The NYUAD Art Gallery is hosting a new autumn exhibition, Khaleej Modern: Pioneers and Collectives in the Arabian Peninsula, curated by Dr. Aisha Stoby. The exhibition will be open from September 6th to December 11th, 2022.
Khaleej Modern: Pioneers and Collectives in the Arabian Peninsula is a milestone historical research of 20th century modern art movements around the Arabian Peninsula, known in Arabic as the “Khaleej”.
Dr. Aisha Stoby has done a PhD research, exploring the region’s ‘pre-boom era’ of the 20th century through 2008. The research dealt with the evolution of visual art movements which appeared since the oil discovery, analysed the changing opinion of public and private spaces as well as their relationship to national identity which the art practices conveyed. Concentrating on the significance of community and early art institutions, the Khaleej Modern exhibition shows the curator’s study on the artistic pioneers and collectives which appeared during the 20th and 21st centuries.
Dr. Aisha Stoby, the guest curator of the exhibition, said that visitors of this exhibition will see some of the art works for the first time in decades. Rare and archival material were used for the exhibition Khaleej Modern, giving a chance to learn and re-understand history. Moreover, the curators expect the exhibition to help understand modern visual art better.
“This project responds to emerging debates around recentering art narratives, toward a more nuanced and inclusive appreciation of global art histories. It has been incredible to be a part of this project and to see the artworks of these pioneering artists brought together for the first time,” said Dr. Aisha Stoby.
“An exhibition like this is quite rare, a kind of opening salvo and call to action, offering new vistas on art history and art practice in this region. Rather than a definitive survey, this project sets us on a journey to explore the under-studied – and, for some people, unknown – emergence of modern art in the Arabian peninsula over the last century. It is a profound honor that Dr. Stoby will present her original research with us, in this exhibition that was many years in the making. I thank her for partnering with us for this crucial, pathbreaking project,” comments Maya Allison, Executive Director of The NYUAD Art Gallery and University Chief Curator.
The opening of this exhibition, Khaleej Modern: Pioneers and Collectives in the Arabian Peninsula, will be held on Tuesday, September 6th, 2022.
To get more information, please visit the official website of the gallery.
You might be also interested in visiting the Mist exhibition at Zawyeh Gallery.
