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Culture Minister Signs MOU with his Qatari Counterpart

Saudi Minister of Culture and his Qatari counterpart as part of his official visit to Qatar to attend the opening of the Doha International Book Fair.
Saudi Minister of Culture and his Qatari counterpart as part of his official visit to Qatar to attend the opening of the Doha International Book Fair.
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Culture Minister Signs MOU with his Qatari Counterpart

Saudi Minister of Culture and his Qatari counterpart as part of his official visit to Qatar to attend the opening of the Doha International Book Fair.
Saudi Minister of Culture and his Qatari counterpart as part of his official visit to Qatar to attend the opening of the Doha International Book Fair.

Saudi Minister of Culture Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan held a meeting in Doha with his Qatari counterpart, Sheikh Abdulrahman bin Hamad bin Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani, as part of his official visit to Qatar to attend the opening of the Doha International Book Fair.

During the meeting, a memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed between the Culture Minister and his Qatari counterpart to strengthen bilateral cooperation in diverse cultural areas.

Prince Badr expressed his appreciation for inviting the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to be the guest of honor at Doha International Book Fair 2023, highlighting the depth of the relationship between the two countries and the significance of collaborative cultural cooperation.

The signing of this memorandum reflects the joint efforts of both countries to foster cooperation across various fields.

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Van Gogh Painting Falls Short of Expectations in Hong Kong Auction

A visitor looks closely at 'Les canots amarres' by Vincent van Gogh at Christie's new Asia Pacific headquarters in Hong Kong. Peter PARKS / AFP
A visitor looks closely at 'Les canots amarres' by Vincent van Gogh at Christie's new Asia Pacific headquarters in Hong Kong. Peter PARKS / AFP
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Van Gogh Painting Falls Short of Expectations in Hong Kong Auction

A visitor looks closely at 'Les canots amarres' by Vincent van Gogh at Christie's new Asia Pacific headquarters in Hong Kong. Peter PARKS / AFP
A visitor looks closely at 'Les canots amarres' by Vincent van Gogh at Christie's new Asia Pacific headquarters in Hong Kong. Peter PARKS / AFP

A Vincent van Gogh painting displaying the artist's shift from dark realism to vibrant impressionism sold for US$32.2 million at a Hong Kong auction on Thursday, falling short of expectations that it would fetch a record-breaking price.
"Les canots amarres" -- or "the moored boats" -- was the centerpiece of an inaugural evening sale held to celebrate the opening of auction house Christie's new Asia Pacific headquarters.
According to Christie's, it was expected to fetch HK$230-380 million (US$30-50 million) on the auction floor, AFP reported.
If bidding had reached the higher end of the estimated value, it could have surpassed Jean-Michel Basquiat's "Warrior" -- which went for HK$323.6 million in 2021 -- as the most expensive Western painting sold in Asia.

But the hammer of auctioneer Adrien Meyer fell Thursday at HK$250 million.
Cristian Albu, deputy chairman and head of 20th/21st century art at Christie's Asia Pacific, said the price was the "record of a Van Gogh in Asia.”
The auction house was "cautious" with its lineup on Thursday in hopes of boosting market confidence, added Ada Tsui, head of evening sale and specialist for 20th/21st century art.
Owned by the Italian royal family of Bourbon Two Sicilies, the Van Gogh painting is "the most important painting by the artist ever to be offered in Asia,” Christie's said in its introduction.
"'Les canots amarres' marks a vital stepping stone in his career," it said.
The painting is one of about 40 works Van Gogh developed around the scenic French town of Asnieres, a boating hub on the outskirts of Paris, during the summer of 1887.