TAARII Newsletter the American Academic Research Institute in Iraq

SPRING 2012 PAGE 1 TAARII Newsletter The American Academic Research Institute in Iraq ISSUE NO. 7-1 SPRING 2012 © TAARII MODERN ART IN IRAQ: FROM THE PIONEERS OF THE 1930s TO THE LOOTING OF 2003 Figure 1.1. Artworks stolen in 2003 that have yet to be recovered include those of (from upper left to lower right): Jawad Saleem, Alaa Basheer, Atta Sabri, Faraj Abou, Fouad Jehad, and Hafidh al-Dorooby PAGE 2 TAARII NEWSLETTER Following the collapse University of North Texas of the Ba‘th Regime in (UNT), and Williams 2003, over 7,000 artworks College began with a brief in Iraq were damaged or overview of the breadth of stolen. Only about 700 modern Iraqi art followed have been recovered. The by a detailed account of history of modern art in the looting of the artworks Iraq, the looted artworks, from such locations as and the efforts to recover the Baghdad Center them were the topics of for the Arts, Baghdad a TAARII-sponsored International Airport, Al- lecture tour in three Rashid Hotel, and former states in February and palaces. Sabri described March 2012 with Salam the various efforts to Atta Sabri, an Iraqi artist, recover the lost artwork, founder and Director his own involvement, of the Iraqi Pioneers and the successes they Committee, and the Figure 1.2. Salam Atta Sabri gave three public lectures during his U.S. have had. Many of the Director of the National visit, including one at Portland State University (Photo credit: Karen audiences’ questions and Lickteig, Middle East Studies Center, PSU) Museum of Modern Art comments centered on in Baghdad. Sabri drew ways that they can help on his own experience and that of his East Studies Center of Portland State support the recovery of the stolen art. father, Atta Sabri, a pioneer of modern University, Dr. Nada Shabout of the Along with his public lecture at PSU Iraqi fine arts. The lecture tour was University of North Texas, and Dr. and an extensive tour of the Portland Art made possible by the collaboration of Magnus Bernhardsson of Williams Museum, Sabri visited two of Portland local partners and funding provided College helped arrange lectures and Community College’s (PCC) campuses by the Council for American Overseas visits in their local areas. and the Pacific Northwest College of Research Centers (CAORC) through a Salam Atta Sabri’s public lectures at Art (PNCA). He addressed a painting grant from the Carnegie Corporation of Portland State University (PSU), the class about elements of Iraqi modern art New York. and art history students Salam Atta Sabri was and faculty members invited to the United about the history and States as one of the development of modern twenty recipients of art in Iraq. At PNCA, a Getty International Sabri spoke to students Travel Award from and guests in a seminar t h e C o l l e g e A r t on the “Theory of the Association (CAA) Object.” He also visited to attend its annual several art galleries with m e e t i n g i n L o s the students, sharing Angeles and learn his experiences and ways to promote the exchanging ideas. Sabri teaching of art history also met with members in their own countries. of the Iraqi community The CAORC-Carnegie in Portland, including f u n d i n g a l l o w e d two artists. TAARII to expand In addition to a public the audiences that lecture sponsored by benefitted from his Figure 1.3. In his public lectures, Salam Atta Sabri gave a brief history of the the Contemporary Arab visit to the United pioneers of modern Iraqi art, including his father, Atta Sabri, who painted the and Muslim Cultural States. The Middle above untitled picture in 1942 (Photo credit: Modern Art Iraq Archive S t u d i e s I n s t i t u t e [http://artiraq.org/maia/]) SPRING 2012 PAGE 3 (CAMCSI) and the University up a small show at of North Texas (UNT), Sabri the Williams College participated in a dual interview in student center about the Dallas-Fort Worth area with the missing art works Dr. Nada Shabout for a local news from Iraq in order to station, Channel 8 WFAA-ABC, on a raise awareness. story regarding the recovery of looted S a b r i a l s o artworks. In this interview, Sabri visited the nearby communicated his optimism about M a s s a c h u s e t t s the recovery process, as well as his M u s e u m o f commitment to the recovery in the Contemporary Art risky years ahead. Sabri visited the (MassMoca), a large arts district of both Fort Worth and c o n t e m p o r a r y a r t Dallas and met with various members museum set in an old of the Iraqi-American community. textile