"The Arab Apocalypse": Art, Abstraction and Activism in the Middle East

Radwan, Nadia Susanne (September 2018). "The Arab Apocalypse": Art, Abstraction and Activism in the Middle East (Unpublished). In: Etel Adnan Symposium: "The Arab Apocalypse" Art, Abstraction & Activism in the Middle East. Zentrum Paul Klee, Bern. 27.09.2018 – 28.09.2018.

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

Item Type:

Conference or Workshop Item (Abstract)

Division/Institute:

06 Faculty of Humanities > Department of Art and Cultural Studies > Institute of Art History > Contemporary Art
06 Faculty of Humanities > Department of Art and Cultural Studies > Institute of Art History

UniBE Contributor:

Radwan, Nadia Susanne

Subjects:

700 Arts

Language:

English

Submitter:

Nadia Susanne Radwan

Date Deposited:

03 Jun 2019 09:51

Last Modified:

05 Dec 2022 15:27

URI:

https://boris.unibe.ch/id/eprint/128756

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