Perrotin launches first Middle Eastern gallery in Dubai with works by Takashi Murakami


Hareth Al Bustani
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Perrotin is launching its first gallery in the Middle East with a pair of exhibitions from Japanese pop art legend Takashi Murakami and Canadian painter Jason Boyd Kinsella.

With spaces in Paris, Hong Kong, New York, Seoul, Tokyo and Shanghai, Emmanuel Perrotin’s eponymous gallery now hopes to build stronger in-roads into the Arab world.

Perrotin says the gallery, which opens in Dubai on Friday, is always keen to bring its artists’ voices to new audiences. He adds: “The whole region is developing projects around art, and we want our artists to be able to participate in them".

To mark the occasion, Perrotin is exhibiting a series of works by Murakami, offering a sweeping introduction into his vast body of work. Perrotin explains: “I met Takashi Murakami almost 30 years ago: he is an artist I deeply admire. In my view, Takashi is not only one of the most important artists of his time, but also a mentor for a whole generation of artists and creatives.”

Murakami's exhibition is so ambitious, Perrotin partnered with ICD Brookfield Place to display the works in its larger space.
Murakami's exhibition is so ambitious, Perrotin partnered with ICD Brookfield Place to display the works in its larger space.

For his first UAE exhibition, Murakami curated a selection of his works, opening up with a series of sculptures themed around his character, Mr Dob — initially inspired by Mickey Mouse, alongside the Japanese characters Doraemon and Sonic the Hedgehog.

The artist says he hopes the exhibition will be a good starting point for UAE art lovers keen to explore his work.

The Murakami.Flowers project combines his distinctive "Superflat" style with retro Japanese video game aesthetics. The exhibition also includes his robotic Arhat sculpture, which reimagines the artist as one of the Arhats, the clairvoyant disciples of the Buddha.

Murakami is among the world’s most celebrated contemporary artists, frequently compared in ambition and influence to fellow pop art pioneer, Andy Warhol. His collaborations with Louis Vuitton, Kanye West and Drake, have proved revolutionary. His "Superflat" style draws on traditional Japanese paintings and contemporary pop culture, presented through intentionally kitsch sculptures and two-dimensional paintings, which are set against Western aesthetics, and deconstruct hierarchies of high and lowbrow material.

Perrotin is also unveiling a group presentation, with works by Keith Haring, Damien Hirst, Yves Klein, Yayoi Kusama and more. While these works are on show at Perrotin’s new DIFC space, the Murakami and Boyd Kinsella exhibitions are so sweeping in scope that the gallery decided to partner with ICD Brookfield, which is hosting these showcases within its own larger premises a short walk away.

The opening also featured a series of works by Canadian artist, Jason Boyd Kinsella. Photo: Jason Kinsella
The opening also featured a series of works by Canadian artist, Jason Boyd Kinsella. Photo: Jason Kinsella

ICD Brookfield Place’s curator of arts and culture, Malak Abu-Qaoud, says the exhibitions from the masters will complement ongoing efforts to support local artists. “ICD Brookfield Place Arts programme will always seek to champion and nurture local talent, but we also look to foster community and create a cultural ecosystem. We are delighted to have this opportunity to do that and to offer the space to showcase these extraordinary works to a broad, local audience."

Hosting Murakami and Boyd Kinsella, she says, is “like a dream come true”. Abu-Qaoud adds: “In a way, it gives us even bigger platform, when we work with younger, regional emerging or established artists, because they’re then associated with artists like Murakami or Boyd Kinsella.”

Vanessa Clairet, director of communications and development at Perrotin, says Murakami's exhibition represents not just the history of his own career, but that of the gallery too.

"Takashi is really part of the gallery's history — we've worked with him since 1993. So it's more than a representation, it's a friendship, and he's also a big part of the development of the gallery," says Clairet.

The partnership with ICD Brookfield Place has allowed Perrotin to arrive in the region with a strong statement, she says. Dubai, she adds, is the “perfect” place to set up a permanent gallery in the Middle East.

“There are so many art initiatives and culture and art lovers. We want to bring artists also to this new audience and create new opportunities in the region for them.”

Scroll through images of Abu Dhabi Art 2022 below

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Iftar programme at the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding

Established in 1998, the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding was created with a vision to teach residents about the traditions and customs of the UAE. Its motto is ‘open doors, open minds’. All year-round, visitors can sign up for a traditional Emirati breakfast, lunch or dinner meal, as well as a range of walking tours, including ones to sites such as the Jumeirah Mosque or Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood.

Every year during Ramadan, an iftar programme is rolled out. This allows guests to break their fast with the centre’s presenters, visit a nearby mosque and observe their guides while they pray. These events last for about two hours and are open to the public, or can be booked for a private event.

Until the end of Ramadan, the iftar events take place from 7pm until 9pm, from Saturday to Thursday. Advanced booking is required.

For more details, email openminds@cultures.ae or visit www.cultures.ae

 

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Starring: Lamar Faden, Khairiah Nathmy, Nawaf Al-Dhufairy

Director: Shahad Ameen

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How to keep control of your emotions

If your investment decisions are being dictated by emotions such as fear, greed, hope, frustration and boredom, it is time for a rethink, Chris Beauchamp, chief market analyst at online trading platform IG, says.

Greed

Greedy investors trade beyond their means, open more positions than usual or hold on to positions too long to chase an even greater gain. “All too often, they incur a heavy loss and may even wipe out the profit already made.

Tip: Ignore the short-term hype, noise and froth and invest for the long-term plan, based on sound fundamentals.

Fear

The risk of making a loss can cloud decision-making. “This can cause you to close out a position too early, or miss out on a profit by being too afraid to open a trade,” he says.

Tip: Start with a plan, and stick to it. For added security, consider placing stops to reduce any losses and limits to lock in profits.

Hope

While all traders need hope to start trading, excessive optimism can backfire. Too many traders hold on to a losing trade because they believe that it will reverse its trend and become profitable.

Tip: Set realistic goals. Be happy with what you have earned, rather than frustrated by what you could have earned.

Frustration

Traders can get annoyed when the markets have behaved in unexpected ways and generates losses or fails to deliver anticipated gains.

Tip: Accept in advance that asset price movements are completely unpredictable and you will suffer losses at some point. These can be managed, say, by attaching stops and limits to your trades.

Boredom

Too many investors buy and sell because they want something to do. They are trading as entertainment, rather than in the hope of making money. As well as making bad decisions, the extra dealing charges eat into returns.

Tip: Open an online demo account and get your thrills without risking real money.

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What are NFTs?

Are non-fungible tokens a currency, asset, or a licensing instrument? Arnab Das, global market strategist EMEA at Invesco, says they are mix of all of three.

You can buy, hold and use NFTs just like US dollars and Bitcoins. “They can appreciate in value and even produce cash flows.”

However, while money is fungible, NFTs are not. “One Bitcoin, dollar, euro or dirham is largely indistinguishable from the next. Nothing ties a dollar bill to a particular owner, for example. Nor does it tie you to to any goods, services or assets you bought with that currency. In contrast, NFTs confer specific ownership,” Mr Das says.

This makes NFTs closer to a piece of intellectual property such as a work of art or licence, as you can claim royalties or profit by exchanging it at a higher value later, Mr Das says. “They could provide a sustainable income stream.”

This income will depend on future demand and use, which makes NFTs difficult to value. “However, there is a credible use case for many forms of intellectual property, notably art, songs, videos,” Mr Das says.

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups

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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Updated: November 28, 2022, 10:31 AM