Conversations | From the ground up: What does it take to build an art market?

Описание: Mohammed Hafiz, Cofounder and CEO, ATHR Gallery, Jeddah
Isabelle de Caters, gallerist, Dubai
Sadie Coles, art dealer, London
Moderator: Coline Milliard, Executive Editor, Art Basel

Gallerists are market-makers. Whether they operate in established art hubs or actively shape them, every gallerist nurtures a unique network of collectors, patrons, and institutional supporters that is essential to the flourishing of the artists they champion. But what does it take to build a market? Are there constants equally relevant from Riyadh to London? How has the process evolved in the last two decades – and what can we learn from this evolution? In this panel, gallerists and cultural leaders Mohammed Hafiz, Isabelle de Caters, and Sadie Coles drew on their experience to discuss the fundamental role galleries play in shaping art ecosystems, and, crucially, how they created their own.

Mohammed Hafiz is a leading patron and advocate of Saudi contemporary art whose visionary efforts have helped shape the cultural landscape of the kingdom and elevate its presence on the global stage. In 2009, he cofounded ATHR Gallery with Hamza Serafi, now widely recognized as among the most influential contemporary art spaces in Saudi Arabia and the region. In 2014, Hafiz cofounded the Saudi Art Council and in 2022, Hafiz and Serafi launched the ATHR Foundation to support artists and enrich cultural infrastructure across Saudi Arabia.

Isabelle de Caters is a gallerist based in Dubai whose practice is rooted in long-term commitment to artists and cultural infrastructure. She established her eponymous gallery in Alserkal Avenue in 2010, with a clear vision to promote artists from the Middle East whose practices challenge outdated narratives and offer new perspectives on contemporary life and society. The gallery’s curatorial and cultural commitment foregrounds inclusive, collaborative practices, and community engagement through talks, performances, and thematic group exhibitions.

Sadie Coles opened her London-based gallery in 1997 and it now spans three locations in central London. The gallery represents over 50 established and emerging international artists. The inaugural exhibition of new paintings by John Currin was shown in parallel with an off-site show by British artist Sarah Lucas and in recent years artists such as Arthur Jafa, Meriem Bennani, Lisa Brice, Helen Marten, and Martine Syms have joined the program.

Coline Milliard is the executive editor at Art Basel, where she oversees the editorial strategy and its implementation, as well as the Conversations program worldwide. Over the last 15 years, she has held several senior editorial positions including at artnet News and Modern Painters, and has written extensively about art across all sections of the market. Milliard has lectured at London’s Royal College of Art and Chelsea College of Arts and holds postgraduate degrees from the Royal College of Art and the Sorbonne in Paris.

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