March 16, 2007
Bling, Bling
Martin Parr
I have just returned from Dubai where I was photographing the first Dubai DIFC Art Fair. We all know that Dubai is the fastest growing city in the world and this fair was part of an ongoing strategy to try and position Dubai as a cultural destination, to compliment their known love of tourism and business.
Dubai. 2007. Martin Parr/Magnum Photos
This city has a lot of cash swashing around, and when you have bought all the cars, houses, plastic surgery and clothes you need the only thing left to buy is Art. And this is what appeared to be happening at the VIP launch of this fair last Thursday evening. What for me was interesting, is that the normal art fair crowd was entirely different. There were the normal Western Europeans and Americans, but also of course, the Arabs, the wealthy Indians, and the Asians too. This heady mix was wonderful to photograph, it was really a truly international event. The way people dressed and their demeanour was very Bling, not a word I have encountered much, but you know it when you see it.
This was all complemented with a three day Art Forum where speakers from both the Middle East and the West debated the future of Art and Culture in this area.
It could be argued that because this was the week that Abu Dhabi announced their strategic alliance with the Louvre and the Guggenheim they managed to steal the show. But as someone remarked to me “ They show it, we buy it.” At the moment there is no major public art space in Dubai, but I am sure it will happen, especially if they wish to be seen as a Cultural city.
One other thing that tickled me, was that because I was shooting on film this caused quite a stir. I am doing this because I hope to exhibit these photos alongside the others I have shot at art events over the last decade and want to have consistency of output. I imagine apart from the odd tourist, they have not seen a film camera in Dubai for many years. Certainly with a commercial working photographer, it’s funny to be part of disappearing tribe.
Dubai. 2007. Martin Parr/Magnum Photos
Just before I left I was taken to a small souk in Sharjah where they actually sell things old, not an easy thing to locate in Dubai. There, to my amazement, was a fantastic selection of Saddam Hussein plates, vases and ornaments. For those of you who do not know, I have a big collection of Saddam Hussein ephemera and in 2004 published a book with 50 different Saddam Hussein watches in.
So I returned, rather pleased with myself, with a huge bag full of Saddam pottery. I was glad I was not stopped at Heathrow, not that bringing this stuff in is illegal, but it would have been tricky to explain to a customs officer.
Published on the Magnum Blog on March 16, 2007
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