factory that Figure 1.4. Salam Atta Sabri (center) joined Dr. Nada Shabout At Williams College in closed down in the (left) and Dr. Robert Milnes (right), Dean of the College of Williamstown, Massachusetts, Sabri 1960s. MassMoca Visual Arts and Design of the University of North Texas, at a gave a public lecture on campus. He n o t o n l y h o u s e s dinner celebrating his visit. (Photo credit: Nada Shabout) also presented to an undergraduate interesting art but class on Iraq and Iran in the twentieth also serves as an century an overview of daily life in intriguing economic experiment. for the National Museum of Modern Iraq and what he thought young people MassMoca has led the revival of the Art in Baghdad to partner with could do to improve the situation city of North Adams, demonstrating Williams College Museum of Art on there. Afterwards, he discussed with that culture and art can be a positive an exhibition in the summer of 2014. several students specifically what contributor to economic development, At the end of his visit to the United they could do. Sabri encouraged two an idea that interested Sabri for the States, Salam Atta Sabri met with students who were considering going future of Iraq. Sabri also toured the administrators at the Museum of to Jordan this summer to work at a Clark Art Institute in Williamstown, Modern Art in New York City and sports camp for Iraqi refugee girls and a first-class art museum that is known visited the Metropolitan Museum of three other students who spoke with for its collection of impressionist art. Art, all before heading to the airport him about the possibility of putting In addition, Sabri discussed plans to return to Iraq. Figure 1.5. Salam Atta Sabri addressing students at the Pacific Northwest College of Art (Photo credit: PNCA) PAGE 4 TAARII NEWSLETTER IRAQ’S ARTISTIC HERITAGE: FROM HAIFA STREET TO THE BERKSHIRE MOUNTAINS Niralee shah, imaN lipumba, laura VillafraNco, aseel abulhab & JaVier mariscal March 7, 2012, was a unique day for moved a group of us to expose ourselves our history class on Iraq and Iran and the Williams community at large to with Professor Magnus Bernhardsson this unknown and too-often overlooked at Williams College. The rustling of face of the 2003 invasion of Iraq: the bookbags and papers calmed, ears destruction and looting of Iraq’s artistic perked up, and bodies perched forward heritage. Following Sabri’s visit, we as Salam Atta Sabri, director of the created an art exhibit displaying works National Museum of Modern Art in from the National Museum of Modern Baghdad, began his story of the looting Art. Though there were over a hundred and destruction of this great Iraqi premier Iraqi artists from which to national landmark. choose, we limited our exhibit to five Students at Williams College, a small individuals: Mahoud Ahmad, Layla al- Figure 2.1. First-year student views Iraqi liberal arts college nestled in the rural Attar, Khaled al-Jader, Faraj Abbu, and art exhibition (Photo Credit: Niralee Shah) Berkshire Mountains of Massachusetts, Rafa al-Nasiri. often complain of being cut-off from On the evening of April 27, 2012, asking the international community for the “real world.” During our time at in a study lounge in an academic assistance. Another laptop displayed Williams, we exist in a shell of security building chosen for its retro gallery the Modern Art Iraq Archive (MAIA), and privilege, which at times causes vibe, we created a space for Iraqi art an online project to collect and archive our educational experience to lack the and culture. Multiple collages placed information on the lost art. A reel of on-the-ground, human perspective of throughout the lounge exhibited works slides projected onto the wall covered the issues we discuss. However, March by each of the featured artists, along additional works by other Iraqi modern 7 was different. As Sabri described with the information that we managed artists. The exhibit remained on display the state of Iraq’s largest modern art to gather on the works and their for one week. museum, the real human impact of the creators. We displayed articles about What moved us about Sabri’s visit looting was palpable. the museum and set up a laptop where was not only his heartfelt passion and Sabri’s visit to our class and the the public could watch a clip of Sabri grief over Iraq’s artwork, but also his encouragement of Professor Bernhardsson discussing the museum’s trials and personal account of the difficulties of everyday life in Iraq.

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