Naima Morelli

Archive
Review

There, Where Wings Grow opens as a multifaceted meditation on the cycles of nature, and particularly on the steppe, explored by several Central Asian artists through ecological, historical, and mythic lenses. What emerges is not a nostalgic portrait of a nomadic past but a layered reflection on resilience and renewal.

At the center of the curatorial vision is Alan Medoev, the archaeologist whose 1960s expeditions uncovered hundreds of sites across the Kazakh steppe. His discoveries challenged Soviet portrayals of the region as an empty expanse and instead presented it as a cradle of memory. The exhibition extends that lineage, tracing how the steppe continues to act as an archive where cultural, personal, and ecological time intersect.

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An art installation made up of stacked oranges formed into a set of curving walls

Together, shows staged by the DEO Foundation and Perasma underscore how art can take root in unexpected places, drawing visitors beyond the well-worn circuits of cultural tourism. I wrote the piece for the Observer.

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Are we watching or being watched? Ali Cherri’s new show in Marseille, on view through the 4th of January 2026, deconstructs the museum from the inside out. I wrote the article for The Markaz Review.

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My review of the show “The Utopia of Rules”, which I saw at the Singapore Art Week at the beginning of the year, has been published in the latest issue of Mekong Review.

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A painted green and blue wall with dripping effects, depicting tropical plants and foliage, intersected by a metal structural frame on the right.

Very proud to have my first review in Artforum. This is a review of the installation Artificial Green by Nature Green 4.0 at the 2024 Bangkok Art Biennale by artists Bagus Pandega and Kei Imazu’s.

The work cyclically generated and erased images of a lush Indonesian rainforest, like Penelope repeatedly weaving and unraveling her shroud.

Here is the link to the review

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Affiche de l'exposition "Revenir" © passeport - photo David Giancatarina, Sfeir-Semler Gallery Hamburg/Beirut, Adagp, Paris, 2024 et © archives famille Ghoussoub Feghali, Collections du Muse national de l'histoire de l'immigration - Établissement public du Palais de la Porte Dorée

As I walked to the museum in the southern French city, some graffiti on a restaurant shutter caught my eye: “If a place attracts you, it’s because there is something waiting for you, and your story there has already been written.”

These words stuck with me as I turned the corner and the incredible MUCEM building stood before me, epic in shape and location, silhouetted against the cloudy sky, seemingly suspended on the sea.

“Revenir” focuses on the idea of home, travel and returning. This is not only the scope of the show, but the wider project of the museum, which is dedicated to Mediterranean cultures, especially to that very specific blend for which this city port is renowned.

Running until 16 March at the Museum of European and Mediterranean Civilisations (MUCEM) in Marseille, the exhibition “Revenir” (“Return”) invites visitors to explore the experiences of returning to one’s homeland.

I wrote about the show for Middle East Monitor.

Here is the link to the review

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I have written about the new show of Mous Lamrabat “Homesick”, now at Loft Art Gallery in Marrakech through the 15th of March, for The Markaz Review.

The series is a striking meditation on identity, nostalgia, and cultural fusion. Through twenty powerful new works, the Moroccan-Belgian photographer reimagines heritage with contemporary aesthetics, bridging past and present in an emotional exploration of belonging.

Here is the link to the review

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Art installation at the Desert X AlUla 2024 exhibition in Saudi Arabia

Over the past three years, there has been a shift in perception around the Saudi Arabian art scene, and at this year’s Desert X AlUla, artists benefitted from freer expression.

I have review the art festival for the German webmagazine Qantara.

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Nabil Anani's Eye on Jerusalem, 2012

My latest piece about Nabil Anani’s new show, currently at Zawyeh Gallery, just came out for The New Arab.

Nabil is one of the founders of the contemporary Palestinian art movement. His works highlight Palestine’s folkloric culture and seek to foster national pride beyond Israel’s 75-year occupation.

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From spiritual heights to the depths of the flesh, Malaysian artist Yeoh Choo Kuan has filtered the broad spectrum of human emotions and tension through the medium of abstract painting.

I have always felt a special kinship with the artwork of artist Yeoh Choo Kuan. A few years ago I wrote the texts for his monograph published by Richard Koh Fine Art, and a couple of months ago I have interviewed him for ArtAsiaPacific about his recent Singapore show.

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I have written about Indonesian emerging artist Victoria Kosasie – whose work I discovered thanks to the Bandung Contemporary Art Awards – for the November/December issue of ArtAsiaPacific.

Undoubtedly one of the most important magazines about contemporary art in Asia, writing for ArtAsiaPacific has always been a goal of mine since starting researching Southeast Asia more than 10 years ago. This is my second piece for them.

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Rula Halawani

“I believe in destiny. And indeed the way I began with photography was a complete accident,” says Palestinian artist Rula Halawani: “It was just something that came to me.”

Born in Jerusalem in 1964, Halawani is influencing generations of young artists and photographers, both with her rich oeuvre, exhibited in shows, Biennales, and art fairs around the world, as well as her role as an art teacher and professor at Birzeit University in Palestine. I spoke to her for Al-Monitor.

Here is the link to the interview 

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