With the support of the Farjam Foundation, Zamân Books is publishing the English version of the catalog «Arab Presences – Modern Art and Decolonization – Paris 1908-1988», originally released during the eponymous exhibition recently held at the Musée d’Art Moderne de Paris (April 3 – August 25, 2024).

Through a chronological and transnational journey (from North Africa to West Asia), the book examines Paris’s role in the development of modern Arab art, inviting us to explore the spaces where artists trained, exhibited, exchanged ideas, and connected.

The works featured come from the collections of French museums, family archives, as well as major foundations and museums in the Arab world. Over 130 artists are presented within the historical context of decolonization, divided into four chronological periods (1908–1988).
All of them studied, lived, exhibited, or engaged politically in Paris, whether briefly or for extended periods. Beyond the artistic sphere, they represent a Paris that was both colonial and anticolonial, a cosmopolitan
refuge, and a place of solidarity.

The publication brings together largely unpublished documentation and images covering the major chapters of modern Arab art in Paris; numerous essays, thematic notes and transnational chronologies; and articles by leading authors including Michael Goebel, Emilie Goudal, Morad Montazami and Silvia Naef.
Bringing together a vast collection of artworks and archival documents, this book aims to map the exchanges between Paris and Arab modernities, shedding light on a largely under-documented art history.

The book launch will be accompanied by an exhibition featuring nearly 50 works from the Farjam Collection, showcasing modern masters and pioneers such as Paul Guiragossian, Fateh Moudarres, Mehdi Moutashar, Bibi Zogbe, Baya, Mona Saudi, Rachid Koraïchi, and Hamed Abdalla.

« By offering a new reading of (post-)colonial dynamics throughout the 20th century amongst artists from Arab countries residing in Paris as a training ground and world capital of the arts for at least the first half of the 20th century, the Abu Dhabi exhibition highlights both artists included in the original Paris exhibition and some who were not. This collaboration between The Farjam Collection, Zamân Books & Curating, and Abu Dhabi Art 2024 will be the first ever presentation of this significant historical subject in the GCC.»