"The Arab Apocalypse": Art, Abstraction and Activism in the Middle East
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Date of Publication
September 2018
Publication Type
Conference Item
Division/Institute
Subject(s)
Language
English
Description
On the occasion of the Etel Adnan exhibition (Zentrum Paul Klee, Bern, 15.06 - 07.10.2018),
the University of Bern and the Zentrum Paul Klee are jointly organizing a symposium focusing
on themes that are reflected by the work and career of the American-Lebanese artist and
writer Etel Adnan. “The Arab Apocalypse” refers to her series of 59 illustrated poems about
the Lebanese Civil War (originally published under the title L’Apocalypse arabe, 1980) and
offers a starting point to discuss the issues of Art and activism in the Arab World. This
symposium questions the ability of art and the museum to function as mediums for political
protest and humanitarian activism. What does the relationship between art and activism tell
us about the aesthetization of politics? Additionally, the symposium seeks to address the
issue of abstract forms of art and avant-garde in the region by examining its current goals and
historical roots. What does it mean to be an abstract artist in the Middle East? How can
abstraction inform us about political and social dissent? Other themes will be addressed in
relation to Adnan’s works, such as the role of Arab women in the global art scene. This event
will bring together scholars, as well as PhD students working on these topics.
Etel Adnan
the University of Bern and the Zentrum Paul Klee are jointly organizing a symposium focusing
on themes that are reflected by the work and career of the American-Lebanese artist and
writer Etel Adnan. “The Arab Apocalypse” refers to her series of 59 illustrated poems about
the Lebanese Civil War (originally published under the title L’Apocalypse arabe, 1980) and
offers a starting point to discuss the issues of Art and activism in the Arab World. This
symposium questions the ability of art and the museum to function as mediums for political
protest and humanitarian activism. What does the relationship between art and activism tell
us about the aesthetization of politics? Additionally, the symposium seeks to address the
issue of abstract forms of art and avant-garde in the region by examining its current goals and
historical roots. What does it mean to be an abstract artist in the Middle East? How can
abstraction inform us about political and social dissent? Other themes will be addressed in
relation to Adnan’s works, such as the role of Arab women in the global art scene. This event
will bring together scholars, as well as PhD students working on these topics.
Etel Adnan