Menasa, the Lebanese art fair, seems to be gaining momentum judging by the attendance and sales numbers:

With a total of more than 10,000 visitors in just five days, including the opening night, (60% Lebanese and 40% foreigners from Europe and the Middle East) purchases were numerous and totalized a turnover that exceeded US $ 1 million.

The artwork sold included four sculptures by Nadim Karam presented by Ayyam Gallery (Damascus – Beirut – Dubai) and watercolor paintings by Abdul Qader Al Rais presented by Hunar Gallery of Dubai.

The modern and contemporary art of the Asia also called the attention of regional and international amateurs and collectors especially with the sale of three sculptures by Su Jianguo from Richard Koh Fine Art of Singapore and Kuala Lumpur and artworks by Naiz Khan presented at Rossi & Rossi of London.

More Than 10,000 Visitors Attended Menasart Fair 2011 Artworks Worth US $ 1 Million Sold During The Five Days Of The Event (MiddleEastEvents.com)

”For the first time, the Arab artists can really express themselves and we have chosen to do Menasa Art in Beirut because Lebanon is the centre of all this big territory and what’s happening in Arab artists is fabulous, you can see the auction of Christies, everybody is now looking for Arab artists and they thinking: my God, it is a new market, it is something new, the artist can express themselves in a very strong way.”

Lebanese Art Fair Reflects Arab Spring (Al Aribaya News)