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Art Week Exhibitions & Programmes

The Farjam Foundation Welcomes UAE's Art Week with International Exhibitions, Panel Discussion in Dubai and Abu Dhabi

Opening of Farhad Moshiri's retrospective, panel debate with major museum executives and Abu DHabi exhibition highlight the scope and reach of The Farjam Foundation as a leading arts education platform

The Farjam Foundation @ DIFC is welcoming the UAE's Art Week initiative with a broad programme that includes a ground-breaking solo exhibition of works by artist Farhad Moshiri as well as a panel discussion with leading museum authorities and a collaboration in Abu Dhabi to showcase pieces from artists working in France over the last century.

All of the works on view in the exhibition are drawn from the private colleciton of Farhad Farjam, Founder of The Farjam Foundation.  "Unlike the title of the exhibition, my relationship with Farhad Moshiri's art could be described as love at first sight.  For years now, I have witness Farhad's career develop with admiration and amazement, each of his works a further testimony to his extraordinary talent.  Many of those I was not fortunate enough to include in my collection found their place in some of the most prestigious national and private museums around the world.  Farhad has become immortal through his art, which will be a major source of joy and learning for future generations.  Art appreciation and education have been priorities of The Farjam Foundation.  This exhibition offers regional and international audiences the opportunity to discover the full breadth of Farhad's awe-inspiring oeuvre; our panel discussion on March 15th with three preeminent museum decision-makers about the vital importance of art institutions in the region underscores the commitment and enthusiasm that our organization espouses toward non-commercial arts initiatives in the Middle East," said Mr Farhad Farjam. 

As part of the opening ceremony The Farjam Foundation raised runds for Dubai Cares, a philanthropic establishment launched in September 2007 by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to improve children's access to quality primary education in developing countries, through a limited edition of 100 catalogues made and signed by the artist with 5 artist proofs.

Moshiri explains: "The idea behind this object/Concept Catalog is to bring together two sources of inspiration that re-occur in my work: The puzzled-out book for hiding small but precious personal belongings which led to my (FLYING CARPET) installation and the Peg Board toy that all of us have, at one point in our childhood, played with, that formed my (FLUFFY FRIENDS) painting series.  I am honoured that Dubai Cares has accepted our small but sincere gift and I invite everyone to join us with their support starting with the opening of LOVE IS NOT EVERYTHING." These catalogues, each of them unique, are offered in exchange for a donation, with all proceeds going to the philanthropic establishment.  The catalogues will remain available throughout the exhibition's three-month run.

LOVE IS NOT EVERYTHING marks the first worldwide retrospective of celebrated Iranian artist Farhad Moshiri's career to date.  Renowned for his highly textural, hybrid artworks, which link traditional Iranian art forms with more international pop-culture elements, Farhad Moshiri's retrospective is a must-see exhibition.

On Tuesday, 15 March from 11am - 12.30pm at DIFC's Centre of Excellence Auditorium, three leading museum executives spoke on a panel discussion entitled Beyond the Market: Art Institutions in the Region Today. Sharing their perspectives on the future of non-commercial art venues in the Middle East were Richard Armstrong, Director of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation, and Roger Mandle, Executive Director of the Qatar Museums Authority (QMA), in a conversation moderated by Hans Ulrich Obrist, Co-Director of the Serpentine Gallery in London.

Also from 15 March, The Farjam Foundation, in collaboration with the Hafiz Foundation, supports Landscapes and Cosmologies: An exhibition of masterpieces by artists in France, as part of Abu Dhabi International Book Fair.  Hosted at ADNEC until 20 March, the exhibition will include works created during the last century by artists such as Antoni Tapies, Pierre Bonnard and Eduardo Chillida.

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