Vasari Art Codex

trending_up market schedule Mar 17, 2026 visibility 5 link 7 artists

From oil to canvas: Saudi Arabia’s emerging art economy

Saudi Arabia's art market reached a significant milestone with Sotheby’s second "Origins" auction in Riyadh, headlined by the $2.1 million sale of Safeya Binzagr’s painting "Coffee Shop in Madina Road." This record-breaking event, which nearly doubled its high estimate, underscores the rapid growth of the Kingdom’s art economy under the Vision 2030 plan. The auction saw a mix of local and international buyers, signaling that Saudi artists are increasingly being integrated into the global contemporary art dialogue.

newspaper arabnews.jp open_in_new Read original

museum exhibitions schedule Feb 25, 2026 visibility 3 link 2 artists, 2 galleries

bedayat beginnings of saudi art movement 2747952

The National Museum of Saudi Arabia in Riyadh has launched "Bedayat: Beginnings of Saudi Art Movement," a landmark survey exhibition documenting the evolution of the country’s art scene from the 1960s through the 1980s. Curated by Qaswra Hafez and commissioned by the Visual Arts Commission, the show features a vast array of paintings, sculptures, and never-before-seen archival materials. The exhibition is organized into three sections that explore the foundations of the movement, the influence of modernization on daily life, and the specific contributions of four modernist pioneers: Mohammed Al-Saleem, Safeya Binzagr, Mounirah Mosly, and Abdulhalim Radwi.

newspaper Artnet News open_in_new Read original

trending_up market schedule Feb 18, 2026 visibility 4 link 4 artists, 4 galleries

Sotheby’s “Origins II” Results Suggest Saudi Collectors Are Prioritizing Legacy

Sotheby's second auction in Saudi Arabia, 'Origins II,' achieved a total of $19.6 million, nearly doubling its low estimate. The sale, held in Diriyah, saw strong demand for Saudi and MENA artists, with a third of works sold to local collectors, signaling a shift from the previous year's reliance on international blue-chip art.

newspaper observer.com open_in_new Read original

trending_up market schedule Feb 5, 2026 visibility 2 link 6 artists, 7 galleries

ropac to open new york project space adaa new members industry moves 1234772389

Thaddaeus Ropac is opening a new project space in New York and has hired Emilio Steinberger as a senior director. Hauser & Wirth now represents artist Conny Maier in collaboration with Société in Berlin. Zippora Elders Tahalele has been appointed director of the Nederlands Fotomuseum. The Tulsa Artist Fellowship announced its 2026–28 cohort of ten artists and arts workers. The ADAA appointed four new board members: Elizabeth Feld, Bridget Moore, Yancey Richardson, and Melissa Timarchi. Sotheby's second sale in Saudi Arabia, 'Origins II,' totaled $19.6 million, with a record $2.1 million for Safeya Binzagr's work. The article also covers Art Basel Qatar's first edition, with comments from Sheikha Al-Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani and artistic director Wael Shawky.

newspaper ARTnews open_in_new Read original

museum exhibitions schedule Feb 5, 2026 visibility 2 link 3 artists, 5 galleries

Saudi Arabia looks to its Modern art history as the art world eyes up the Gulf

Saudi Arabia is actively showcasing its Modern art history through major exhibitions and sales. The 'Beginnings of Saudi Art Movement' at the National Museum in Riyadh features over 250 works by 73 artists from the 1960s-1980s, highlighting pioneering figures like Mounirah Mosly and Safeya Binzagr. Simultaneously, the Desert X AlUla exhibition is displaying monumental, long-unseen sculptures by Modernist artist Mohammed AlSaleem.

newspaper The Art Newspaper open_in_new Read original

trending_up market schedule Feb 3, 2026 visibility 3 link 15 artists, 2 galleries

Saudi painter Safeya Binzagr outshines Picasso at Sotheby’s second sale in Diriyah

Sotheby's second auction in Saudi Arabia, 'Origins II,' concluded with strong results, achieving a hammer total of $15.4 million and an 89% sell-through rate. The sale demonstrated robust demand for regional artists, particularly Arab Modernists, while some high-profile Western works were withdrawn or failed to sell. The standout lot was a 1968 painting by the late Saudi pioneer Safeya Binzagr, titled 'Coffee Shop in Madina Road,' which sold for $1.1 million, significantly outperforming a Picasso work in the same sale.

newspaper The Art Newspaper open_in_new Read original

trending_up market schedule Feb 2, 2026 visibility 1 link 6 artists, 2 galleries

Saudi Artist Breaks Record with $2m Sale at Sotheby’s Diriyah Auction

A painting by Saudi artist Safeya Binzagr, 'Coffee Shop in Madina Road' (1968), sold for $2.06 million at Sotheby's Origins II auction in Diriyah, shattering its high estimate of $200,000. The sale set a new auction record for Binzagr and is the third-highest price ever achieved by an Arab artist at auction.

newspaper Ocula open_in_new Read original

trending_up market schedule Feb 2, 2026 visibility 2 link 2 artists, 1 gallery

Who is Safeya Binzagr? Meet the Saudi artist who outsold Picasso

A painting by Saudi artist Safeya Binzagr, 'Coffee Shop in Madina Road' (1968), sold for $2.1 million at a Sotheby's auction in Riyadh, setting a new auction record for the artist. The sale price exceeded that of a work by Pablo Picasso sold at the same event, making it the third-highest price ever achieved for an Arab artist at auction in Saudi Arabia.

newspaper theweek.in open_in_new Read original

trending_up market schedule Jan 16, 2026 link 4 artists, 3 galleries

Sotheby’s Origins II Returns to Riyadh

Sotheby’s is returning to Riyadh for the second edition of its Origins sale, titled Origins II, with a live auction scheduled for 31 January. The sale will feature over 70 lots spanning Modern and Contemporary Art, Ancient Sculpture, and 20th-Century Design, including works by Saudi pioneer Safeya Binzagr, Iraqi artist Mahmoud Sabri, and Pablo Picasso. The auction coincides with the Diriyah Contemporary Art Biennale and the debut of Art Basel Doha, and will be preceded by a public exhibition at Diriyah’s Bujairi Terrace from 24 to 31 January.

newspaper Dubai Sotheby's International Realty open_in_new Read original