Arabia's Princess Nourah Al Faisal.

“People from all over the world congregate in London over the summer, particularly from across the Middle East,” Ashkan Baghestani, Sotheby’s director for Middle Eastern and contemporary art, tells The National.

“We felt there would be a real demand and desire from art aficionados who are in town to see Middle Eastern art under the spotlight as they wander down New Bond Street. It also gives our regular collectors an opportunity to see a different side of the Middle Eastern art scene.”

The main part of Hafla will be the section Khamseen, which is the Arabic word for 50. It highlights 50 works spanning 50 years of modern visual art from Saudi Arabia. Curated in collaboration with founder Qaswra Hafez of Hafez Gallery, it will comprise of paintings, sculptures, photography, prints and installations.

Khamseen starts with The Beginnings, which focuses on the early phases of modern art by introducing the active artistic pioneers in the kingdom between 1965 to 1980, most of whom were broadly dealing with themes of identity.

The exhibition then moves to the Awakening / Boom section, which highlights artists working between the 1980s and the late 1990s, when Saudi society became more conservative. The final section, Information Superhighway, encompasses the work of young dynamic artists experimenting with various media in the early 2000s.

“Taking a look at Khamseen, bringing some of the rarest and most important Saudi pioneers is a first,” Baghestani adds.

“With the growing appreciation of and visibility around Saudi art, it felt only natural to bring some of these gems to London and exhibit them to a very different audience.”

In addition to art, there will also be a jewellery exhibition that showcases the influence of the Middle East on design. It is in partnership with A2Z Advisory in Bahrain. Expect about 60 jewellery creations to be on display, including coloured gemstones and diamonds from maisons such as Cartier, Bulgari and Van Cleef & Arpels. It runs until August 22.

“The Middle East is one of the world’s leading luxury hubs, and so it was only fitting that we would dedicate a section of Hafla to exploring the region’s impact in this arena,” says Sophie Stevens, Sotheby’s jewellery specialist.

“From Art Deco designs, significant diamonds and top-tier coloured gemstones, to groundbreaking contemporary jewels, there is something for every discerning jewellery collector at Hafla this summer.”

The luxury section of the exhibition will also include an exclusive capsule collection of Saudi Arabian-inspired bags by luxury brand Asprey in collaboration with Princess Nourah. Five boldly designed, limited-edition bags each pay homage to the five regions of the kingdom through motifs, colour and embroidery techniques.

Incorporating something from across the Islamic world, the final portion of Hafla will be a display of rich calligraphic works from the 8th to 21st century.

It will showcase the development of Arabic script over more than a millennium of manuscript production, from Quranic manuscripts in Kufic script to the lavish illuminations of the Qajar period. It will feature 28 calligraphic works from the Bashir Mohamed Family collection, produced across the Middle East, Turkey, India, Spain and China.

“One of the most exciting calligraphic works is a magnificent bifolium from the Blue Quran – showcasing the true scale and majesty of the legendary manuscript,” Frankie Keyworth, Sotheby’s Islamic & Indian art specialist, says.

“It is both materially opulent, written entirely in gold on large sheets of blue vellum, and visually striking, showcasing a particularly masterful Kufic script.”

The diversity of works, artists and mediums from Hafla is not only part of its appeal, but shows the range and of ideas and creativity from the Middle East across various time periods that tell an overarching story about art creation from the region.

“We wanted Hafla to feel like a journey,” Edward Gibbs, Sotheby’s chairman for the Middle East & India, says. “As you enter each gallery, you are immersed in a different moment of Middle Eastern creativity."

Hafla will take place at Sotheby’s London galleries from August 12 to 30