Exploring the Arab art scene.

Ater more than three decades devoted to intercultural mediation, Brahim Alaoui, former director of the museum of the Institut du Monde Arabe in Paris, looks back on his encounters with Arab artists in their home countries or in exile. He brings knowledge and a sensitive look at the work of a generation of modern artists who were often trained in post-war Europe and then went back to their country to reflect on their identity and develop a post-colonial modernity. Alaoui also presents a selection of contemporary artists who have emancipated themselves from the classical ways of representation at the turn of the 21st century, exploring new mediums and bringing an original contribution to the global dynamics of international artistic networks. Through 50 portraits of artists in their homes and studios, we come across the history of art in the Arab world since the beginning of the 20th century until today. An impor tant interview with the art critic Pascale Le Thorel allows us to contextualize Alaoui¿s encounters with the various artists. This publication will contribute to the reflection on ¿modernity,¿ rethought in its plurality and in the light of new values brought by cultural globalization.