"Many dealers said that their priority for the debut was making new connections, but what's an art fair without sales? Rest assured, some deals were confirmed during the first two VIP days, on Tuesday and Wednesday, though they took a while. "I'm really happy with this fair," said London dealer Niru Ratnam, who placed Kutlug Ataman's 22-screen video installation Mesopotamian Dramaturgies / The Stream (2022) with an institution on Wednesday for $250,000."
"Up to this point, the Gulf has been known for a few big (mostly royal) collectors, like Qatar's ruling family, the Al Thanis, who have been filling ambitious state-led museums for the last two decades. The inimitable art impresario Sheikha Al-Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, chairperson of Qatar Museums (QM), was extremely visible during the fair's VIP days."
Art Basel Qatar opened with booth-less, single-artist presentations and a noticeably different sales pace. Dealers prioritized making new connections rather than immediate transactions. Some sales were confirmed during the first two VIP days, including a $250,000 institutional purchase of Kutlug Ataman's 22-screen video installation. Major galleries presented high-value works, including Philip Guston paintings priced between $9.5 million and $14 million. Qatar's ruling family and Qatar Museums were highly visible, with QC+ partnering the fair and exhibitors reporting signals of institutional interest. Several works are slated for addition to the Art Mill Museum collection due to open in 2030.
Read at Artnet News
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