RIYADH – The historic Naseef House (Bait Naseef) in Al-Balad district of Jeddah will host a charity art auction following a special exhibition on Sunday and Monday. The Ministry of Culture collaborated with Hafez Gallery and the world-renowned auction house Christie's to organize the "Art of Al-Balad", a special event to support two important causes in the historic city of Jeddah. Famed artists from across the Arab world have generously donated artworks to raise funds toward a dedicated Heritage museum to preserve the culture and unique history of Al-Balad. Additionally the event will support the Help Center, a Jeddah-based children's non-profit organization geared toward special educational needs for children. The "Art of Al-Balad" Auction aims to create a culture sector where artists and creatives can access a platform that celebrates shared identity and builds understanding between people. The Ministry of Culture has given the public a chance to view 43 works of art listed in the auction between 5.00 p.m. and 9.00 p.m. on Sunday and Monday ahead of the auction free of charge. Christie's has been conducting the most celebrated and renowned auctions since its inception in 1766 by James Christie. The charity auction is the first event of its kind in the Kingdom and has been organized by Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Culture. The event forms part of Saudi Arabia's wider cultural transformation plans that are set to bring unprecedented change to the Kingdom in accordance with its Vision 2030. Led by Prince Badr Bin Abdullah Bin Farhan, the ministry aims to create a thriving cultural sector that supports the Kingdom's economic diversification and improves citizen's quality of life. "The Ministry of Culture has high expectations in regards to this auction and on different levels," spokesman for the Ministry of Culture Abdulkarim Al-Hamid told the Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper. "On one hand, it believes that art auctions form an important part of the art industry, and a path in the Saudi art industry must be created for it and established as a key element amidst the rise of art and development." For this reason, he stressed, the partnership was created with Christie's, being a leading global company in art auctions, and would help set standards and establish the right frameworks for organizing auctions beneficial to all industry stakeholders from institutions, artists, investors, and buyers. "On the other hand, the auction with its charitable aims, including the establishment of the Balad museum, requires such a level of organization to benefit all parties and to consolidate the auction culture as a civilized form of charitable initiatives that serve the artistic community and its members," Hamid added. In regards to the selection and evaluation of the works, Hamid said they took place in collaboration with Christie's and Hafiz Gallery. "These works were brought from well-known artists and galleries and are valued in the art sector," he noted.
