Arab Presences Resonate at the Musée d’Art Moderne de Paris
The Musée d’Art Moderne de Paris is inviting visitors to rediscover the diversity of 20th-century Arab Modernism and to take a fresh look at the history of art scenes still little known in Europe. Through a selection of over 200 works, most of which are exhibited for the first time in France, the exhibition Modern Art and Decolonization: Paris 1908 – 1988 focuses on the relationship between Arab artists and Paris throughout the 20th century. The exhibition is built around the trajectories of artists who studied at local art schools – both institutions of reference and platforms for cultural and educational colonisation – before moving to Paris. A city that is both colonial and anti-colonial, a refuge of solidarity and a strategic point of contact, a platform at once inclusive and exclusive. During the inauguration, we met Morad Montazami, Madeleine de Colnet and Odile Burluraux, curators of the exhibition, as well as Françoise Cohen, Chris Dercon, Zineb Sedira, Nil Yalter and Lauren d’Hauteville.
Photos : Michaël Huard
