Abu Dhabi Art has announced that The Farjam Foundation will be sponsoring the Abu Dhabi Art Talks this year and bringing the exhibition Arab Presences. Modern Art and Decolonisation. Paris 1908-1988 - Farjam Collection Close-Up co-curated by Morad Montazami and Madeleine de Colnet to the fair. An accompanying catalogue Arab Presences: Modern Art and Decolonization, Paris 1908-1988 will also be produced in English for the first time, to mark the occasion.
Dr Farhad Farjam, founder of the eponymous Foundation, stated
The Farjam Foundation is pleased to collaborate with Zamân Books & Curating, given our shared interests in research, education and highlighting of Arab, African and Asian modernisms. Thanks to this collaboration, the timely exhibition concept Arab Presences: Modern Art and Decolonization, Paris, 1908-1988, shown at the Paris Museum of Modern Art (3 April-25 August 2024) has been developed and expanded for the exhibition at Abu Dhabi Art 2024.
The Abu Dhabi iteration of the exhibition includes nearly 50 artworks on display from The Farjam Collection, including such modern masters and pioneers as Fateh Moudarres, Mehdi Moutashar, Bibi Zogbe, Baya, Mona Saudi, Rachi Koraïchi, Hamed Abdalla. A number of these additions are published in the English translation of the catalogue.
Curator of the exhibition Morad Montazami added,
By offering a new reading of post-colonial dynamics throughout the 20th century amongst artists from Arab countries residing in Paris as a training ground and world capital of the arts for at least the first half of the 20th century, the Abu Dhabi Art exhibition highlights both artists included in the original Paris exhibition and some who were not. This collaboration between The Farjam Collection, Zamân Books & Curating, and Abu Dhabi Art 2024 will be the first ever presentation of this significant historical subject in the GCC.
The exhibition and its accompanying book traces artistic trajectories from countries including Iraq, Lebanon, Egypt, Morocco, amongst others, revealing stories of exile, undermined legacies, fleeting fame, internationalism, and artistic solidarity. Together they offer a long-overdue mapping of "Paris as an Arab Capital", using both artworks and archival materials to restore this lost narrative, now ready to be revived and reassessed.
Dubai-based Farhad Jawad Farjam is a prominent Iranian-born philanthropist, entrepreneur, and art collector known for his deep appreciation of Islamic art and Middle Eastern contemporary art. Assembled over 50 years, The Farjam Collection is now one of the most comprehensive collections of Islamic and contemporary Middle Eastern art, as well as Western contemporary art in private hands. Spanning centuries of artistic production, the collection features exquisite manuscripts, calligraphy, ceramics, metal works, textiles and rare artefacts from the Islamic Golden Age, as well as notable works by pioneering modern and contemporary artists from the Islamic lands. The Farjam Foundation has hosted exhibitions, educational programs, and collaborations with prestigious international institutions, including partnerships with museums and cultural centers worldwide. The Foundation also actively supports charitable causes aimed at promoting healthcare, and cultural diplomacy. A firm believer in the power of art to bridge cultural divides, Dr. Farjam continues to champion initiatives that promote dialogue and understanding between diverse communities. Since 2008, The Farjam Foundation has proudly presented 28 curated exhibitions in its own space at the DIFC in Dubai. Since its establishment, the Foundation has taken part in significant projects in association with organizations such as the United Nation's World Food Program, the Dubai Cares Foundation, The King Charles III Charitable Fund, and a number of other international charitable bodies, as well as proudly
supporting The King's Foundation School of Traditional Arts and sponsoring the role of Farjam Curator of Islamic Arts at the British Museum, London.
The Farjam Foundation is the sponsor of the Talks Programme at Abu Dhabi Art 2024, further extending its support for critical research and knowledge production in the field of art through delivering a dynamic programme of panel discussions, talks and book launches at the Fair this year.
