MENART FAIR
After ten successful years of Beirut Art Fair in Lebanon, Laure d’Hauteville joins forces with Paul de Rosen and launches MENART FAIR, whose artistic director is Joanna Chevalier. MENART FAIR is the first international modern and contemporary art fair dedicated to artists from the Middle East and North Africa. For this first edition, some twenty leading international galleries are gathered during four days in Cornette de Saint Cyr auction house in Paris. The new fair has chosen a confidential 4-day format to showcase an edgy selection of artworks by artists from Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, Israel, Jordan, Iraq, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen. MENART FAIR surely is a great opportunity for European collectors and art enthusiasts to discover and get to know the rich artistic scene of these regions.
Laure d’Hauteville shares her views!
Founding Director
MENART FAIR 2023
Location
Palais d’Iéna
9 place d’Iéna
75016 Paris
France
Dates
15 – 17 September 2023
Entrance Fee
General Admission: Free
Under registration
Insights MENART FAIR
Laure d’Hauteville
Founding Director
What would you say is the DNA of MENART FAIR?
MENART FAIR is the first international modern and contemporary art fair, dedicated to artists from the Middle East & North Africa, selected by must-see galleries. Unprecedented in the West, this first fair (face-to-face & on-line) exhibits artistic scenes that are sometimes unknown to European collectors and amateurs. It creates a dialogue between the different cultures of these regions, which are as rich as they are distinct from one another. Through the selection of participating galleries, MENART FAIR highlights the fertility, uniqueness and originality of the artistic scenes of MENA, today supported by a number of renowned museums and institutions. The Routes of Art are called upon to lead us to these transversal and little-known lands… The editorial choice of the first edition of MENART FAIR is determined by its name, “MENA” (for Middle East / North Africa). MENART FAIR is an unprecedented fair which presents a geographically localized scene, comprising the countries of the Maghreb, the Levant and the Gulf, including Iran. Full of their cultural, historical and structural diversities, the 19 countries concerned are creative breeding grounds of intense artistic richness. They are part of their own cultural tradition nourished by their own history. MENART FAIR wishes to share and report through this Parisian event, the dynamism and cultural effervescence of MENA.
What type of galleries are chosen to exhibit, and why?
The fair will feature 22 galleries from 13 countries, selected for their artistic relevance. Only artists from MENA regions are allowed to be exhibited at MENART FAIR. Some of these artists living in the West have the recognition of institutions and collectors as well as real rating on the international art market, such as Mona Hatoum, Kader Attia, Etel Adnan, Youssef Nabil, Nabil Nahas, Simone Fattal, Ahmed Mater, Joana Hadjithomas & Khalil Joreige, to name a few. MENART FAIR will allow the discovery of around sixty artists, including some established from the 50s, 60s, 70s, such as Mohamed Hamidi, Hamed Abdalla, Hussein Madi and a large number of contemporary artists, often unknown in France. Middle Eastern art bridges the cultural gap between East and West. From Saudi Arabia, the ATHR gallery is a precursor of the contemporary scene, and Mono Gallery is a young rising and dynamic gallery. From Tunisia, Elmarsa Gallery attracts with works of great modernity. From Jordan Wadi Finan Art Gallery always relevant in its selection. From Lebanon, Mark Hachem representing established artists, Saleh Barakat discoverer of talents, Galerie Tanit doyenne of the country’s galleries and Galerie Cheriff Tabet, specialized in artists of the Lebanese diaspora, but also, Nada Debs studio designer recognized internationally. From Iran, SHIRIN ART GALLERY defends an emerging scene as well as Eiwan al Gassar Gallery from Qatar. From Morocco, LA GALERIE 38 offers a daring choice. From the United Arab Emirates, Leila Heller Gallery makes a bridge between East and West. In addition, European and international galleries such as GALLERIA CONTINUA, Galerie Nathalie Obadia, GALERIE BESSIERES, Esther Woerdehoff, ATELIER RELIEF, as well as a young generation of emerging French galleries: 193 GALLERY, AYN GALLERY, By Lara Sedbon x Durazzo Projects and Galerie La La Lande.
What is the price range of pieces? Who is the average buyer?
The prices of the art works are from €1.000 to €400.000 and the average price is around €10.000.
“Through the selection of participating galleries, MENART FAIR highlights the fertility, uniqueness and originality of the artistic scenes of MENA.”
Hamza Bounoua (Algérie), Untitled, 2009, techniques mixtes sur papier, 78 x 75 cm
Who is the typical attendee of MENART FAIR?
Many of our galleries from the Middle East have never exhibited in France before. These galleries trust us and need to be “accompanied”. Most of them already know us because they have exhibited at BEIRUT ART FAIR in previous years. MENART FAIR is a small art fair (boutique art fair) with a rich selection of artists, both rising on the international scene and others to discover.
What strategy – physical as digital – will you adopt in medium to long term?
The fair will be in person, by reservation only in order to respect the sanitary conditions. It will also be online to allow people who can’t travel or go to the fair to discover our artists. We are also organizing a panel of conferences, by zoom, to allow everyone to view them several times. We also have a VIP program, outside the walls with guided tours through different places in Paris, dedicated to ME.NA. We are a fair, young and dynamic, full of life and excitement, like the countries of the Maghreb, the Middle East, the Gulf countries and Iran. To come to MENART FAIR is to make a beautiful artistic journey, from Morocco to Lebanon, from Jordan to Saudi Arabia, and from the United Emirates and Qatar to Yemen.
What are two other art fairs you would suggest?
Of course, BEIRUT ART FAIR when it will be possible, MENART FAIR in Brussels (soon) and I love, 1.54 and Art Dubai !
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Photo cover at @brugier_rigail_galerie and first scene at @malagacha_gallery with @svengraffiti
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