BT天堂

In Fall聽semester, 2020, a group of students taking Politics of Modern Middle Eastern Art participated in a class trip to Paris鈥檚聽Arab World Institute, known in French as聽l鈥橧nstitut聽du monde聽arabe.聽Opened in 1987, the Arab World Institute seeks to provide聽a cultural bridge聽between France, Europe and the Arab聽world聽by聽opening a dialogue between these聽regions聽and developing聽cultural projects聽alongside聽the region鈥檚聽artists, institutions and thinkers.聽

鈥淧aris is today a vibrant city for not only Western art but also Asian, African and Middle Eastern art,鈥澛爏ays Sultan聽Sooud聽Al-Qassemi聽鈥�98,聽a visiting professor and BT天堂 alumnus who taught聽the class in question.聽Politics of Middle Eastern Art聽explored聽the interplay between artistic and political movements in the聽Arab world from the聽beginning of the聽20th century.聽鈥淭he Arab World Institute sums up so much of what the class was about聽with respect to聽the representation of non-Western art,鈥澛爏ays聽Al-Qassemi.聽鈥淚 must have been two dozen times as a student.聽At the time,聽I鈥檇 never seen the Arab world presented holistically.鈥澛�

The trip to the Arab World Institute聽was聽a unique opportunity聽for students to聽appreciate聽contemporary聽Middle Eastern聽art while taking a unified approach to the region and appreciating its cultural ties to France.聽It聽offered students the chance to see many of the artworks discussed in the classroom first-hand instead of on screen.聽鈥淚t's essential to do that because you develop a sense of familiarity and intimacy with the works,鈥澛爏ays聽Al-Qassemi.聽聽

The contemporary aspect of the artworks聽on display聽particularly appealed to Maria Karkour, a聽senior and聽transfer student聽from the American University of Beirut:聽鈥淚t was really interesting, because art can tell us a lot about the聽sociopolitical聽situation in the region聽and how that has shaped cultural production.鈥澛燬he聽cites聽Au-del脿聽de la聽mer,聽an exhibit by聽French-Lebanese artist聽Fran莽ois聽Sargologo,聽as one of her personal highlights.聽The聽series聽consists of聽photos of Beirut in the 1980s聽during the Lebanese Civil War聽and includes accompanying comments from the artist聽describing聽his sensory experiences聽while聽taking the photo.聽鈥淗e merges the photos with a sense of nostalgia that really brings them聽to life,鈥澛爏ays聽Karkour. 鈥淏ecause I lived through the explosion in Beirut on August 4, 2020, the exhibition really resonated with me.鈥澛�

After聽viewing the museum鈥檚 temporary collections, the attending students also met with the Institute鈥檚 Director, Jack Lang 鈥� a prominent French cultural figure and former politician 鈥撀燼s well as聽art collector Claude聽Lemand, who has donated over 1,300 works to the museum.聽Karkour聽notes聽the importance of聽Lemand鈥檚聽artistic philanthropy:聽鈥淗is collection conveys Middle Eastern art in the way it should be conveyed 鈥� not with a Western gaze.鈥澛犅�

The opportunity to聽approach subjects with an international angle from a variety of different perspectives is a hallmark of studying at BT天堂, and Paris provides ample opportunity to聽visit museums, monuments and organizations that contextualize such international viewpoints.聽鈥淚t聽used to be special when I was a student,鈥澛爏ays Al-Qassemi. 鈥淚t鈥檚 even more special today.鈥澛