interventions: a dialogue between the modern and contemporary

Modern Art

interventions: a dialogue between the modern and contemporary

December 30, 2010 – May 28, 2011

Curated by Nada Shabout

This exhibition honored and celebrated the lives and careers of five pivotal modernist Arab artists: Dia Azzawi, Farid Belkahia, Ahmed Nawar, Ibrahim el-Salahi, and Hassan Sharif. As well as highlighting key moments in their experiments and oeuvres, Interventions introduced five new works commissioned by Mathaf from the artists for this exhibition. These new works were presented alongside pertinent pieces from Mathaf's permanent collection, providing a context which emphasized thematic and artistic progression. The new works asserted the continuing commitment of the five artists and the endurance of their discourse and cultural roles.

artist encounters

We are Mathaf

As part of Mathaf’s educational program, Artist Encounters, Hassan Sharif paid the museum a visit in April 2011. As the foremost UAE contemporary artist, he engaged the public in a discussion about the evolution of his career, paying specific attention to works in Mathaf’s collection.

Hassan Sharif’s works range from painting, printmaking, installation, and performance art, illustrating over 30 years of his artistic development in the Gulf and abroad.

> watch the artist talk (coming soon)

behind the scenes

an underlying theme in the work of the five
artists is their occupation with human
suffering and preservation of humanity.
Their work negotiates an existentialist quest
for understanding the modern self and the archeology of being.
Nada Shabout
Curator of Interventions
Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art

interventions catalogue

  • Published to coincide with the Interventions exhibition, this bilingual (English-Arabic) volume includes extensive quotes from the artist themselves, essays penned by international authors, as well as an exclusive look behind-the-scenes of the artists at work.

    The Interventions catalogue can be purchased on Amazon or at Mahal, Mathaf’s gift shop.

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