SOTHEBY’S MAKES MOVE IN MIDDLE EAST; TURKEY ANNOUNCES VENICE PAVILION
Sotheby’s has announced plans to strengthen its presence in the Gulf of Arabia region, following in the footsteps of archrival auction house Christie’s, which held its first auction in Dubai last May, Carol Vogel reports for the New York Times. The company appointed Roxane Zand, an art adviser, to be director of Sotheby’s Middle East and Gulf Region. Although Sotheby’s executives said they had no immediate plans to hold sales in the Middle East, they intend to become involved in educational initiatives, sell jewelry there, and send highlights from coming sales to cities like Dubai.
In other news, Today’s Zaman reports that the Venice Biennale has allotted Turkey its first official pavilion. The pavilion, curated by Vasif Kortun (who also curated the ninth Istanbul Biennial), is to feature artworks by Aydan Murtezaoglu and Hüseyin Bahri Alptekin.
