Art History Lecture - Introduction to Modern Arab Art

This series of lectures will address the emergence and development of modern art in the Arab world, and look at the key moments and figures that helped shape its
evolution. The course will cover multiple geographies, including Egypt, Iraq, Morocco, Sudan, the Levant, as well as other parts of North Africa and West Asia. It will touch upon various art movements, and schools of thought that developed in the region across the 20th century, and reflect on the importance of socio-political events in shaping the region’s cultural production. This course serves as a foundational stepping stone, and an introduction to the vast and complex topic of modernity in the Arab world.

Schedule -

1. Introduction to modernity, and modern Arab art -
Date - Saturday, 18 November, 2023
Time - 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM
Place - XVA Gallery

2. Survey of key 20th century schools and movements -
Date - Saturday, 25 November, 2023
Time - 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM
Place - XVA Gallery

3. Women in modern Arab art
Date - Friday, 1 December, 2023
Time - 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM
Place - XVA Gallery

Instructor: Suheyla Takesh
Suheyla Takesh is the Curator of Barjeel Art Foundation in Sharjah, UAE, which holds an extensive collection of Modern and Contemporary Arab Art. She works on research, curatorial development of exhibitions, and oversees the production of publications. She holds a master’s degree from MIT’s department of History, Theory and Criticism of Architecture and Art.