London’s Middle Eastern art sales have defied tensions
about 5 months ago (12/07/2023)
London’s Middle Eastern art sales have defied tensions Art market Museums & heritage Exhibitions Books Podcasts Columns Technology Adventures with Van Gogh Search Search Israel-Hamas war news London’s Middle Eastern art sales have defied tensions Auction purchases by Arab cultural entities overcome early uncertainties of Israel-Hamas war Melissa Gronlund 7 December 2023 Share Samia Halaby’s Seventh Cross No. 229 (1969) sold for £300,000 (£381,000 with fees), triple its low estimate, at Sotheby’s 20th century art of the Middle East sale in London on 24 October Halaby: courtesy Sotheby’s The Middle Eastern and North Africa (MENA) art world breathed a sigh of relief on the evening of 9 November, after Christie’s two auctions of Middle Eastern Modern and contemporary work in London defied fears that the genre’s recent momentum might be halted by tensions over the Israel-Hamas war. The market had seemed unsettled on 24 October, when only 54% of the lots offered in Sotheby’s 20th century art of the Middle East sale in London found buyers.