Les enjeux de la représentation de l’art moderne en Irak à travers les catalogues d’exposition (1941-1958)

Modern Iraqi art history, though underexplored, is illuminated through exhibition catalogs that reveal the complex process of constructing a national artistic identity. These documents showcase the emergence of a modern artistic lexicon, highlight international artistic exchanges (such as the influence of Polish soldier-painters in Baghdad in 1943), and demonstrate how art served as a critical dialogue between national identity and global artistic currents. The catalogs also trace the artist’s evolving role from pioneering creator to a transformative social figure within a dynamic political and cultural landscape.