Sotheby’s Collectors’ Week Returns to Abu Dhabi With Fine Art Auction

Sotheby’s is expanding its Collectors’ Week programme in Abu Dhabi with a second edition that will introduce the emirate’s first international fine art auction, bringing works by Andy Warhol and Claude Monet to Saadiyat Island alongside pieces by leading artists from the Middle East.

Titled ‘Breaking Ground’, the fine art auction will take place on December 10th, with public exhibitions opening on December 4th. The wider programme will also include panel discussions, masterclasses and events featuring artists, cultural figures and experts from the region and beyond.

Among the works being auctioned is Andy Warhol’s 'Ads' portfolio from 1985, created two years before his death and reflecting his interest in fashion, film, glamour and celebrity culture. The auction will also feature paintings by Mohamed Ahmed Ibrahim and Hassan Sharif, two artists who helped shape the UAE’s contemporary art scene.

One of the works with a more direct connection to the region is a drawing by Christo depicting the Abu Dhabi Mastaba, a proposed monumental public artwork planned for the Liwa desert. Developed by Christo and his late collaborator Jeanne-Claude, the project was intended to be their final work.

Women artists are also well represented, with works by Huguette Caland, Jadé Fadojutimi, Inji Efflatoun, Fahrelnissa Zeid, Najat Makki, Mona Saudi, Gazbia Sirry, Zarina and Etel Adnan. The auction will also introduce Emirati artist Nujoom Al Ghanem and Bahraini artist Nasser Al-Yousif to the auction market for the first time.

“We wanted to pay tribute to the emirate’s position as a global destination for art, culture and collecting,” said Yasmeen Gailani, Sotheby’s Specialist and Head of Sales for Breaking Ground. She also highlighted the auction’s focus on introducing collectors to artists they may be less familiar with, particularly female artists, some of whom are making their auction debuts.

Collectors’ Week will also feature five luxury auctions on December 9th, covering handbags, watches, jewellery, high-performance bicycles and cars. The watch auction will feature around 50 pieces from the ‘Shapes of Cartier’ single-owner collection, which set records at Sotheby’s auctions in Hong Kong and Geneva earlier this year.

The jewellery selection includes a fancy brown-orange diamond weighing more than 40 carats, alongside a necklace adorned with rubies and diamonds. Meanwhile, the car auction is set to feature several Ferrari models, including a 2009 Ferrari Scuderia Spider 16M presented in its launch colours and a Swiss-delivered 2004 Ferrari 360 Challenge Stradale.

The six auctions will take place at the Saadiyat Grove Experience Center on Saadiyat Island, close to Louvre Abu Dhabi and the island’s growing collection of cultural institutions, including Zayed National Museum and Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi.