DO1301

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Lot 17
  • 17

Marwan Rechmaoui

Estimate
30,000 - 40,000 USD
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Description

  • Marwan Rechmaoui
  • Beirut Caoutchouc
  • engraved rubber, in sixty-seven parts
  • Executed in 2004, this work is number 1 from an edition of 5.

Provenance

Sfeir-Semler Gallery, Beirut
Acquired directly from the above by the present owner in 2008

Exhibited

Amman, Darat Al-Funun, Art Now in Lebanon, 2008
London, Saatchi Gallery, Unveiled: New Art from the Middle East, 2009
Lille, Tri Postal, La Route de la Soie, 2011

 

Literature

Exhibition Catalogue, London, Saatchi Gallery, Unveiled: New Art from the Middle East, 2009, n.p., no. 62-63, illustrated in colour
Edward Booth-Clibborn, Ed., The History of the Saatchi Gallery, London 2011, pp. 742-743, illustrated in colour

Condition

Condition: This work is in very good condition. There are very few minor and small circular indents on a number of parts that make up the whole. Colour: The colours in the catalogue illustration are accurate; although the black tone of each piece differs from dark grey to black.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Catalogue Note

Marwan Rechmaoui is a Lebanese artist whose work deals with themes of urban development and social history of his native city of Beirut. The Lebanese capital has always been a theatre for social and political conflict, such issues which are further explored throughout Rechmaoui’s main body of work.

His Beirut Caoutchouc is a large and black rubber floor mat in the shape of a map of Beirut’s centre. The aerial plot is embossed with meticulous detailing of roads and byways, which are divided into sixty-seven pieces demarcating individual neighbourhoods. Rechmaoui’s installation examines the physical and social schisms that have sculpted one of the world's most conflicted cities. Through this installation Rechmaoui highlights these divisions to address various topics of debate: the underlying causes and consequences of cultural difference, exploration of identity, attachment, and the impact of its social political history on the everyday lives of its inhabitants.