Sultan Sooud Al-Qassemi speaks about the politics of Arab art at Zayed University. Read more »
Arab World
Mona Hatoum: The First Contemporary Arab Artist?
Attempting to pinpoint a specific date in which modern Arab art gave way to the contemporary is bound to raise more questions than answers. I propose that Arab contemporary art timeframe begins with artists who have come of age in the decade between the early 1980s and the early 1990s due to their general readiness to adopt the latest technologies and concepts in their work. In my opinion the artist that best embodies this definition is Beirut born British-Palestinian artist Mona Hatoum. Read more »
United Arab Emigrants
Through this essay I seek to highlight some of the many Arab immigrants that have come to what is now the UAE during the second half of the 20th century. These immigrants have been naturalised and yet our national identity has not disappeared or eroded as some may fear. In fact, in addition to their skills and talents that were essential during the formation of the federation, UAE heritage and culture was protected and preserved. Read more »
Opening Session of the 7th Annual International Translation Conference
Sultan Sooud Al Qassemi speaks alongside Dr. Joselia Neves and Dima Khatib at the Opening Session of the 7th Annual International Translation Conference held by the Translation and Interpreting Institute (TII). Read more »
Why the Arab world must embrace placing art online
Unfortunately, many collectors in the Arab world shy away from placing their art collection online. But art institutions and collectors in the Arab world need to make a giant leap into the present day and invest in creating online portals for the region’s art. We can all play a part in countering the negative narrative of extremists in the region by virtually displaying our arts and culture. Read more »
The Arab World’s Other Migration Problem
Much of the world has been horrified by recent scenes of mostly Arab migrants drowning in the Mediterranean. However, migration has long been a trademark of the Middle East, and today it threatens to clear the region of its rich diversity. The lack of tolerance of minorities—both ancient, as in the Christians and Jews, as well as recent, as in the large minorities from the subcontinent in the Gulf—runs contrary to the Middle East’s long history as a cultural, ethnic, and religious mosaic. Read more »