Explore how artists experimented with听script听in North Africa, West Asia and South Asia in the wake of independence movements听听
This symposium鈥痺ill bring together scholars and researchers to鈥痚xplore an artistic current that transformed Arabic (including Persian and Urdu) letters and script into abstract鈥痸isual forms across North Africa, West Asia and South Asia in the wake of independence movements and the鈥痳ise of avant-garde groups and schools.听
The discussions will take a comparative transnational approach to explore the ways in which artists engaged with the abstract and expressive possibilities of script either independently or through the formation of 鈥渟chools鈥 (Khartoum school, Casablanca听Art听School) and movements听(Lettrism,鈥Hurufiyya,听Saqqakhana) at critical moments of transformation throughout the 20th鈥痗entury, particularly against the socio-political context of decolonization. This framework听will听open up questions around the development of transnational aesthetics of decolonization, as well as how these practices gesture at broader听networks and spheres听of affiliation, beyond national frameworks.听
Professor Iftikhar Dadi听is听Associate听Professor and听Chair of the Department of History of Art and听Director of the South Asia Program at Cornell University.听He researches modern and contemporary art from a global and transnational perspective, with emphasis on questions of methodology and intellectual history. His writings have focused on modernism and contemporary practice of Asia, the Middle East and their diasporas. Another research interest examines the film, media, and popular cultures of South Asia, seeking to understand how emergent publics forge new avenues for civic participation. Publications include听Modernism and the Art of Muslim South Asia听(2010), the edited monograph听Anwar Jalal听Shemza听(2015), the co-edited catalog听Lines of Control听(2012), and the co-edited reader听Unpacking听Europe听(2001).听Dadi听serves on the editorial and advisory boards of听Archives of Asian Art听and听Bio-Scope: South Asian Screen听Studies, and was member of the editorial board of听Art Journal听(2007-11). He is an advisor to Asia Art Archive. As an artist, Iftikhar听Dadi听works collaboratively with Elizabeth听Dadi. Their practice investigates memory, borders, and identity in contemporary听globalization, the productive capacities of urban informalities in the Global South, and the mass culture of postindustrial societies. They have exhibited widely internationally.听
Curator and scholar Dr. Fereshteh听Daftari听received her Ph.D. in Art History from Columbia University (1988). Her dissertation,听The Influence of Persian Art on Gauguin, Matisse and Kandinsky, was published in 1991. During her tenure at the Museum of Modern Art in New York (1988 鈥 2009), she curated a number of international exhibitions including听Without Boundary:听Seventeen Ways of Looking听(2006). Her curatorial work in the field of Iranian modernism includes听Between Word and Image听at New York University鈥檚 Grey Art Gallery in 2002, and听Iran Modern听at the Asia Society Museum in New York in 2013. She has also focused on contemporary art.听听Action Now, the first exhibition of contemporary Iranian performance art,听 was held in Paris (2012);听Safar/Voyage: Contemporary Works by Arab, Iranian, and Turkish Artists听at the University of British Columbia鈥檚 Museum of Anthropology in Vancouver (2013); and听Rebel, Jester, Mystic, Poet: Contemporary Persians听at the Aga Khan Museum in Toronto听 (2017). It then traveled to the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston and in 2021 it will go to the Asia Society Museum in New York.听听Daftari听has published widely and her most recent book is titled听Persia Reframed: Iranian Visions of Modern and Contemporary Art听(London: I.B. Tauris/Bloomsbury, 2019).听听
Nabila Abdel Nabi听is currently Curator, International Art at Tate Modern, working closely with the Hyundai Tate Research Centre: Transnational. Previously she worked as Associate Curator at The Power Plant, Toronto, and prior to this as Gallery Manager at The Third Line, Dubai. Nabila has worked on solo exhibitions and facilitated new commissions by artists including Abbas Akhavan, Kader Attia, Omar Ba,听Yto听Barrada, Karla Black,听Kapwani听Kiwanga, Amalia Pica and Vivian Suter among others. She recently curated the exhibition听Hold Everything Dear听with Hajra Waheed at The Power Plant, Toronto and was previously Art Editor at literary magazine听The Point. Nabila holds degrees from 91制片厂 and University of Chicago.听
Professor Sussan Babaie听teaches听at The听Courtauld.听Her听research has been supported by The Getty, The Fulbright and the National Endowment for the Humanities.听She听began听her听research (PhD 1994, Institute of Fine Arts, NYU), on the early modern period especially the Persianate-Islamicate听world and has听expanded its range to include a variety of topics including: on architecture, urbanism and urbanity (Isfahan and its Palaces, 2008, paperback 2018; and听Persian Kingship and Architecture, 2015); on transcultural conditions of artistic production (The Mercantile Effect:鈥疧n Art and Exchange in 迟丑别听Islamicate听World,听2017; and 鈥楾he Delhi Loot and the Exotics of Empire鈥, 2018); and most recently on the transmission of sensory experiences between the visual and the gustatory (鈥楥ookery and urbanity in early modern Isfahan鈥, 2018).听She听comes听from a graphic design background (BA 1979, University of Tehran) and听is听interested in exploring the interdependence between deep history of art and contemporary artistic practices of Iran and the Middle East. This research includes 鈥榁oices of Authority: Locating the 鈥榤odern鈥 in 鈥業slamic鈥 Arts鈥,听Getty Research Journal听(2011);听Shirin Neshat听(2013);听Honar: The听Afkhami听Collection of Modern and Contemporary Iranian Art听(2017); and in听Slavs and Tatars听(2017).
This Event is organised by Hyundai Tate Research Centre: Transnational in collaboration with The Courtauld.
