XVA Gallery in Dubai presents a series of lectures headed by art curator and researcher Suheyla Takesh. Visitors will learn about how Modern Arab Art has emerged and developed and familiarise themselves with various art movements and schools of thought that appeared in the Arab region (Egypt, Iraq, Morocco, Sudan, the Levant, and other parts of North Africa and West Asia) in the 20th century. Among the important topics discussed in the lectures will also be socio-political events which shaped the region’s cultural production.
The emergence of Modern Art in the Arab world was influenced by the colonial presence of European powers in the region (the 19th-early 20th century). European art styles such as Impressionism, Cubism, Surrealism, Pop Art, and Abstract Expressionism were introduced and adopted: they fused with traditional Arab art forms. During that period, different local art schools and institutions were established.
The end of World War II was followed by the withdrawal of colonial forces and the emergence of a new generation of Arab artists who drew inspiration from global trends in Modern Art. This stage of the development of Arab art was marked by nationalism and the rise of local independence movements. Many art practitioners expressed their cultural identity and highlighted their independence from colonial influence through their work.
One of the key movements which emerged back then was the Baghdad School of Art founded in the 1950s-60s. Aiming to create a distinctly Arab form of Modern Art, artists from this school took cues from the region’s cultural heritage and combined traditional techniques with contemporary styles in their work. Another important movement was the New Vision Group founded by painter Dia Al-Azzawi in Iraq in the 1960s-1970s. Its followers supported the ideas of Pan-Arab unity and called for a new Arabic Modernism that connected artists ideologically and culturally.
The series of lectures on Modern Arab Art includes four of them. Each will be held from 11:00 am to 12:30 pm at the gallery:
- Introduction to the Arab World & Modern Arab Art (Saturday, 20 January 2024).
- Key 20th Century Movements & Schools of Thought (Saturday, 27 January 2024).
- Women in Art (Saturday, 3 February 2024).
- Art as a Tool of Social Change (Saturday, 10 February 2024).
To visit all four lectures will cost you Dhs. 750.00. More information can be found on the official website of XVA Gallery.
You might also be interested in Art History Walks in Louvre Abu Dhabi. Besides, we would recommend you to visit Distilled Lessons: Abstraction in Arab Modernism, an exhibition which is currently on view at Mathaf.
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