Sotheby’s Dubai - Global Online Auction This Too Shall Pass

Marking the inaugural online sale by an international auction house in the Middle East, This Too Shall Pass brings together sixty works from seven of Dubai’s leading art galleries in a project that is the first of its kind.

The sale started on June 18, offers works by established artists already represented in institutions worldwide alongside rising stars who are starting to make a name for themselves internationally. In line with the UAE’s cultural mission, the selection promotes artists from the Emirates and beyond to a new generation of art lovers around the world. Viewed together, the works in the auction opens a window into the boundless cultural landscape of the region, for collectors at home and across the globe.

A collaborative initiative by the galleries of the renowned and vibrant cultural district Alserkal Avenue, the partnership spans Lawrie Shabibi, The Third Line, Gallery Isabelle van den Eynde, Carbon 12, Green Art Gallery, Leila Heller Gallery and 1 x 1 Art Gallery.

The auction is open for bidding until 25 June, with 10% of the galleries’ proceeds to be donated to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)’s response to the pandemic’s impact on refugee families and children across twenty countries in the MENA region. Working closely with governments, partners and communities, UNHCR is focusing on protecting forcibly displaced populations to ensure that health, water and hygiene systems are quickly adapted and scaled up, as well as providing urgent cash-based assistance to those experiencing additional economic distress.

“Sotheby’s has long been at the forefront of the UAE’s cultural endeavours, introducing artists from across the region to new global audiences. During these unprecedented times, working together with these galleries feels like a natural partnership, as we use our extensive digital reach and online presence to amplify their initiatives and create new collecting opportunities worldwide.” - Ashkan Baghestani, Sotheby’s

“This auction is testament to over a decade of dedication our community of galleries has put in to foster the blossoming art scene in Dubai and beyond. Our spirit of collaboration has been made all the more essential during the pandemic, and it is well and truly evident in this sale. While Covid-19 has touched most of our lives, it has also heightened the suffering of those who are more vulnerable, and that is why a portion of the proceeds will go towards providing essential support to those most in need.” - William Lawrie, Co-Founder of Lawrie Shabibi

SALE HIGHLIGHTS

Mona Saudi, Woman/River, 1998, Jordanian jade (est. $50,000-70,000) / Courtesy of Sotheby's

Monir Farmanfarmaian, Untitled (C5), 1993-2009, silk and wool, hand-woven in Tabriz (est. $40,000-60,000) / Courtesy of Sotheby's

Hassan Hajjaj, Exchange, 2006, metallic lambda print on dibond in a wood frame with Big Zoshk tomato and Bled olives noire tins (est. $8,000-12,000) / Courtesy of Sotheby's

Mohammed Kazem, Untitled, 2020, acrylic on scratched paper (est. $20,000-30,000) / Courtesy of Sotheby's

Mohamed Melehi, Mocharableh, Purple and Orange, 2020 (est. $25,000 - 35,000) / Courtesy of Sotheby's

Mohamed Melehi, Soleil Oblique (From the Wave Series), 1971 (est. $80,000-120,000) / Courtesy of Sotheby's

Shaikha Al Mazrou, Isometric, 2019, wet coated steel (est. $12,000-18,000) / Courtesy of Sotheby's

Zeinab Al Hashemi, Be, neon tubelight in two parts (est. $6,000-8,000) / Courtesy of Sotheby's

Chaouki Choukini, Claire de Lune, 2018, oak (est. $30,000-40,000) / Courtesy of Sotheby's

Hoda Tawakol, When the Dates Turn Red #7, 2017-18, fabric, (est. $15,000-20,000) / Courtesy of Sotheby's

Mohamed Ahmed Ibrahim, Untitled, 2019 (est. $10,000-15,000) / Courtesy of Sotheby's

Full list of artists

Hamra Abbas, Farhad Ahrarnia, Zeinab Al Hashemi, Hashel Al Lamki, Shaikha Al Mazrou, Abdel Qader Al Rais, Kamrooz Aram, Reza Aramesh, Abdulaziz Ashour, Mohamed Said Baalbaki, Marwan Kassab Bachi, Katherine Bakhoum, Lara Baladi, Abdelkader Benchamma, Bernhard Buhmann, Chaouki Choukini, Ala Ebtekar, Monir Shahroudy Farmanfarmaian, Mounir Fatmi, Asad Faulwell, Bita Fayyazi, Shahzad Hassan Ghazi, Hassan Hajjaj, Ganesh Haloi, Mahmoud Hammad, Nargess Hashemi, Khosrow Hassanzadeh, Mohammed Ahmed Ibrahim, Nadia Kaabi-Linke, Mohammed Kazem, Amir Khojasteh, Mohamed Melehi, Athier Mousawi, Farhad Moshiri, Philip Mueller, Zak Ové, Shahpour Pouyan, Muzzumil Ruheel, Mona Saudi, Zineb Sedira, Hoda Tawakol, Margo Veillon and Elias Zayat.

So far in 2020, Sotheby’s has seen over a hundred online sales bring over £175 million, more than doubling the full-year online sales total for 2019. In March, a sale of Modern and Contemporary Middle Eastern art was converted from a live to an online auction, totalling $2.7 million, with 60% of lots exceeding their estimates. The auction was led by a radical work from Morocco’s modernist master Mohamed Melehi, which soared to a record-breaking $487,339, nearly seven times its estimate after 30 bids were placed on the piece. Sotheby's Dubai presents a vibrant, ever-evolving programme of year-round events, including selling and non-selling exhibitions, events and talks, watches and jewellery valuations – reflecting the spectrum of Sotheby's international sales and extensive client services. For more information please see www.sothebys.com/Dubai.