Online course by Node Center with Wided Khadraoui

Duration: May 08 – May 29, 2019
Fee: 154€
Max seats: 28
Enroll before: May 4, 2019
Dedication: 3 hrs/week

This course will address the development of the contemporary art scene in the Middle East and North Africa, the emergence of the art market, as well as collecting and patronage. How does art in the region merge tradition and modernity, local and global, political and personal?

Over four interactive sessions, we will explore where artists draw inspiration from and the role played by cultural traditions from earlier periods of Islamic history on the imagery, techniques and ideas of their work. The class will feature artists from the region who epitomize this new scene – artists include Ahmed Mater, Abdulnasser Gharem, Shirin Neshat, Susan Hefuna, Lalla Essaydi, Mitra Tabrizian, Mona Hatoum, Hassan Hajjaj, Wafaa Bilal, Barbad Golshiri, Youssef Nabil, Shoja Azari, Tsibi Geva, Ghada Amer, Nabil Anani, Faisel Laibi Sahi, Kamal Boullata, Adel El Siwi, Saad Yagan, and Mohamed Abou Elnaga. Does the artists’ choice of subject reflect in the matter and medium? How is the art perceived not only by the international audience but also locally?

The rise of new collectors, both locally and internationally, and an understanding of the region will be covered in the course. The art scene and the art market centred mainly around Dubai will be explored as well as Abu Dhabi and Doha.

Program

Week 1: Overview of the Middle East Art Scene

This week will cover highlights of modern and contemporary Middle Eastern art from the 1940s to the present and how it reflects the region’s strong cultural and religious ties linking various countries and movements.

Week 2: Arts and Artists of the Arab World

Middle Eastern artists often work in contexts fraught with conflict, finding themselves in war zones or at the crossroads of tradition. This week will explore who’s who in the contemporary scene and who spearheaded the movement.

Week 3: Middle East: Bridging Modern and Contemporary in the Global Age

Examining the impact of prevailing social, political and economic trends on both artists and art markets, this week will build creative links between the cultural traditions and the works by artists from or with roots in the Middle East.

Week 4: Collecting and Market Analysis of Middle Eastern Art

Delving into the role of private patronage and collecting in the region, and the current market of contemporary Arab art, this week will focus on the regional art hubs in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Doha and their auction houses and global influences.