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Christie’s Launches First International Auction House in Saudi Arabia

A special installation work for the artist Ahmed Mater commissioned by Wadi AlFann in AlUla. (Christie's)
A special installation work for the artist Ahmed Mater commissioned by Wadi AlFann in AlUla. (Christie's)
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Christie’s Launches First International Auction House in Saudi Arabia

A special installation work for the artist Ahmed Mater commissioned by Wadi AlFann in AlUla. (Christie's)
A special installation work for the artist Ahmed Mater commissioned by Wadi AlFann in AlUla. (Christie's)

Christie’s auction house announced the appointment of Nour Kelani as General Manager in Saudi Arabia, tasked with overseeing services for local clients. This follows Christie’s acquisition of a business license to operate in the Kingdom, making it the first international auction house in the country.

Dr. Ridha Moumni, Chairman of Christie’s for the Middle East and Africa, explained that the primary motivation behind opening their first office in Saudi Arabia stems from the notable growth in arts, culture, and economies in the region in recent years. He noted that Saudi Arabia has emerged as a key player in this growth, “and in light of these unique developments, we decided to establish an office here.”

Speaking on the local art scene, Moumni said: “The artistic and creative landscape in Saudi Arabia has always been strong, as evidenced by the production of exceptional works that reflect the country’s local traditions and its social and cultural issues, which have earned a prominent place on the international stage of modern and contemporary art.”

“Furthermore, Saudi Arabia is witnessing a new contemporary art renaissance, led by Saudi artists who draw from the nation’s rich heritage and benefit from the support of various artistic initiatives, institutions, and networks,” he added.

Moumni also pointed out that this move follows the success of the exhibition featuring works by Saudi artist Dr. Ahmed Mater, recently hosted by Christie’s in London, as well as their active participation in the Diriyah Contemporary Art Biennale this year. He added: “We have been preparing for this step for some time.”

Asked whether Christie’s upcoming exhibitions will be limited to Riyadh, he responded: “Our General Manager for Christie’s in the Kingdom will operate from our office in Riyadh, which will serve as a base for us to serve our clients in Saudi Arabia. Our representatives will travel across the country, and we will announce our plans for events and exhibitions at the appropriate time.”

He continued: “We will maintain our efforts to raise awareness on Arab art through our international platforms and our 46 offices worldwide. This global presence allows us to further promote artistic talent from the region. We are constantly evaluating our initiatives and planning future exhibitions to highlight the diverse and dynamic voices in the art community, and we look forward to our plans for 2025 in Riyadh and London.”

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Iran's Vast Collection of Western Art, Much Long Hidden, Re-Emerges Despite High Tensions With US

A woman walks past a portrait of the leader of the American Indian Movement Russell Means, right, by American artist Andy Warhol, as she visits an exhibition titled Eye to Eye which showcases over 120 works by modern world artists as well as Iranian painters at Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art, in Tehran, Thursday, Nov. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)
A woman walks past a portrait of the leader of the American Indian Movement Russell Means, right, by American artist Andy Warhol, as she visits an exhibition titled Eye to Eye which showcases over 120 works by modern world artists as well as Iranian painters at Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art, in Tehran, Thursday, Nov. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)
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Iran's Vast Collection of Western Art, Much Long Hidden, Re-Emerges Despite High Tensions With US

A woman walks past a portrait of the leader of the American Indian Movement Russell Means, right, by American artist Andy Warhol, as she visits an exhibition titled Eye to Eye which showcases over 120 works by modern world artists as well as Iranian painters at Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art, in Tehran, Thursday, Nov. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)
A woman walks past a portrait of the leader of the American Indian Movement Russell Means, right, by American artist Andy Warhol, as she visits an exhibition titled Eye to Eye which showcases over 120 works by modern world artists as well as Iranian painters at Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art, in Tehran, Thursday, Nov. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

As Iran faces increasing tensions with the West and turmoil at home, a new exhibition at the Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art is displaying Western artwork including pieces not seen by the public in at least a decade.
The unveiling of the exhibition “Eye to Eye” has drawn numerous women, their hair uncovered, to the underground galleries of the museum in Tehran's Laleh Park. Their presence, while unacknowledged by authorities, shows the way life has changed inside Iran just in the last few years even as the country's theocracy presses forward with enriching uranium to near-weapons grade levels and launching attacks on Israel during the ongoing Mideast wars, The Associated Press said.
“The first feeling that came to me, and I told my parents, was that I can’t believe I’m seeing these works, which have always been kept far from our eyes,” said Aida Zarrin, a young woman at the museum.
“If such events are held here and we can see artworks like the rest of the world, it’s enough. They are really precious.”
The government of Iran’s Western-backed shah, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, and his wife, the former Empress Farah Pahlavi, built the museum and acquired the vast collection in the late 1970s, when oil boomed and Western economies stagnated. Upon opening, it showed sensational works by Pablo Picasso, Mark Rothko, Claude Monet, Jackson Pollock and other heavyweights, enhancing Iran’s cultural standing on the world stage.
But just two years later, in 1979, Shiite clerics ousted the shah and packed away the art in the museum’s vault. Some paintings — cubist, surrealist, impressionist and even pop art — sat untouched for decades to avoid offending Islamic values and the appearance of catering to Western sensibilities. Nearly everything is believed still to be there, though an Andy Warhol print of the empress was slashed during the revolution.
Today, the collection is likely worth billions of dollars. Even with Iran now cash-strapped under Western sanctions, officials with the museum have been able to advocate for keeping the collection, though there have been occasional trades in the past for items from Persian history. Those sanctions may increase under the next administration of US President-elect Donald Trump.
As Iranian politics have thawed, re-frozen and thawed again, the collection resurfaces along with those changes.
Among the over 120 works being shown are ones from Picasso, Andy Warhol and Francis Bacon, along with celebrated Iranian artists. One of the Warhols, “Jacqueline Kennedy II,” is a silkscreen double image of the former US first lady in mourning after the 1963 assassination of her husband, President John Kennedy. Another Warhol portrait of Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger also garnered attention from the cellphone photo snappers.
“A lot of these works are important works in the history of art, and that’s why this show distinguishes itself from others,” said Jamal Arabzadeh, the exhibition's curator. ”A lot of people with less exposure to art have discovered the museum for the first time. ... We are seeing a part of the community that are discovering art and the museum and see the potential of this place, and this is something to be proud of.”
The presence of Western art comes as Iran's government has long fought against items like Barbie dolls and depictions of cartoon characters from “The Simpsons.” Such Western influences have been deemed un-Islamic in the past and have been seen as part of a “soft” cultural war against Iran.
With a ticket costing the equivalent of 14 US cents, the exhibition offers a rare government-sanctioned event not involving the country's politics or Shiite religion.
Among the visitors were many women defying the country's mandatory headscarf, or hijab, law. Crackdowns over the hijab have slowed down after Iran's presidential election in July that elected reformist President Masoud Pezeshkian, though individual cases of arrest continue to draw anger.
And for many, the cost of tickets to travel abroad given Iran's collapsing rial currency keep foreign museums out of reach.
“This is very attractive for art enthusiasts because not everyone can go and see museums abroad. It’s extremely exciting to see the works here,” said a woman who only gave her last name, Dolatshahi. “I had no idea I could see works by van Gogh and Picasso here.”