The Misk Art Institute’s ongoing exhibition, Art Across the Arabian Gulf, offers a sweeping exploration of the cultural and economic transformations that shaped the Gulf region from the 1950s to the 1990s. Running until March 31, the exhibition brings together paintings, sculptures, and conceptual installations by artists from across the Arabian Peninsula.
Through its curated selection, the exhibition highlights how rapid modernization, shifting identities, and evolving social landscapes found expression in the visual arts. Works from the mid-20th century document the rise of oil economies, urban development, and modernization efforts, while contemporary conceptual pieces reflect on memory, heritage, and the reshaping of collective identities.
Organized by Misk Art Institute, the show also underscores the Gulf’s artistic interconnectedness during decades of transformation, presenting both historical and contemporary narratives side by side. The exhibition serves as both an artistic archive and a critical dialogue about how art mirrors and questions progress throughout the region’s recent past.
Cover image: Part of the show’s ‘Abstraction and Textual Expression’ segment. Image courtesy: Arab news
Athmaja Biju is the Editor at Abir Pothi. She is a Translator and Writer working on Visual Culture.
