Despite aiming to advance decolonial discourses and challenge power structures in the art world, the 12th Berlin Biennale continued to alienate local voices in favour of tokenisation and fetishisation, writes Farah Abdessamad.
The past is a foreign country, they do things differently there. At the turn of the 20th century, many Syrians came to settle in New York, spawning a thriving community. But what was a burgeoning community has been largely forgotten, until now.
The Beyond King Tut show soon to open in the US, is the latest expression of orientalism. The West is more interested in Egypt’s dead mummies than the living masses being criminalised for daring to search for a better life, writes Farah Abdessamad.
Inimitable Algerian artist Rachid Koraïchi's latest exhibition Le Chant de l’Ardent Désir is a transcendental and hypnotic experience that compels the viewer into examining our shared experiences of loss, longing, human suffering and dignity.
Film Review: Three Songs for Benazir is a touching account of Afghan lives amidst division and occupation. Available now on Netflix, the short-form documentary ensures we remember those lives changed beyond repair.
Much of Hrair Sarkissian's art is heavily influenced by his Syrian-Armenian roots. An expression of intergenerational trauma and contemporary uncertainty, Sarkissian's latest exhibition at the Sharjah Art Foundation is a must-see.
Putting pen to paper and brush to canvas, Etel Adnan's influence in the Arab world cannot be understated. Tackling themes of displacement and exile, her career epitomises Arab creative brilliance within a Western-centric art establishment.
Adnan Samman's latest exhibition at the P21 Gallery in London offers a unique window into the cultural ambiguity of Islamic art, and how, in an environment of appropriation and fetishisation, we can redefine our own tales.