#middle-eastern-art

#middle-eastern-art

Judging by recent auction records that have been set by numerous artists from the Arab world and conversations with curators of major collections across the globe, it seems that demand for Arab art has expanded beyond the region into Western and Eastern collections.

"It is very, very bad," says Saleh Barakat, who runs his eponymous gallery in Beirut. "You have a million people who are sleeping on the streets or who are in precarious accommodation in schools. It is everywhere around you." This quote powerfully highlights the current crisis in Lebanon, reflecting the stark realities faced by many amidst the ongoing conflicts, revealing how external events overshadowed the fair's celebration of art.