Art in Iraq Today. [English and Arabic Edition]

A book that highlights the enduring talent of contemporary Iraqi artists despite the circumstances that have forced them to relocate to various parts of the globe.
Modern Iraqi art represents one of the main foundation stones of modern Arab culture and by proxy, modern Middle Eastern culture. As with Iran, modern and contemporary culture in Iraq draws heavily on its rich pre-Islamic and Islamic heritage, from ancient times that brought us the Sumerian, Babylonian, Assyrian and Abbasid civilizations through to Ottoman Baghdad, the Iraq of the Baath party, and today an Iraq that has been ravaged by foreign invasion.
In the 1970s, Iraq, specifically Baghdad, was at the centre of a pan-Arab art movement. During the late 1970s and early 1980s, it became clear to many artists that the art movement, that had originally developed organically and free of political intervention from the 1950s, was becoming a political tool of propaganda for the mandarins of the Baath party. Forced to work within the parameters set by the government in state funded shows, a number of leading artists decided to leave Iraq for Europe and North America.
Today, a new generation of Iraqi artists, now part of the diaspora, is receiving much deserved international acclaim. This includes Jananne Al-Ani, Adel Abidin, Halim Al-Karim, Wafaa Bilal and Nedim Kufi; their works are held amongst major collections in Europe, North America and the Middle East.