Call for Papers: Arab Art and the Geography of Post-imperialism

The Barjeel Art Foundation is pleased to announce a call for authors to submit papers as short chapters (3,000 to 5,000 words) for an art history book titled Arab Art and the Geography of Post-imperialism. This book will examine the social role and function of Arab artists of the late twentieth century and leading into the twenty-first century. Questions to be considered are: How did artists situate themselves as intellectuals in relation to their society, the state, and the environment? To what extent do artists extend or critique postcolonial and postmodernist theories or the persistence of Orientalism and imperialism in developing their own practices and theories of art?

The representative artists to be included in this book are listed below. The editors may consider a select number of proposals on other artists whose art and careers merit discourse. Authors are encouraged to select from the list and are invited to submit essays on the social context of their work. Essays that compare the theory and practice of Arab art as a part of the Global South are encouraged. Emphasis on how and why contemporary artists have responded to the multiple crises in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, the Gulf, Oman, Yemen, Libya, the Maghrib, Egypt, Sudan, Palestine, and most recently Gaza is encouraged.

This call for papers invites authors to submit an abstract proposal in English of 100 to 250 words by March 15, 2024. Upon review of the abstract proposal, the Barjeel Art Foundation will invite the author to submit a draft of the paper or chapter between 3,000 and 5,000 words in English, due by December 15, 2025. Submittals of the abstract and final drafts of papers may be sent to the co-editors, Sultan Sooud Al Qassemi and Patrick M. Kane, at submissions@barjeel.com. Authors with accepted papers will receive a grant of $3,000. For more information on the Barjeel Art Foundation, please see the website https://www.barjeelartfoundation.org/.

Download the call for papers as a PDF here. Submissions in Arabic and French will also be accepted.

Representative Artists