Art from the Middle East: Found in London

This thesis looks at the relationship between the commercial and non-commercial art sectors, framed in terms of the globalisation of the art world, looking specifically at the emerging contemporary Middle Eastern art world. This is approached by looking at four non-commercial art institutions in London, U.K. that have put on exhibitions of Middle Eastern contemporary art between 2012-2013 and how they have respond to the recent growth in the Middle Eastern art market. This is a qualitative research, based on interviews with key figures from The Victoria and Albert Museum, Tate Modern, Institute for Contemporary Arts and The Mosaic Rooms. The empirical research is supported by previous studies on the role of the museum as an intermediary, theories on the globalization of the art world, and an account of the emergence of the Middle Eastern art scene. This research finds that the relationship between the commercial and non-commercial sectors is extremely complex and yet the two poles of the art world depend on each other for the development of trends and the confirmation of them. The research also aims to add to an underdeveloped body of academic literature on the emergence of the Middle Eastern art world, the complexities of it, as well as the mechanisms and factors that have led to its growth.