The interesting building that has arisen next to the Manarat al Saadiyat and Berklee Abu Dhabi in the Saadiyat Cultural District is Saadiyat’s only private art foundation – indeed, as far as we know the only one in Abu Dhabi with its own physical building. It’s the Bassam Freiha Art Foundation (BFAF), and will open its doors on 4 March with an exhibition that juxtaposes Western Orientalist art against works by Arab modernists.
BFAF was founded by Bassam Freiha – publishing magnate, diplomat, philanthropist and art collector. Born in Beirut and now a national of Belize, Bassam Said Freiha heads the family business, the leading Pan-Arab publisher Dar Assayad – Lebanon based but with offices in Dubai and Abu Dhabi as well as other Middle East and European locations to handle its mix of 11 news and special interest titles.
The Foundation aims to show rarely seen works drawn from private collections “locally, regionally, and internationally”. In addition to this exhibition programme, the Foundation promises “an extensive and inclusive programme of cultural and educational initiatives”. Details are to follow, but in particular the Foundation aims to support and nurture emerging talent (annual scholarships for young artists are apparently on the cards), to inspire dialogue, to foster art education and to promote public engagement with the arts. To that end we’re promised art history lectures, panel discussions, book launches, and artist-led workshops for children.
The opening show, Echoes of the Orient, is an example of the curating style and intent. The bulk of the works come from Freiha’s private collection, with loans from other collectors; he says his goal is for BFAF to be “a flagship space inspiring other collectors to share their masterpieces with the public and contribute to the thriving cultural scene in the region.
The curatorial aim is to offer a perspective into how the Middle East has been perceived, portrayed and romanticised over time, particularly in the depiction of femininity. As Prof Faredah Al-Murahhem notes: “Western Orientalists in the 19th century often fantasized about the harem and the veiled women, leading to a skewed understanding of the concept”, with paintings often presenting scenarios that were inauthentic or sensationalized from an Islamic viewpoint.
To challenge such stereotypes and in order to foster a deeper intercultural dialogue, the exhibition juxtaposes Western portrayals with works by Arab artists. So the bulk of the works are by the likes of Rudolphe Ernst, Léon Comerre, Jan-Baptist Huysmans and Fabio Fabbi; they come from the Bassam Freiha collection. And they’re showing with works by significant Arab modernists, including Habib Srour, Moustafa Faroukh, Tawfik Tarek, and early pieces by the noted Emirati artist Abdul Qader Al Rais; also there is a selection of 19th century photography from the Orientalist art movement by Gabriel Lékégian, Jean Pascal Sébah, Tancrede Dumas, and others. Most of these come from other collections.
“My collection reflects my personal journey, which was guided by the power of art to challenge prevailing narratives and its capacity to serve as a reflection of society,” said Bassam Freiha. “I hope the Foundation will inspire the next generation of art patrons and foster a culture of patronage, a critical element in the arts ecosystem.”
Director of Exhibitions at BFAF is Michaela Watrelot, who has curated Echoes of the Orient. Her CV includes a spell at Christies and a meticulous monograph on the fabled French banker and art collector Rudolf Kann, and recently she has given art history lecture courses at XVA in Dubai.
She said the juxtaposition of works in the show “aims to catalyse a meaningful West-East dialogue surrounding the Orientalist movement, promote critical thinking about the existing narrative ascribed to the Orientalist art, and foster a deeper understanding of cultural exchange”. As for the photographs, they provide “a visual bridge between the Orientalist fantasies captured in the paintings and the realities as viewed through the stylised lens of Western photographers”.
Echoes of the Orient will run alongside an exhibition in the Foundation’s annex gallery. Under the title Reclaiming Visions, it will feature photography by the US-based Iraqi-Palestinian artist Sama Alshaibi from her Carry Over series alongside poetic sculptures by Emirati artist Azza AlQubaisi, in dialogue with 19th century portrait photography from the Orientalist art movement by Alexandre Leroux, and Aram Alban.
“Alshaibi’s photographs, which employ the same albumen photogravure printing processes as 19th century photographer did, serve as a connection point between historical imagery and contemporary discourse and disrupt Western paradigms,” says the gallery. “As for AlQubaisi’s sculptures, they reinterpret the symbolism of the veil, a traditional woman’s head cover, within a modern context.”
Incidentally, the BFAF building was designed by Rasha Gebran of Abu Dhabi’s ADD Consultants, and it looks great – lots of glass, not too many places for sand to collect, a nice minimalism that majors on structural glass fins and structural concrete. It’s just what you’d want from an inspirational not-for-profit art foundation.
BFAF exhibitions are free and open to the public.
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