The first thing one notices upon entering this Beirut establishment is the gallery’s current exhibition. The whole main floor is dedicated to it. When one goes to the lower floor to where the permanent collection is exhibited, they find a wealth of paintings by the region’s finest artists. Whether one is looking for Hussein Madi or Louay Kayali, and anything in between, it can be found at Agial. The gallery’s permanent collection consists of a wide variety of artists from throughout the region. What I especially liked about Agial is that it gives space to both up and coming artists as well as the more established artists.
After meeting with Saleh Barakat, Agial’s founder, it was clear how knowledgable he was about art in the Middle East. While he loves the established painters, he is also constantly on the search for new talent, and always gives up and coming artists space at the gallery. When I first walked into the lower floor, the first thing I noticed was an impressive collection of books about art in the region, a testament to Saleh’s expertise on the subject.
What I also found great about the gallery is that Saleh is very clear on quality. In order to be presented at the gallery, the artwork has to be of the highest quality. This was evident when I realized that there was not a single piece of work that I did not appreciate.
Whenever in Beirut next be sure to stop by Agial! The exhibitions are always great, and the permanent collection extremely impressive!
Agial Gallery Information:
63 Abdul Aziz St. Hamra district Beirut, Lebanon Tel: +9613634244 Email: agial@cyberia.net.lb Website: http://www.agialart.com/
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