For the keynote lecture at the "Arab Express" symposium held on June 16, 2012, Salwa Mikdadi, an art historian specializing in modern and contemporary art of the Arab world who also served as a curatorial advisor for the exhibition, was invited to speak about the current state of Arab art. Why is Arab art attracting so much international attention at the moment? We report on the lecture in 4 parts.
Salwa Mikdadi (Art historian specializing in modern and contemporary art of the Arab world)
Photo: Mikuriya Shinichiro
From camels and oil to post-modern architecture and man-made islands
- the changing face of the Arab world
In 1970, over 1 million Japanese visited the Saudi Arabian Pavilion during the first month of Expo'70, a world's fair held in Osaka (Osaka Banpaku). Japanese visitors liked the pavilion so much that they took sand from the sand dunes exhibit as a souvenir, forcing the Saudi commissioner to plead for more sand to be shipped over.
The popular exhibition presented images of Arabian horses and camels; a display of an oil drilling string spewing out the dark, coveted gold of the dessert; an Arabian majlis, or salon; and the cover of the Kabba with calligraphy embroidered in golden threads. The last of those was particularly popular with visitors.
Today, the Gulf countries' pavilions at trade expos showcase post-modern architecture with images of the tallest high-rises in the world, man-made islands and plans for mega museums designed by renowned architects. The region is going through many changes and its art is no exception.
Art from the Arab world, long marginalized, is now prized at art auctions and is receiving the attention of curators at regional and international art biennials and mainstream art museums. It is believed that a number of factors have contributed to the rise of Arab art from obscurity to stardom. I do not claim to have all the answers, but a brief historical review of the past 20 years may shed light on the today's Arab art and on what catapulted it to the forefront of the international scene.
A souq (market) in Damascus (Syria) in the 1970s
A model of the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi (UAE) scheduled to be built in 2013
Arab art in the 1980s and 1990s
In the past, Western curators looked for art that was specific to its region, and they did not find it in the formal artistic practices of abstraction or the symbolic aesthetics of painting and sculpture that dominated Arab artistic production prior to the 1990s. Political art such as that inspired by the Palestinian First Intifada of the 1980s was seen as propaganda art. For the West, art had to conform to preconceived notions of Islamic art, a term used to refer to art produced by Arabs and all minorities living in the Arab world.
The classification of art from the region as Middle Eastern or Islamic is itself now contested. (For example, the British Museum collections were initially described as Islamic art and had a focus on calligraphy; recently it has expanded to include all forms of art). In the 1990s, Arab art by women or art concerned with gender issues was popular in the West. Thankfully, it too is now redundant. Art in the Arab world does have a history that varies from one country to the other. Some countries have a history of over a century, while others less 30 years. This fact was aptly noted by the curators of this exhibition.
Symposium image photo
Photo: Mikuriya Shinichiro
Art has been vital in bringing to the fore the region's concerns
Arab art now may seem overtly political, however like all other artists, Arab artists are responding to changes in their lives; their art is inherently political even when concerned with universal issues as well as social, economic or environmental themes. International interest in Arab art reflects globalization in politics and in the world economies. Therefore, what is occurring in Iraq today does impact the lives of people in North America and what is happening in Iran does impact the Japanese economy. For the last 20 years the region has been in the news headlines, as Americans and others who lost family members in the 'war on terror' are eager to learn about the region.
Art has brought the region's concerns to international art centers. Companies with businesses in the region are now more willing to support the arts. After the tragic events of September 11, the subsequent war on terror and the U.S. invasion of Iraq, the mainstream media began equating Islam with terror, while art that referenced destruction and veiled women attracted more attention. There was a genuine desire to understand the region but few initiatives that gave voice to the people and to youth in particular. All that has changed with the emergence of exhibitions such as this, at the Mori Art Museum. The art selected here provides a more accurate representation of the region's art production.
Symposium image photo
Photo: Mikuriya Shinichiro
■Relevant information
・Today's Arab Art
Part 1 Arab art under the world spotlight
Part 2 Arab artists on the rise
Part 3 The future of ever-changing Arab art
Part 4 The Arab Spring and its impact on art
・Arab Express: The Latest Art from the Arab World
June 16 - October 28, 2012
・"Arab Express: The Latest Art from the Arab World" photos from installation period (flickr)
・"Arab Express: The Latest Art from the Arab World" Installation view (flickr)
Section 1
Section 2
Section 3 & "Arab Lounge"
・Interview: Nanjo Fumio on "Arab Express"
Part 1 Comparing the Arab world of the 1970s with that of today
Part 2 Why is the world fascinated with Arab contemporary art?
Part 3 An exhibition to encourage cultural diplomacy, mutual understanding
・Interview: Kondo Kenichi on "Arab Express"
Part 1 Want to show Japan the diversity of the Arab world
Part 2 Exhibition highlights: Black Fountain and "Arab Lounge"
