{"id":13021,"date":"2018-06-28T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2018-06-28T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cms.alj3.clients.lemonhq.io\/perspectives\/painting-bright-future-middle-eastern-art\/"},"modified":"2026-03-20T05:33:17","modified_gmt":"2026-03-20T05:33:17","slug":"painting-bright-future-middle-eastern-art","status":"publish","type":"perspectives","link":"https:\/\/cms.alj3.clients.lemonhq.io\/en\/perspectives\/painting-bright-future-middle-eastern-art\/","title":{"rendered":"Painting a bright future for Middle Eastern art"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"As Director of Art Jameel, Antonia Carver<\/a> has a front-row seat as the Middle East\u2019s art scene develops a worldwide reputation.<\/em><\/p>\n

She spoke to Opening Doors to discuss Art Jameel\u2019s role in the exciting changes affecting Saudi Arabia, UAE and the wider region\u2019s art sector.<\/em><\/p>\n

In the almost 20 years since Antonia Carver<\/a> arrived in the Middle East, many things have changed. \u00a0But few have undergone such a vibrant transformation as the arts scene of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.\u00a0 \u201cThere\u2019s been a seismic shift in interest and understanding of the Middle East and awareness of the great artistic talent that comes out of this region,\u201d<\/em> she says.<\/p>\n

It is an opportunity, she believes, that the region has quickly grasped.\u00a0 Saudi Arabia has a dynamic and fast-growing arts scene. \u00a0Sharjah has more museums than any other Gulf city and the Sharjah Biennial has run for more than 20 years.\u00a0 Abu Dhabi is home to The Louvre. \u00a0And Dubai hosts more galleries than any other Middle Eastern city, while its auction houses and art fair has helped it to become the commercial hub for Middle Eastern art.<\/p>\n

So while places like Baghdad, Beirut, Amman and Cairo have been \u2018grand old centers of culture\u2019 for centuries, new cities are now forging an exciting path to global dominance.<\/p>\n

Carver explains: \u201cIn the mid-2000s there was a big shift towards understanding Gulf cities. \u00a0They were cultural destinations and places that could bring together people in a way no other sites could.\u00a0 Dubai, for example, became a place where the art world at large came to access art from South Asia, from Iran, and from the wider Arab world.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

It is a backdrop against which Art Jameel, the creative industries arm of Community Jameel, has been able to flourish.\u00a0 It is currently developing major new arts centers in both Saudi Arabia and Dubai.\u00a0 Hayy Jameel will open in 2019 in Jeddah, while Dubai\u2019s Jameel Arts Centre, which will be a contemporary arts institution hosting world-class exhibitions supported by library and learning opportunities, is scheduled to open in November this year.<\/p>\n

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Project Space Art Jameel, in Alserkal Avenue, Dubai, features a year-round programme of art exhibitions, studios, workshops and events.<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cAs an organization, Art Jameel operates on an international and a local level,\u201d<\/em> says Carver. \u00a0\u201cOur main bases are in Dubai and Jeddah, and we also have major supporters in London (The V&A) and New York (the Met).\u00a0 But at the heart of the organization is the nurturing and showcasing of Middle Eastern artists to the rest of the world.\u00a0 In Saudi Arabia, for example, we\u2019re working very locally, from the ground up, and then pairing that with an international approach by being the connector that links those two scenes.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

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The Jameel Arts Center, Dubai<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n

In Dubai, an international approach dominates every aspect of life \u2013 including the arts, where Art Jameel acts an important catalyst.\u00a0 \u201cThe Jameel Arts Centre is a place for everyone,\u201d<\/em> says Carver. \u00a0\u201cThat\u2019s a message that comes from the very top of our organization.\u00a0 We\u2019re really looking at communities at large, and looking at how art can impact on lives and contribute to a building a thriving society.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

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Mehdi Moutashar and Marina Tabassum announced as first ever joint winners of Jameel Prize 5, flanked by Antonia Carver<\/a>, left, Tristram Hunt, Director of the V&A (far left) and Fady M Jameel<\/a>, right.<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n

Through initiatives such as the Jameel Prize, an international award for contemporary art and design inspired by Islamic tradition and run in partnership with London\u2019s V&A museum, Art Jameel encourages and supports the growth of Middle Eastern art around the world.<\/p>\n

Staging the award also provides a bank of knowledge that helps to shape Art Jameel\u2019s operations in Saudi Arabia and Dubai, where different audiences benefit from different experiences.<\/p>\n