UAE art galleries to take over Sotheby's Dubai space to highlight regional talent

The auction house is partnering with 10 galleries from across the country

The first of Sotheby's partnerships is now running until January. Pictured: Lebanese British artist Aya Haidar's work Wish You Were Here. Photo: Tabari Artspace

A new partnership between Sotheby's and 10 of the UAE's top galleries is hoping to shine a light on emerging and established artists from across the region.

Through The Gallery Collective, the auction house will host a rotating calendar of exhibitions starting this month. Every six to eight weeks, a gallery from the UAE will take over the action house's space and make it their own.

“From the moment we opened our doors in the heart of the DIFC, our aim was to support the blossoming cultural ecosystem of the UAE, working side-by-side with the institutions and galleries who also make up the rich tapestry of the art scene here,” said Katia Nounou Boueiz, the deputy chairman of Sotheby’s Middle East.

“This series of boutique exhibitions will turn the spotlight onto emerging and established artists through the lens of our partner galleries, presenting them to collectors on the ground and through our international platform. It is a great opportunity to start to, or add to, a collection in an intimate setting, benefitting from a wealth of expertise.”

The galleries that will be working in partnership with Sotheby’s include Tabari Artspace, DIFC; Zidoun-Bossuyt Gallery, Jumeirah; Efie Gallery in Al Khayat Avenue; and Iyad Qanazea Gallery, Abu Dhabi. From Alserkal Avenue, galleries such as Leila Heller Gallery, Aisha Alabbar Gallery, The Third Line, Lawrie Shabibi, Carbon 12 and Green Art Gallery will be participating.

The Gallery Collective will also incorporate a free series of talks and spotlighted artists whose works and themes are unique to the region.

The first exhibition in the series, with Zidoun-Bossuyt Gallery, titled Jewels, opened on Tuesday, and will run until January 6. The works of New York artist Khalif Tahir Thompson, along with American artist Summer Wheat are on show.

Thompson’s large portraits have a bold colour palette and explore themes around identity and cultural heritage, while Wheat’s textured and vibrant paintings focusing on femininity and community through figurative compositions and a unique use of materials.

The next show, a collaborative exhibition between Tabari Artspace and The Third Line, is titled Hot Spots, and will take place from January 9 to March 10. The group exhibition will showcase a collective of artists from across the Middle East and North Africa working across mediums and disciplines.

The third scheduled show, with Lawrie Shabibi, is titled Form and Rhythm, and will run from March 12 to May 7. It will bring together an inter-generational group of artists, who all use geometric abstraction and the application of traditional crafts in their work. This includes Pakistani artist Hamra Abbas, Palestinian architect and artist Dima Srouji, Iranian-German artist Timo Nasseri, Lebanese artist Nabil Nahas and many more.

The Gallery Collective will run until 2026