LECTURE
Le catalogue d’exposition : une fenêtre sur la création artistique irakienne parmi d'autres
Zouina Ait Slimani
INHA, Paris, Perrot room, 6.11.23, 11-12:45 am
Within the framework of the seminar "Art et mondialisation: Le catalogue s'expose" directed by Prof. Marie Gispert (Paris 1 University, France), Zouina Ait Slimani will present a lecture to address critical inquiries concerning the evolving role of the exhibition catalogue as a primary resource in Iraqi art history.
Traditionally regarded as a secondary source, the catalogue has assumed a paramount significance in the context of Iraqi art history. This situation prompts questions about its status as an object geared more toward popularization than academic research.
Zouina Ait Slimani will delve into the intricate transformation of these catalogues into dynamic subjects of research, incorporating both primary and secondary sources. In this process, they reconstruct the history of artwork spoliation during wartime and the destruction of cultural heritage, while concurrently contributing to the recognition of artists. The presentation will further scrutinize the presence of these research subjects, spanning from the 1930s to the 1980s, underscoring the recurring themes and distinctive characteristics of each era, as well as delving into the publication process and the manner in which the catalogue genre serves as a vehicle for the establishment of knowledge. Ultimately, this lecture will invite to reflect about the catalogue as a knowledge-bearing artifact, introducing essential queries concerning the approaches to framing the historiography of modern and contemporary Iraqi art.