Amir Soleymani
Amir Soleymani | |
|---|---|
| Born | Iran |
| Other names | Mondoir |
| Citizenship | British |
| Occupation | Art collector |
| Known for | Mondoir Art Gallery Adelia Art Gallery |
| Notable work | The Art of Connectivity |
Amir Soleymani (also known as "Mondoir") is a British art collector and art gallery owner.[1]
Early life
Amir Soleymani was born and raised in Iran. As a child, Soleymani was an amateur stamp collector.[2]
Career
Soleymani is an art collector and owns art galleries in Dubai, United Arab Emirates[3] and Liverpool, United Kingdom.[4] His galleries feature a diverse range of traditional and digital art.
Soleymani believes that art serves as a medium for human connection, a theme he explores in his book The Art of Connectivity.[2]
Amir "Mondoir" Soleymani is the founder of Directory.art,[5] a platform designed to facilitate connections within the art industry. Launched by Mondoir, the platform reached over 1,000 users within its first week.[6] Directory.art has announced an exhibition at the Mondoir Gallery in downtown Dubai, featuring works from artists on the platform. The exhibition is equipped with state-of-the-art display technology, including two 224-inch screens dubbed "The Grid."[7]
Soleymani "Mondoir" Soleymani was a guest speaker at the Christie's Art+Tech Summit in Dubai, held during Art Dubai 2023. The summit was organized by British auction house Christie's. Previous summits were held in New York, Hong Kong, and London.[8]
Soleymani has advocated for various social justice causes, including the Stop Asian Hate campaign and the Choose Love initiative.[9]
Legal disputes
In 2021, Amir Soleymani became involved in a legal dispute with Nifty Gateway, a prominent NFT trading platform, over an auction for a Beeple artwork titled "Abundance." Soleymani had bid on the artwork but was ultimately outbid. The auction was a ranked auction, a format Soleymani claims he had not encountered before. He was expected to pay $650,000 for a lower-valued edition of the work, which led to a series of legal disputes. Soleymani filed a suit in the U.K. High Court, questioning the fairness and enforceability of Nifty Gateway's terms. The case has also seen a countersuit filed in New York, adding an international layer to the dispute.[10][11][12][13]
Books
In 2023, Amir published his book The Art of Connectivity, which is a guide about digital art and its artists.[2]
References
- ^ "Just what is phygital art, and why is Dubai going big on it?". 29 May 2023.
- ^ a b c Soleymani, A. The Art of Connectivity: Unveiling the Magic of NFTs. Amir Soleymani. Retrieved 2023-09-27.
- ^ Mondoir Art Gallery, Downtown Dubai
- ^ Adelia Art Gallery, Liverpool, UK
- ^ Directory.art
- ^ "Mondoir launches Directory.art, the ultimate destination for art communities". Zawya. 2023-09-12. Retrieved 2023-09-27.
- ^ "Introducing Mondoir x Directory.art". Mondoir Art Gallery. 2023-09-09. Retrieved 2023-09-27.
- ^ "Christie's announces inaugural Art+Tech Summit in U.A.E." Christie’s. 2023-02-06. Retrieved 2023-09-27.
- ^ Baig, Ruman (2023-08-21). "Exploring Mondoir: Founder Amir Soleymani on connecting Physical and Digital Art Worlds". Emirates Woman. Retrieved 2023-09-27.
- ^ "NFT Platform Nifty Gateway, Collector Caught in Legal Battle over Beeple Auction". 4 October 2021.
- ^ "An Irate Collector is Suing the NFT Platform Nifty Gateway over the Terms of a Very Weird Beeple Auction". 4 October 2021.
- ^ "Winklevoss twins are tangled up in NFT scandal". 23 October 2021.
- ^ "Amir Soleymani v Nifty Gateway: Arbitration and Consumer Protection in NFT disputes - Daily Jus". 19 September 2023.