Et si… des “futurismes arabes” ?

Join us for a public lecture exploring science fiction aesthetics in contemporary Arab art with Dr. Joan Grandjean (University of Rennes 2), discussed by Prof. Dr. Nadia Radwan (HEAD Geneva University of Art and Design).

Since the 2000s, science fiction has emerged as a significant mode of expression in contemporary Arab art through the work of artists such as Qatari-American Sophia Al-Maria (Gulf Futurism), Palestinian-Danish Larissa Sansour, and Jordanian-British Sulaiman Majali (Arabfuturism). Rooted in current political discourse, these practices conjure alternative universes where new value systems can be decoded and past-present-future narratives interrogated.

Far from being merely aesthetic trends within globalized contemporary art, these artistic approaches constitute genuine experiments in critical thought. They enable artists, curators, and art historians to transcend the stereotypes often associated with contemporary Arab art, while offering incisive critiques of current geocultural and geopolitical contexts. This public lecture explores these futurist aesthetics to reimagine narratives about the Arab world while questioning our own perspectives on the realities around us.

This event is part of the “RECTO VERSO. FUTURES” series by the Swiss Academy of Humanities and Social Sciences (ASSH | SAGW). It is organized by Manazir and the SMEIC in partnership with the Arabic Studies Section, University of Geneva and HEAD Geneva University of Art and Design.