Arab Express: The Latest Art from the Arab World

Dates: 16 June - 28 October, 2012

Contemporary art from the Arab world is currently attracting attention across the globe. Numerous exhibitions have been held over the past decade in art museums in Europe and the United States.
There are also clear indications that the art industry within the Arab world itself is maturing, with a new museum dedicated to local modern and contemporary art opening in Doha (Qatar) and satellite branches of the Louvre and Guggenheim Museum now under construction in Abu Dhabi (United Arab Emirates).

Within this context, "Arab Express" presents works of painting, sculpture, photography, video and installation by around 30 artists and artist groups, each of which has been selected as a result of our own original research in the region. While stereotypical images of the Arab world tend to include such things as terrorism, conflicts rooted in ethnic and religious causes, and political division, the Arabian people themselves of course continue to go about their lives, and the exhibition aims to convey the realities and subtleties of those lives to viewers through the wide range of artworks included in this show. As is suggested in its title, this exhibition provides a news-like "report" on the Arab world's current state as well as its diverse and rapidly changing cultures and lifestyles.