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Abu Dhabi gets rare glimpse of Soviet-era artwork

Abu Dhabi - A billionaire's collection gives a sneak peek into Russian history

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Artists, architects, ambassadors and royals thronged the Emirates Palace on Tuesday night to get a first glance of monumental Russian art collection.
Andrey Vasilievich Filatov, billionaire entrepreneur and founder of Art Russe, has for the first time exhibited his coveted art collection "20th Century Russian and Soviet Art: War and Peace" in the heart of the UAE's capital city on Tuesday.

Let cultures blend, says Louvre architect Abu Dhabi - According to French architect Jean Nouvel, the mastermind behind the Louvre Abu Dhabi, understanding cultures outside one's own should be a fundamental theme in life to know the world better. During the VIP opening ceremony of "Art Russe 20th Century Russian and Soviet Art: War and Peace" on Tuesday evening at Emirates Palace, Nouvel, exclusively told Khaleej Times about the importance of binding different cultures and understanding the history of the world. Nouvel, who was also awarded the Aga Khan Award for Architecture, Wolf Prize in Arts, as well as the Pritzker Architecture Prize for his over 200 projects, pointed out that it is all about opening one's eyes to the past to understand the present. "Art Russe is a historic exhibition...it speaks about the war and it's horrific impact, as well as the Soviet period and its artistic masculinity. It is a part of history that we many not know," Nouvel said. Nouvel, who was a also a founding member of Mars 1976, pointed out that the collection, which will be on display at Emirates Palace until 10 December, certainly takes audiences back to a unique, yet critical era. "The collection here is an amazing collection of quality, which belongs to an old time. Social art that had an influence on a European level between pessimistic painters and the more modern ones on the side of Paris, as well as what took place in Russia," he said. "This exhibition is completely amazing, it is a strong, healthy exhibition that speaks very well about an epic era and it's environments," he added. -jasmine@khaleejtimes.com

The VIP opening ceremony, which was held under the patronage of Shaikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Culture, Youth and Social Development, introduced audiences to the artistic heritage of a crucial period in Russia's history from over the past century.
Each masterpiece work reveals a rich and opulent culture of Russia as well as the torment of war and the love of peace.
During an exclusive interview with Khaleej Times, Andrey Filatov talked about what the collection means to him, and why he chose Abu Dhabi as the provisional home for his priceless collection.
"Today, Abu Dhabi is pretty much the new cultural centre of the world," he said, adding that, "currently, the largest investments in the world have been put here in order to create infrastructures in art and it is becoming the new capital of the art world."
Filatov added that the upcoming Louvre and Guggenheim museums and the dynamic art scene in the capital made him introduce the historical artworks to the UAE residents.
"I would love to show our art and I would love for the people here to simply enjoy it," said Filatov, who is also the president of the Russian Chess Federation and vice-president of the international Chess Federation.
According to him the 100 paintings and sculptures, which will be on display until December 10 at the Emirates Palace, will bring back memories to Russian expats as well as tourists alike.
"There are many people here from the Soviet Union who love art and they will see this exhibition, so I hope it will be a great success," he added.
The art collector, who was listed in 2012's Forbes world listing, due to his 1.3 billion dollars in fortune, pointed out that the emirate, young and still blossoming, has become a monumental cultural hub, not only in the region, but also globally.
Thus, the nation is allowing different cultures and backgrounds to come together as one.
"UAE is a large cultural centre," he said, adding that, "art from many different areas are presented here, such as Chinese, Russian and French art," he highlighted.
"However, even in Russia we need to have Arabic and Chinese museums for instance, because only through cultural exchange we can move forward."
jasmine@khaleejtimes.com