Organized by Laure d’Hauteville, Pascal Odille,
Marine Bougaran and Rania Tabbara, BEIRUT ART FAIR’s sixth edition reaffirms its commitment to quality among
Middle-Eastern collectors and its cultural players. It continues to explore the artistic effervescence animating the ME.NA.SA region, which extend from Morocco to Indonesia.
By welcoming around fifty international galleries specialized in contemporary art and presenting the works of hundreds of
artists, BEIRUT ART FAIR’s strength lies in its ability to promote encounters and new discoveries which are in tune with the artistic globalization.
The dialogue established by BEIRUT ART FAIR with the Lebanese and Middle-Eastern cultural institutions shapes the identity of the fair. In addition, the active collaboration from collectors
reinforces its status as an international reference for artistic creations of the ME.NA.SA region.
The increasing number of visitors, the development of contacts initiated by the exhibitors, the constant rise in partnerships, as well as the unwavering support of the artists come together to reflect the momentum created by BEIRUT ART FAIR since its inception
Among the 20 000 visitors in 2014, coming from Europe, the Gulf and Asia, many collectors were from the Lebanese Diaspora who returned to their homeland to support the fair.
Since the fair’s inception, Beirut experienced,
simultaneously, a significant artistic
development. 2015 will be an important year in the Lebanese art scene: in October, we will witness the reopening of the Sursock Museum that was in 1961 the first fine arts museum in Lebanon. The ancient palace bequeathed by Nicolas Sursock to the city was renovated by Jean Michel Wilmotte and Jacques Abou Khaled. In addition, the Aishti Foundation will open its doors before the end of the year in a building signed by David Adjaye. This foundation is dedicated to
Tony Salame’s art collections which consist of creations by renowned international contemporary and Lebanese artists.
Likewise, Lebanese artists continue their breakthrough on the
international artistic scene. The Lebanese Pavilion, presented by Janine Maamari during SINGAPORE ART FAIR in 2014, received an enthusiastic welcome from the Asian public. Meanwhile, in public sales, but also in wide-scale exhibitions such as the Venice Biennale, the cedar country is also highlighted.
For its sixth edition, BEIRUT ART FAIR will host around fifty galleries and will offer diversified creations from established and emerging artists. It will invite the public to discover its highlights via thematic exhibitions, performances, round tables, and an «outside the walls » program.
This year, a special attention was given to the fair’s VIP program in order to attract international collectors.
It was implemented by Rania Tabbara with the support of HSBC Private Bank:
« BEIRUT ART FAIR is also a tribute to Beirut, the region’s avant-garde city. The fair gives the capital a place in the list of arty destinations and it is why I support this event since its inception.
Alongside Laure d’Hauteville, my role is to make BEIRUT ART FAIR’s initiative known among patrons and collectors from the Arab word.
The latter has contributed immensely to Lebanon’s expansion of artistic offering. Many of them have encouraged the fair and its artists, as BEIRUT ART FAIR is the continuation of their action. This event cannot exist without its patrons or without the support of collectors who return in increasing numbers every year»