Sotheby's Holds First Abu Dhabi Fine Art Auction, 'Breaking Ground', on December 10

Sotheby's will hold its first fine art auction in Abu Dhabi on December 10, a sale titled Breaking Ground at the Saadiyat Grove Experience Center on Saadiyat Island.

ARTnews reported that the sale is part of the second edition of Sotheby's Collectors' Week, which also includes cars, jewelry, watches, high-performance bicycles and handbags on December 9. According to ARTnews, the title is a nod to how the city has been “forged from the ground up,” per a release. Gulf News described Breaking Ground as the auction house's first international fine art sale in the emirate.

Key numbers

• 21 — lots Sotheby's has confirmed so far, per ARTnews
• $6.54 million — the sale's low estimate as of now, per ARTnews
• $9.08 million — the sale's high estimate as of now, per ARTnews
• $2 million to $3 million — estimate for Andy Warhol's Ads (1985), per ARTnews
• $2 million to $2.6 million — estimate for Claude Monet's Prunes et Abricots (1882–85), per ARTnews
• December 4 — date public exhibitions open at the venue, per Gulf News

ARTnews said Sotheby's expects to add more lots before December. The National reported that Sotheby's will release further details of the lots in November, and that exhibition dates and visiting hours were not included in the announcement. Gulf News, by contrast, reported that public exhibitions open on December 4.

The National reported that the Monet work was painted between 1882 and 1885 and commissioned by his art dealer, Paul Durand-Ruel, for his apartment drawing room in Paris. Both The National and Gulf News said the sale includes a drawing by Christo of the Abu Dhabi Mastaba, a proposed artwork in the Liwa desert conceived by Christo and Jeanne-Claude. They also named Emirati pioneers Mohamed Ahmed Ibrahim and Hassan Sharif among the artists, and said Nujoom Al-Ghanem and Nasser Al-Yousif will be introduced to auction for the first time. Gulf News listed works by women artists including Huguette Caland, Inji Efflatoun, Fahrelnissa Zeid, Najat Makki, Mona Saudi, Gazbia Sirry, Zarina and Etel Adnan.

Katia Boueiz, head of Sotheby's UAE and chairman, Middle East, told The National: “There will definitely be eyes on this sale from around the world, not just our clients based in the UAE, which makes it all the more important to curate a cohesive mix of art from the region and beyond.” She told ARTnews that the sale establishes Abu Dhabi as an “important destination on the international art market calendar.” She also told ARTnews that bidding from the Middle East has risen “nearly 70 percent” over the past five years.

Mohammed Hafiz, cofounder of the Jeddah-based ATHR Gallery, told ARTnews the decision is both cultural and commercial. Philip Hoffman, chairman and founder of the Fine Art Group, told ARTnews that most of his big collectors will be in Abu Dhabi in December.

ARTnews and The National said the sale falls a day before the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi opening. The National put that opening on December 11 and said Christie's holds its first fine art auction in the city on November 1, before the inaugural Frieze Abu Dhabi from November 19 to 22.