Art can bring aesthetic pleasure. On a social level, it can also act as a status symbol and – if you are shrewd about your purchases – can also prove to be a lucrative investment.
Many people feel daunted or overwhelmed by the prospect of going into an art gallery or an art fair to make their first purchase. Unless you know what you want, you could easily get confused and end up going home empty-handed.
Becoming an art collector doesn’t have to be an intimidating experience – from finding a gallery offering a range of affordable artworks to attending an auction.
Targeting the middle ground between fine-art pieces and mass-produced prints, Lumas Gallery is one of the newest outlets in Dubai and promises to change the way people think about buying art.
Founded in Germany in 1996, the brand has 36 boutiques around the world, with the ambition to “liberate art” from the constraints of hefty price tags and stuffy galleries, but at the same time delivering quality pieces.
Lumas offers a variety of works from 200 established artists, who are mostly photographers, as well as iconic images from historical archives, such as black and white film stars or the Vogue fashion catalogues.
The brand’s founders, who act more like curators, spend their time attending exhibitions, conventions and art fairs to keep abreast of the latest trends in the art market and identify new talent. They then strike a deal with these artists, securing an average of 100 editions of hand-signed originals, or more as unsigned open runs, enabling the gallery to offer affordable prices, starting from as little as Dh300.
“The beauty of this concept is that on one hand the old know- how of collecting in terms of selecting an artist is here,” says the Dubai gallery director, Nadia El Barka. “But the new part of it is that you have an accessible, lowered price tag because of the format we sell in. It is a bit like prêt-à-porter compared with haute couture.”
On the walls of the expansive space in Dubai International Financial Centre are images such as a stunning photograph of New York’s Times Square in the snow by French artist Christophe Jacrot, and the instantly recognisable images of Danish photographer Peter Funch, who captured thousands of brightly coloured balls bouncing down the streets of San Francisco for a Sony television campaign.
Sabine Wild, a German artist, has used a layering technique to capture several cityscapes including Dubai, and illustrator and painter Olaf Hajek has a series of fashion-based works depicting women with flowers growing from their heads.
“There is really something for everyone here,” says El Barka. “People come here and they don’t know where to start and they are shy. The brand is designed to break that ice so we get to know the client first. For each person it is an individual case and we help every person based on their requirements.”
Whether you are looking for something individual to decorate your home, something with emotional value or even investment opportunities, El Barka says she can help.
With artists such as Damien Hirst and Christo on the database, there is no doubt that you can get your hands on something rare – the prices can go up as high as Dh100,000. But in the general sense, Lumas is a great place to discover your own tastes – the style you like and the kind of art you are interested in buying. Once you know that, you can start to expand your portfolio.
• For more information visit www.lumas.com
aseaman@thenational.ae