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This
status-obsessed Gulf city notched another
milestone Wednesday as international auction
house Christie's pulled off the Middle East's
first major international art auction, selling
paintings by Indian artists for more than
a half-million dollars apiece, among total
sales that reached $8.5 million (euro6.7
million). A handful of American works changed
hands too, with Andy Warhol's black-and-white
"Double Mona Lisa," reaping US$163,200 (euro128,000).
The auction also featured the first-ever
major sale of contemporary Middle Eastern
art, much of which garnered record prices
in lively bidding. A cartoon-like 1979 painting
titled "Numbers" by India's Rameshwar Broota
was the night's star, fetching US$912,000
(euro715,000) amid heavy applause. The auction
nearly doubled Christie's expectations of
raising US$4.5 million (euro3.5 million),
much of which came from pocketbooks of Indian
expatriates and oil-rich Gulf royals. Most
buyers chose to remain anonymous. Works
included abstract paintings, calligraphy,
photographs and sculptures from Iraq, Iran,
India, Libya, Syria and Saudi Arabia as
well as those of western artists. Among
those commanding the highest bids were modern
paintings from India's Progressive Artists
Group, which was formed just after Indian
independence from British rule in 1947.
Syed Haider Raza's painting "Sourya (Sun),"
a row of three earthy shapes ranging from
light to dark, reaped US$520,000 (euro408,000),
while his jumbled "Ciel Bleu" landscape
sold for US$330,000 (euro259,000). Francis
Newton Souza's violently brushstroked paintings
were among the top draws. His 1960's "Green
Landscape" sold for US$216,000 (euro170,000)
and 1958's "Monsoon" for US$285,000 (euro224,000),
while his gentler "Goa Landscape" brought
US$174,000 (euro136,000). In March, Christie's
auction of 120 Indian works in New York
brought in US$15.6 million (euro12.1 million).
On Wednesday, Middle Eastern artists appeared
poised to follow the sales boom in Indian
paintings. Works by Egyptian artist Ahmed
Moustafa, including "Orbits of Praise,"
selling for US$240,000 (euro188,000), and
"Where Two Oceans Meet," which sold for
double the expected price, going after a
flurry of rising bids for US$285,000 (euro223,000).
Courtesy:
www.financialexpress.com, May 27, 2006
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Indian
theatre personality Ebrahim Alkazi will
be honored at an international theatre festival
in Dhaka to commemorate the centennial death
anniversary of eminent Norwegian playwright
Henrik Johan Ibsen. Alkazi will be honored
for outstanding contribution to theatre
along with Norway's Terje Maerli at the
11-day 'Ibsen Commemoration '06' festival
beginning on Wednesday. The festival will
combine theatre performances, painting exhibitions
and discussions and staging of one-act plays
by troupes from different universities,
the Daily Star reported. Besides these events,
scholars and theatre practitioners from
Asia, Europe and Africa will participate
in the International Ibsen Conference. Norwegian
author Merete Morken Andersen will present
the keynote address, Convenor of the festival
Kamaluddin Nilu, also general secretary
of Centre for Asian Theatre (CAT), said:
"Seventy three countries are celebrating
Ibsen Commemoration '06 to observe the death
centennial of Henrik Ibsen. And 'Ibsen Commemoration
'06 in Bangladesh' is the biggest of its
kind in Asia. CAT in association with Bangladesh
Shilpakala Academy and supported by Royal
Norwegian Embassy is organizing the festival."
Ibsen (1828-1906) is known for his satirical
plays. "Hedda Gabler" and "A Doll's House"
are among his well-known plays.
Courtesy:
The Times of India, May 07, 2006
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