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 »
Arts & Culture
“A sliver of history”: Sultan Sooud Al Qassemi and Suheyla Takesh on Barjeel Art Foundation
In this interview, Art Radar speaks with Sultan Sooud Al Qassemi and curator Suheyla Takesh to learn the story behind the Barjeel Art Foundation’s most “iconic” masterpiece and one of the organisation’s most recent acquisitions. 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 »
BBC interview with Sultan Sooud Al Qassemi on Arab art
Interview with Sultan Sooud Al Qassemi on Barjeel Art Foundation’s year-long exhibition at London’s Whitechapel Gallery with BBC’s Yalda Hakim. Read more »
Is Islamic Art Going Mainstream?
At GIES 2015, Sultan Sooud Al Qassemi discusses the global relevance of Islamic art. Read more »
For Arab Artists With Something To Say, This Sheikh Is A Loudspeaker
Read a summary of a radio interview conducted by America’s public broadcaster with Sultan about his role in supporting Arab artists show their work to audiences around the world. Read more »