The Middle East and North Africa through the prism of art
About the Menart Fair held in Paris from September 20 to 22, 2024 on the theme of the place of women in oriental creation.
Less than 2% of the artists exhibited in international art galleries are women from the Arab world, Anne-Cécile Sanchez tells us in the September issue of L’Oeil magazine. A staggering observation that made Laure d’Hauteville, founder and director of the Menart Fair, an international modern and contemporary art fair dedicated to the artistic scenes of the Middle East and North Africa, want to dedicate the 5th edition to female artists from the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) zone. We understand her.
Thus, the Menart Fair 2024, which was held from September 20 to 22 at the Galerie d’art Joseph in Paris, was all the more remarkable because it was entirely dedicated to oriental female creation. An excellent initiative that not only highlighted the much underestimated contribution of women to the global art scene, but also uncovered gems, by offering collectors the opportunity to purchase artworks never before seen on the contemporary art market.
With nearly 100 artists represented by 29 galleries from 12 countries around the theme “Tribute to women artists”, i.e. the role of women in contemporary creation, this edition offered a unique platform to discover the diversity of artistic expressions in the region, with works covering a variety of mediums ranging from painting to photography, sculpture, installation and video. Among the new participating art galleries, Wusum Gallery (Doha) presented a focus on the Qatari scene through the artworks of four artists from different generations: Wafika Sultan (born in 1956), Suad Al-Salem (born in 1963), Amna AlBaker (born in 1996) and Zainab AlShibani (born in 2000). The art dealers came from Beirut, Brussels, Dubai, Cairo, Doha, Jordan, Kuwait, Marrakech, Marseille and Paris, reports Anne-Cécile Sanchez, as did the Bigaignon art gallery, which participated for the first time with a solo by the Iranian-born visual artist and performer Morvarid K (born in 1982).
A new sector, called "Revealing", also very judiciously appeared at the Menart Fair 2024 to highlight discoveries and emerging artists, such as Samaneh Atef (born in 1989), a self-taught artist whose ballpoint pen drawings are presented by the Marseille art gallery Polysémie. In addition to the exhibitions, the MENA international modern and contemporary art fair also organized, as it does every year, conferences and round tables, this time on the issues of women in art, in partnership with institutions such as AWARE and the MIA Art Collection. Another highlight was the reconstruction of Shah Tahmasp's Shâhnâmè, a legendary Persian manuscript from the 11th century, a precious work in the history of Persian art.
But let's go back a little to this essential showcase of modern and contemporary art from the Middle East and North Africa that the Menart Fair has become. It is important to know that in recent years, modern and contemporary art from the MENA region has experienced an unprecedented boom on the international scene. Created to support this artistic momentum, the Menart Fair has quickly established itself by bringing together contemporary artists, collectors, gallery owners and curators from all over the world. In a context where artistic boundaries are fading and cultures are increasingly crossing paths, this fair aims to be a space for dialogue, discovery and exchange around an art that is deeply rooted in history while being resolutely contemporary.
The Menart Fair stands out for its ability to highlight emerging talents, while celebrating established artists. Since its first edition, it has established itself as an essential platform for the promotion of the Middle Eastern and North African art scene, a space where connections are forged between local traditions and global trends. Created in 2021 by Laure d’Hauteville, an art enthusiast who had already played a key role in founding the Beirut Art Fair, the Menart Fair responds to a growing need for recognition for artists from the MENA region, long underrepresented in international art circuits. It is even surprising that, despite the richness and diversity of the cultures of this region, these artists have only recently begun to capture the attention of the global art market.
Since its first edition, the Menart Fair has made its mark with its ambition and commitment. Located in Paris, a global artistic crossroads, the fair offers an exceptional showcase for works that explore questions of identity, migration, geopolitics, gender, memory and modernity, through many mediums. It aims to demonstrate that the art of this region is not only rich and diverse, but that it also resonates with contemporary global concerns. The Middle East and North Africa, territories often perceived solely through the prism of political crises or conflicts, are in reality extremely dynamic hotbeds of artistic creation. For several decades, many artists from these regions have developed a unique visual language, capable of dialoguing with the major trends in world art while asserting their own identity. The Menart Fair offers an immersion into these complex artistic worlds, where ancient history mixes with contemporary issues.
The artists presented at the fair, whether young or established, come from countries as diverse as Lebanon, Egypt, Iran, Morocco, Palestine, Tunisia and the United Arab Emirates. Their works, often traversed by themes such as uprooting, exile or memory, bear witness to the intellectual and creative effervescence that animates this region. In this sense, the Menart Fair is part of a broader context of growing recognition of MENA artists on the international art market. Leading cultural institutions, such as the British Museum, the Louvre Abu Dhabi and the Qatar Museum, have begun to build collections of modern and contemporary art from this region, reflecting the importance of its contribution to world culture.
The Menart Fair brings together some of the most important galleries specializing in Middle Eastern and North African art. These play a key role in the dissemination and promotion of artists from the region, by accompanying them on the international art market and allowing them to engage with other art scenes. Among the most notable galleries during the various editions of the fair, we can mention Saleh Barakat Gallery (Lebanon), Elmarsa Gallery (Tunisia and Dubai), or Galerie Misr (Egypt).
One of the strengths of the Menart Fair is its ability to offer a balance between established artists and new talents. For example, artists such as Shirin Neshat (Iran), known worldwide for her works exploring the condition of women in Iran, or Kader Attia (France-Algeria), who questions colonial memories, were presented alongside younger artists such as Mohammed Sami or Alaa Edris, who explore contemporary themes such as displacement and urbanization.
In short, by claiming a very thoughtful and audacious curatorial approach, by bringing cultures into dialogue on neutral ground, the Menart Fair is far from being a simple trade fair... If you missed it this year, keep your eyes peeled in 2025!
Article written by Valibri en Roulotte