 The 8th edition of BEIRUT ART FAIR will take place from 21 to 24 September. In 2017, the focus will be threefold: to foster a spirit of expansion and renewal, to promote the discovery of young talents, and to unfold a new perspective on the recent history of creation and collecting in Lebanon.
14 new galleries so far
14 new galleries have already confirmed their participation at BEIRUT ART FAIR 2017. Based in Argentina, Belgium, Chile, France, Italy, Morocco, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Switzerland and the United Kingdom, these new galleries are particularly keen to access the long-established art market that the Lebanese capital and its dense and diversified network of local and international collectors offers. This appeal is heightened by Beirut’s creative dynamism and traditional openness to the world – thanks to its global diaspora – and a level of freedom of expression and cultural diversity that is unique in the Middle East. In addition, of the 45 galleries who participated in 2016, 20 have already confirmed their renewed participation in the 2017 edition.
REVEALING
In keeping with the originality and specificity of the Lebanese capital, an increasing number of galleries have also made the choice to participate in the 2017 edition of BEIRUT ART FAIR by presenting their most promising young talents to collectors at the event. The success of the first edition of the REVEALING section in 2016 has prompted and increase in space in 2017, from 280 to 350 meters squared. And compared to this time in 2016, 35% more galleries have applied to the fair’s selection committee in order to showcase their chosen young artists.
OUROUBA, the focal exhibition of BEIRUT ART FAIR 2017
Curated by London-based, Lebanese-Iranian expert Rosse Issa, Ourouba, The Eye of Lebanon will aim to provide keys for understanding the specificity of the region’s contemporary art and art collectors. It will bring to light the aesthetic, conceptual and socio-political concerns that have surfaced in the Arab world over the last decade, focusing on the recent, complex history linked to the concept of “Arabicity”. It will feature choice loans from major private and institutional collections in Lebanon. |
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BEIRUT ART FAIR was created in 2010 and is directed by Laure d’Hauteville, an exhibition curator and former journalist.
BEIRUT ART FAIR’s Artistic Director is Pascal Odille, an expert in modern and contemporary art (member of C.N.E.S.). Marine Bougaran directs the fair’s “Projects” spaces.
Organized with the renewed support of Bankmed, the 8th edition of BEIRUT ART FAIR will take place from 21 to 24 September at the BIEL (Beirut International Exhibition and Leisure Center) in Beirut.
Following the success of the 2016 edition that brought together 45 galleries from 20 different countries, BEIRUT ART FAIR 2017 will feature the focal exhibition Ourouba, The Eye of Lebanon, an expanded REVEALING by SGBL section, the 6th edition of the BYBLOS BANK AWARD, the VIDEO BOX space presented by the MACAM, and a VIP program that gives exclusive access to the best Lebanese art collections.
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