SHARING WITH ME

The exhibition season is very full between January and the French holiday period. I make less and less effort to go and see the « block-busters » and there are some museums which are not easy to get around. The Jacquemart André is one of them. The rooms are so small and when a couple of groups move in, it is virtually impossible to see a picture or move at all. Still I was interested to go and see the Alicia Koplowitz collection. Now I come to think of it, there have been quite a few private collections shown to the public since the end of last year.  Naturally I knew nothing about this woman.  Alicia Koplowitz is very well known in her home country, Spain. Thanks to her company, the Capital Omega Group  a comprehensive financial services company , she has become an important collect er Alicia is is a Spanish business magnate. When her father died, she and her sister inherited Construcciones y Contratas, S.A. (CYCSA), a company founded by her father. She...

As you know, I’m a ten minute walk from the Arab Institute. Usually when there is an exhibition on, there is a sign which takes up practically the whole of the facade of the building . I was really surprised when I went down the other day that there was no indication of this Modern Art Collection that was on. Even when I went into the building . I finally saw a tiny poster going down to the exhibition. Quite surprising. The Barjeel collection is exceptional. As is usual in the Institute, no-one was taking photographs - but I asked. You never know. Second surprise - photos allowed without flash. Of course when I took out my iPhone after having studied  most of the first floor, everyone else seemed to take out smart phones or cameras. Just a bit about the Foundation.  « Complied in 2010, the collection of Sultan Al Qassemi includes the works by leading figures of modern and contemporary Arab art. Managed by the Barjeel Foundation, a private foundation located in Shar...