ARAB PRESENCES. MODERN ART AND DECOLONISATION. PARIS 1908-1988 - FARJAM COLLECTION CLOSE-UP PRESENTED BY FARJAM FOUNDATION
The Farjam Foundation is presenting the Abu Dhabi Art Talks this year and bringing the exhibition Arab Presences. Modern Art and Decolonisation. Paris 1908-1988 - Farjam Collection Close-Up co-curated by Morad Montazami and Madeleine de Colnet to the fair. An accompanying catalogue Arab Presences: Modern Art and Decolonization, Paris 1908-1988 will also be produced in English for the first time, to mark the occasion.
20 - 24 | 11 | 2024
2 – 9 PM
Auditorium, Manarat Al Saadiyat
Curators: Morad Montazami and Madeleine de Colnet
Artists: Shafic Abboud | Hamed Abdalla | Salah Abdel Kerim | Etel Adnan | Adonis | Dia Al Azzawi | Shakir Hassan Al-Said | Marwan Kassab Bachi | Fatma Baya | Aref El Rayess | Paul Guiragossian | Mohamed Hamidi | Faeq Hassan | Saad Hassani | Adam Henein | Haider Khadim | Helen Khal | Rachid Koraichi | Nja Mahdaoui | Mehdi Moutashar | Mahmoud Mokhtar | Fateh Moudarres | Mohammed Naghi | Samir Rafi | Mahmoud Said | Mona Saudi | Jewad Selim | Fahr El-Nissa Zeid | Fahrelnissa Zeid | Bibi Zogbe
The Abu Dhabi iteration of the exhibition includes nearly 50 artworks on display from The Farjam Collection, including such modern masters and pioneers as Fateh Moudarres, Mehdi Moutashar, Bibi Zogbe, Baya, Mona Saudi, Rachid Koraïchi, Hamed Abdalla. A number of these additions are published in the English translation of the catalogue.
The exhibition and its accompanying book trace artistic trajectories from countries including Iraq, Lebanon, Egypt, Morocco, amongst others, revealing stories of exile, undermined legacies, fleeting fame, internationalism, and artistic solidarity. Together they offer a long-overdue mapping of “Paris as an Arab Capital”, using both artworks and archival materials to restore this lost narrative, now ready to be revived and reassessed.
Assembled over 50 years, The Farjam Collection is now one of the most comprehensive collections of Islamic and contemporary Middle Eastern art, as well as Western contemporary art in private hands. Spanning centuries of artistic production, the collection features exquisite manuscripts, calligraphy, ceramics, metal works, textiles and rare artefacts from the Islamic Golden Age, as well as notable works by pioneering modern andcontemporary artists from the Islamic lands. The Farjam Foundation has hosted exhibitions, educational programs, and collaborations with prestigious international institutions, including partnerships with museums and cultural centers worldwide. The Foundation also actively supports charitable causes aimed at promoting healthcare, and cultural diplomacy. A firm believer in the power of art to bridge cultural divides, Dr. Farjam continues to champion initiatives that promote dialogue and understanding between diverse communities. Since 2008, The Farjam Foundation has proudly presented 28 curated exhibitions in its own space at the DIFC in Dubai. Since its establishment, the Foundation has taken part in significant projects in association with organizations such as the United Nation’s World Food Program, the Dubai Cares Foundation, The King Charles III Charitable Fund, and a number of other international charitable bodies, as well as proudly supporting The King’s Foundation School of Traditional Arts and sponsoring the role of Farjam Curator of Islamic Arts at the British Museum, London.
The Farjam Foundation is the sponsor of the Talks Programme at Abu Dhabi Art 2024, further extending its support for critical research and knowledge production in the field of art through delivering a dynamic programme of panel discussions, talks and book launches at the Fair this year.
