Jetting perpetually between his Hamburg and Dubai homes, forty-eight year-old Iranian-born Ramin Salsali is one of the most influential figures in the Middle Eastern art world today. An exuberant, dapper businessman, with a flair for style and occasion, Salsali perfectly mirrors Dubai’s drive and cultural ambition. Moreover, his commitment to collecting and working with some of the region’s most happening artists of the past 25 years has resulted in a collection almost unrivalled in its breadth.
Last November, this collection came under the international spotlight as the bedrock of the newly opened Salsali Private Museum. Part gallery, part collector’s lounge, part community arts space, the SPM set out not only to exhibit curated selections from its proprietor’s own vast store of art from across Europe and the Middle East but to also act as a hub for new and established collectors engaging with the sprawling Middle Eastern art world.
“The trend here is that a new generation of collectors are getting involved in the art scene. They want to gain knowledge and to have a more academic approach to the arts. So, this place is allocated to all collectors coming to Dubai,” Salsali explains, speaking from his vast office up in the rafters of his museum. “They can come and we can put them in touch with all the galleries, museums, artists and collectors here.”
Eight months on, Salsali and his team have staged two shows sourced from his own collection, as well as collaborated with local and international charitable organisations. Visitors to the museum are frequently grabbed by the man himself for entertaining, informative and passionate private tours of his wares. He treats everyone the same, whether nervous novices, dipping a toe into the collecting business or established collectors, all of whom trust his refined aesthetic and nose for a smart purchase and emerging talent.
“When you begin collecting, your eyes, your tastes are not yet refined. It’s a journey of discovery at the beginning and step-by-step, your taste becomes mature, you gain experience. In some areas I am mature enough, in other areas I still have a childlike sense of discovery. I move in phases, through photography, video, painting or a mixture of media.”
Salsali aims to provide frank and insightful perspectives on the art world and this includes the common pitfalls and traps that can so often ensnare the unsuspecting novice buyer. For instance, his take on the burgeoning auction industry in the Gulf is tempered with caution - unsurprisingly, given the frequent accusations of price-jockeying and inflation on the part of some of the less scrupulous collectors in the region.
“Whilst in general, I consider galleries and auction houses as necessary, like in any business, they need a regulatory authority and supervision. There have been negative examples, where two players can manipulate the price of an artwork in an auction by overbidding. Auction houses need to consider mechanisms to avoid the pollution of art scene and art world.”
From petrochemical consulting to unofficial arts advisor to the UAE authorities - Ramin Salsali has enjoyed a rich and cosmopolitan life. Born in 1964 in Tehran, he studied in the UK and Iran before relocating to Germany in the mid-1980s to study economics and management. Founding a petrochemicals consultancy whilst still a student, Salsali soon found himself on the road, building up the foundations of what was to become a hugely successful concern. Travelling city to city inspired the young entrepreneur to explore new art worlds.
“I had launched my company, acting as a consultant for marketing heavy equipment to the petrochemical industry, so I was travelling a lot and would be alone in the strange city. In each city, I had my own routine to go to the museum and galleries and little by little, started buying art. It was a good way to overcome this loneliness.”
Starting at the age of 21, Salsali’s acquisitions mounted, soaking up new works by artists of all backgrounds and working across diverse mediums, styles and forms. Many of these artists call Salsali a friend, and with his puppy-like enthusiasm and generosity, it is no wonder.
“It’s obvious that any collector will develop a certain friendship with artists,” he says. “Personally, I have the pleasure to have friendships with most of my artists, Sara Rahbar, Amir-Hossein Zanjani, Reza Derekhshani, the late Mokarameh Ghanbari, Pantea Rahmani, Manal Al Dowayen, Ramin and Rokni Haerizadeh, to name a few...”
It’s somehow fitting that it’s in Dubai, which has seen over 40 galleries, an international art fair and numerous auctions flourish over the past decade, that Salsali acknowledges he has found the perfect environment in which to thrive. “Its a hub for business where all barriers are eliminated, or at least reduced,” he says, “and this enables people to be creative, in every way.”
