One man lost Dhs1.3 million worth of art in The Address Downtown New Year’s Eve fire after two of the four apartments he owns in the building were destroyed in the blaze.

Ramin Salsali, a Tehran-born contemporary art collector who runs a private museum in Al Quoz, lost a selection of paintings in the fire according to a report by The National. 

Among the works destroyed was a piece by Iranian artist Amir Hossein Zanjani and American contemporary painter George Condo (a work by Condo is pictured above).

Amir Hossein Zanjani exhibits in Dubai - artist interview A work by Hossein Zanjani 

Also, there was a very sophisticated safe inside one of his apartments that didn’t survive the fire according to Salsali. It’s “destroyed, completely melted. It’s unbelievable,” he told The National. 

Salsali didn’t have contents insurance on his home because he believed that it was covered: “the maintenance fees that we paid – there is one item that says insurance for the contents of the household.”

“When you read this, you’re not going to do any insurance as such because first the building is insured, and second the content is covered. That was the assumption, and it’s written on the detailed cost list,” he added.

*VIDEO: Inside The Address fire rescue operation*

Salsali was in Europe on New Year’s Eve, and praised Emaar staff and the Dubai Civil Defence for their response on the night.

address-hotel-dubai

“The whole world is now watching. The effect on real estate is unbelievable. People have pulled out of contracts where they don’t know about the fire safety of the cladding. It’s not good for Dubai,” he added.

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Photos: Supplied & Skarstedt Gallery and George Condo via Wikimedia Commons.