For its 11th edition, and to complement the fair’s Modern hall, Art Dubai introduced the inaugural Art Dubai Modern Symposium–a series of talks and presentations focused on the life, work and cultural impact of 20th century masters from the Middle East, South Asia and Africa. Renowned curators, scholars and patrons led the sessions that delved into the styles, influences and practices of artists whose work contributes to the history of art produced in the 20th century.

The Art Dubai Modern Symposium was organised with the support of Alserkal Avenue.

WOMEN AND MODERNITY

From challenges to opportunities, this session addresses women in the realm of Modern Middle Eastern art at various points between the 1940s and 1980s.

Panelists include:
HRH Dr. Wijdan Fawaz Al Hashemi, Artist and Founder of the Jordan National Gallery of Fine Arts, Amman

Roobina Karode, Director of Kiran Nadar Museum, New Delhi
Salwa Mikdadi, Associate Professor of Art History at NYU Abu Dhabi
Dr. Sam Bardaouil Independent Curator and Academic, Co-founder of Art Reoriented
Moderated by Dr. Nada Shabout, Professor of Art History and Director of the Contemporary Arab and Muslim Studies Initiative at the University of North Texas, USA, and member of Art Dubai Modern Advisory Committee

PRESERVING MODERNISM
This discussion focuses on the need to preserve, document, archive and support Modern art in the region through publications, exhibitions and online platforms.

Panelists include:

Sheikha Hoor Al Qasimi, President, Sharjah Art Foundation

Dr. Nada Shabout, Professor of Art History and Director of the Contemporary Arab and Muslim Studies Initiative at the University of North Texas, USA, and member of Art Dubai Modern Advisory Committee
Karim Sultan, Curator, Barjeel Foundation, Sharjah
Moderated by Kristine Khouri, Researcher and writer, co-founder of the History of Arab Modernities in the Visual Arts Study Group, and member of Art Dubai Modern Advisory Committee

MODERNISTS AND SPIRITUALITY
With presentations by S.H. Raza, Anwar Jalal Shemza and Hadi Hazavei within Art Dubai Modern, this discussion will address the influence of spirituality in Modern art from the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia.
Panelists include:
Dr. Clare Davies, Assistant Curator, Middle East, North Africa and Turkey, Department of Modern and Contemporary Art, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
Dr. Venetia Porter, Curator, Islamic and Contemporary Middle East Art, the British Museum, London

Nada Raza, Research Curator, Tate Research Center: Asia

Moderated by Dr. Iftikhar Dadi, Associate Professor at Cornell University’s Department of History of Art, New York, and member of Art Dubai Modern Advisory Committee

THE HUMAN CONDITION
This session delves into how modernists perceived, addressed and mirrored their times – from conflict and poverty to traditions and spirituality.
Panelists include:
Ayo Adeyinka, Founder, TAFETA, London

Laura Barlow, Curator, Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art, Doha
Fatenn Mostafa, Founder, ArtTalks | Egypt, Cairo

Moderated by Arsalan Mohammad, freelance editor and writer

TRIBUTE TO SALOUA RAOUDA CHOUCAIR
Saleh Barakat, Founder, Agial Art Gallery and Saleh Barakat Gallery, Beirut

MANAGING ESTATES: A GALLERY STORY
As recognition for regional modernists grows through a greater appreciation amongst collectors, institutional exhibition and acquisitions, estates are being formed and managed. This discussion addresses the processes and intricacies behind estate formation, management and the safeguarding of modernists’ legacies.
Panelists include:
Amrita Jhaveri, Founder, Jhaveri Contemporary, Mumbai
Conor Macklin, Director, Grosvenor Gallery, London

Shirin Partovi Tavakolian, Founder, Shirin Gallery, Tehran / New York

Moderated by Tairone Bastien, Programming Director, Alserkal Avenue

DIFFERENT REGIONS, SHARED INFLUENCES
The Maghreb and South Asia: continents apart, culturally distinctive and spiritually varied and yet, works by modernists from these regions share influences and styles, which have often intersected and found parallels.
Panelists include:
Diana Campbell Betancourt, Artistic Director of the Samdani Art Foundation and Chief Curator of Dhaka Art Summit

Dr. Iftikhar Dadi, Associate Professor at Cornell University’s Department of History of Art, New York, and member of Art Dubai Modern Advisory Committee

Ridha Moumni, Independent Curator and Research Associate at the Institut de Recherche sur le Maghreb Contemporain, Tunis

Moderated by Vassilis Oikonomopoulos, Assistant Curator, Collections International Art, Tate Modern

SYRIA CALLING
A discussion with Syrian artist Elias Zayat about the inspiration, symbolism and mythology behind his iconic work, Deluge: The Gods Abandon Palmyra, and the impact of the Syrian crisis on him and fellow artists.
Panelists include:

Henry Kim, Director, Aga Khan Museum, Toronto

Elias Zayat, Artist, Syria