Damn Magazine, an independent publication with open-minded views on the interchangeable worlds of design, architecture and art reviews Barjeel’s show at the Institut du Monde Arabe in the summer of 2017. Read more »
Archives for 2017
UAE ruling family member: Qatar now questioning its leaders
An interview with Sultan to discuss current affairs in the GCC. Read more »
Gulf states have had enough of Qatar’s broken promises
Citizens of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states woke up on one Monday morning to what is the most severe crisis in the regional bloc’s 36-year history to date. In a closely coordinated series of statements, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the UAE, along with Egypt, announced the severing of ties with Qatar, demanding that the country sever ties with extremist groups. Judging by the Qatari reaction so far, it seems the Gulf states’ patience will be tested. Read more »
Gazbia Sirry: The Nubian Family
Egyptian artist Gazbia Sirry’s, “The Nubian Family,” captured the moment of displacement of thousands of residents by the flooding caused by the construction of the Aswan Dam. In 1962, artists throughout Egypt were invited to capture the moment. Instead of painting the construction of the dam itself, Sirry chose to pay homage to the villagers that lived there. Find out more in this AJ+ Arabic piece with Sultan. Read more »
The Politics of Egyptian Fine Art
When the revolution broke out in 2011, Egyptian artists were thus well positioned to take on a much more direct, activist role, and many did. Art changed as well, becoming more accessible and purpose-driven. Now, as the tide again has turned to authoritarianism, the unbridled hope of the uprising has waned, negatively affecting art as much as any other part of the revolution. Yet there are glimmers of dissent in the art that lives on, and many reasons to think that Egyptian artists will be part of the vanguard of the next wave of social and political change, whatever it may be. Read more »
Kadhim Haidar: He Told Us How It Happened
In Iraq, popular opposition to The Baghdad Pact reached a climax after the attack on Egypt in 1956. Kadhim Haidar’s, “He Told Us How It Happened,” examines the immense political repression that activists faced during that time. Learn more in this AJ+ episode with Sultan. Read more »