It will be one showcase of all that the luxury contains, from'modern and contemporary art to Islamic objects, Jewelry, watches, cars, sports memorabilia, bags and much more. Before the sale, the lots of Origins will be exhibited in a free public exhibition, open from February 1st to 8th, in a week of celebration of art, luxury and culture.
Auction and exhibition in the heart of Diriyah
The auction and exhibition will be set up in the historic Diriyah, the ancestral heart of the nation, where the first Saudi state was inaugurated just under two decades before Sotheby's was founded in 1744. Today, Diriyah is at the heart of the Kingdom's evolution into a world-class cultural hub and has hosted a plethora of dynamic, vibrant and high-profile events since its opening, while remaining deeply committed to conservation efforts. The auction follows the official incorporation of Sotheby's in Saudi Arabia late last year, and will be complemented by the opening of an office in Riyadh's historic Al Faisaliah Tower (designed by Norman Foster and famous for being the first skyscraper built in the country). Together, this marks the next step in Sotheby's ongoing and long-term commitment to the region.
Sotheby's and its commitment to the ecosystem in the Gulf
Sotheby's has a long history of supporting the cultural ecosystem and its infrastructure in the Gulf,
supported by a commitment to investing in educational outreach and cultural diversification, dialogue and awareness. Sotheby's lent its support to the Kingdom's first Contemporary Art Biennale in 2022 and last year's inaugural Islamic Arts Biennale in Jeddah. On both occasions, it shared its expertise through a series of panel discussions, lectures and guided tours led by international specialists who travelled to the region for the occasion. Collaborated with the Diriyah Biennale Foundation for the 2024 edition, hosting a series of dynamic lectures and workshops as part of its public programming. In 2013, it hosted the first ever highlights exhibition in Saudi Arabia by an international organization. auction house and in 2017 held the first charity auction in the Kingdom. In September 2022, it participated in the Riyadh International Book Fair (RIBF), a major cultural event in the Arab cultural calendar and one of the most attended and diverse cultural programs to take place in the region. Sotheby’s has a number of industry experts exhibiting a specially curated selection of exceptional books, manuscripts, photographs and objects. On May 15, Sotheby’s auctioneer Gareth Jones took to the podium for a charity auction in Riyadh ahead of the highly anticipated “Ring of Fire” boxing match. Part of the Riyadh 2024 season, the “Ring of Fire” was an epic showdown between two of the world’s greatest boxers, undisputed heavyweight champions Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk. To commemorate the match, His Excellency, Chairman of the General Entertainment Authority, Turki Al Alshikh, commissioned four unique watches from luxury brand Jacob & Co.: one for himself, one for each fighter, and one that was auctioned off to raise money for the Make a Wish Foundation. In August, Sotheby’s hosted “Hafla,” a one-of-a-kind month-long exhibition on London’s New Bond Street, celebrating Middle Eastern culture from art to jewelry, food to fashion. At its core was “Khamseen,” an exhibition featuring fifty artworks spanning the last fifty years of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s visual cultural scene (1965-2015), curated in collaboration with Qaswra Hafez and Hafez Gallery. Featuring paintings, sculptures, and installations, the exhibition began with the early stages of modern art in the Kingdom by introducing the pioneers of the 60s and 70s. With a focus on painting, these artists also established early exhibitions and studios for future generations. Later, artists working between the 1980s and late 90s explored different subjects using the same medium as their predecessors. With the arrival of the Internet in the early 2000s, a new, young group of artists began to experiment with various media and shifted their focus outward. Artists in the spotlight included: Dia Aziz Dia, Mohammed Al Saleem, Abdulhalim Radwi, Adulrahman Al Soliman, Mounirah Mosly and Dana Awartani, among others. Last October, Sotheby's London offered a number of Saudi works by Hafla from its semi-annual Modern and Contemporary Middle East auction.
