From St. Moritz to Gstaad, from Capri to the Berkshires, from Punta del Este to Joshua Tree, smaller, boutique fairs are setting up shop where collectors already are.
I wrote about the so called “Destination Art Fairs” for Observer.
English
“There is a Kazakh proverb that says: a foolish person arrives with noise, sweeping everything away in their path, while a wise person arrives quietly, carefully observing the world around them.”
Syrlybek Bekbota, the curator of the Kazakhstan Pavilion at the 61st Venice Biennale – the most important art event in the world – offers me this thought at the dawn of the exhibition’s opening, and it feels like both a manifesto and an omen.
I wrote the piece for Times of Central Asia.
Here is the link to the article
Read More
There is an organic quality to the art scene in Tunis, where art grows out of the bustling, lively, chaotic energy that agitates the city’s streets and animates individuals trying to channel it into an art system.
That’s not an easy feat for a scene that can’t rely on any kind of government master plan, but solely on a handful of people who have set out on a mission to build something durable.
Here is the link to the article
Read More
This year, Asia at the Venice Biennale explores themes ranging from postcolonialism to contemporary spirituality, thanks to artists from countries where the art scene is now well-established—such as China and Indonesia—as well as from emerging regions that are giving rise to new narratives.
I wrote the piece for Il manifesto.
Here the link to the article (in Italian)
Read More
Morocco’s art scene is diverse and growing, spanning independent spaces, commercial galleries and international fairs. While Marrakech positions itself as a global hub, Casablanca’s scene is closely tied to its history and political reality.
My report from Marrakech and Casa has just been published by the German magazine Qantara.
Here is the link to the article
Read More
Loft Gallery director has spent nearly two decades building one of the country’s most important contemporary art spaces, while quietly assembling a collection guided entirely by instinct and love.
I have interviewed her for Observer.
Read More
In the work of the young Egyptian artist Mariem Abutaleb , the Arabic language and alphabet become a symphony of signs that attempts to remove barriers. “When writing transcends readability, it’s meant to be felt,” says the artist. Her work is a visual demonstration of this idea.
From afar, her work looks as familiar as calligraphy, it’s only by coming close that one realizes she’s not referencing a specific language. And it’s precisely in this fluid approach that her artistic practice lies.
I have interviewed the artist for The Markaz Review.
Here is the link to the interview
Read More
421 contradicts several preconceived ideas the West might hold about the UAE art scene, often associated with large institutions projecting national ambition outward, from the Louvre Abu Dhabi and the forthcoming Guggenheim to the Sharjah Biennial. Taking another approach, 421 operates on a smaller scale, with slower timing and direct relationships with artists.
I visited 421 Art Campus and reported for ArtAsiaPacific.
Born in Casablanca in 1969, Ymane Fakhir is a Franco-Moroccan artist based in Marseille. Trained at the Casablanca School of Fine Arts, the Aix-en-Provence School of Art and the Arles National School of Photography, she combines photography, video and installation to explore memory, rituals and intangible heritage.
I have interviewed the artist for the Hebdo du Quotidien de l’Art.
Here is the link to the interview (in French)
For art lovers, there is only one way to do it all during the ever-growing list of art weeks: cloning. However, since we are not there yet, the only option seems to be a strict selection of shows to attend among the plethora of exhibitions.
In Paris last month, amid the swirl of new voices, major retrospectives and multiple art fairs across arrondissements, I chose one that allowed me to decelerate and truly see: “UMBRA,” Nika Neelova’s solo exhibition, on view through December 19 at NIKA Project Space in Komunuma.
I wrote the article for the Observer.
Read More
The art world came to Turkey in September for two high-profile events: Contemporary Istanbul and the 18th Istanbul Biennial. Against a backdrop of political crisis and growing censorship, organisers and artists found creative ways to stay relevant. I wrote the article for Qantara.
Read More
In regions like Latvia, where audiences aren’t saturated with contemporary art, you don’t need cynicism or irony,” says Payam of artist collective Slavs and Tatars. “That makes it possible to present pieces that are both aesthetically strong and politically charged, and the audience receives them without the defensive distance you might find elsewhere.
I wrote the article for Observer
Read More
