‘My son sent the woman in Richard Prince’s piece
a message. She was shocked she was on his wall’
ABOVE, ARTWORKS IN THE
LIVING ROOM INCLUDE URS
FISCHER’S MASHED, 2012
(BEHIND ARMCHAIRS),
RICHARD PRINCE’S UNTITLED,
2007 (BEHIND SOFA), AND
SOL LEWITT’S PYRAMID#7,
1985 (FAR RIGHT). DESIGN
PIECES INCLUDE A PAUL EVANS
‘CITYSCAPE’ COFFEE TABLE
AND A MEMPHIS RUG
LEFT, JOE BRADLEY’S MOUTH
AND FOOT (ICHTHUS), 2010,
HANGS ABOVE A ‘Z-CHAIR’
BY ZAHA HADIDWhen not on loan, the remainder sits in two massive
warehouses, or is displayed at their private foundation.
Opened in 2015 in Jal el Dib, north of Beirut, the
Aïshti Foundation occupies part of the 35,000 sq m
David Adjaye-designed seafront complex that also
houses a branch of the regional luxury retail chain
that made the Salamés’ fortune.
This is where Buren resurfaces. Once the third part
of the work is installed at the Aïshti, the three parts
will effectively form a single installation, spread over
7km. And as only those with penthouse access will be
able to see them simultaneously (the brass telescope
in the living room can be trained on the Buren across
the bay), it’s something of an exclusive experience.
The Salamés’ rise to megacollector status happened
swiftly, their collection essentially taking shape during
a decade or so of what they call a spree of ‘impulsive’
buying. Urged by their friend Dino Facchini, founder
of the Byblos fashion label, to focus on ‘serious’
contemporary art, they sought out the advice of
Massimiliano Gioni, currently artistic director of New
York’s New Museum, and art dealer and curator
Jeffrey Deitch. Together, Gioni and Deitch helped turn
the couples’ impulses into more cohesive collecting,
shifting their focus onto new art.
Their spirited urgency remained, though. The
Salamés became known for buying entire shows, »In Residence
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