Atassi Foundation for Arts and Culture and ArtScoops host auction

Muhammad Yusuf, Features Writer

Founded in 2016, Atassi Foundation for Arts and Culture is a non-profit initiative that aims specifically to preserve and promote modern and contemporary art and archives from Syria and advance the Syrian artistic scene through capacity building.

Broadly, it also strives to foster critical thinking and research through knowledge production and create a bridge between the past and the future of art production. The Foundation is hosting an online auction of artworks of Masters: Modern and Contemporary Art, in collaboration with ArtScoops (Dec. 1 — 6). ArtScoops is a marketplace for collectors which presents contemporary MENA art and objects from artists and galleries, auctions and private sales and offers live auction and advisory services.

Shireen Atassi, Director of Atassi Foundation for Arts and Culture, hosts Gulf Today. What are the common art features of the Masters who figure in the auction? Some of the artists in this auction are considered as the fathers of the art movement in Syria in the 20th century. Some of the names are regionally and globally recognised, such as Fateh Moudarres and Mahmoud Hammad; others are not quite so widely known. We are trying to present the story of Syrian art, to help weave its many components for the audience to reflect on.

 A work from Syrian artist Abdullah Murad.

We must recognise the role that those Masters had on future generations. Ultimately, we must understand our past to appreciate our present. How have they impacted emerging artists? Many of these Masters graduated from art schools in Egypt, France and Italy. They returned home to become lecturers and professors at the Faculty of Fine Arts in Damascus, which was founded in 1960. Examples include Hammad, Chaura and Moudarres, all of whom taught at the Faculty. Others, such as Michel Kurche, opened up their studios for art classes. Their impact on their students has been remarkable, both in terms of their techniques, and their philosophy and style.

These Masters were key to the national and Arab art discourse at a time when the Arab world was going through historical moments that still shape us as a nation today. Were the Masters ever mentors to young artists?Yes, absolutely. These artists did not only teach at the Faculty of Fine Arts, but they established art associations and instigated a lot of the discourse that was ongoing at the time, not only within Syria, but also with their regional peers.

We must remember the social and political context of the era. At the time, Arab art was looking for its own identity away from Western norms. This applies to Syrian, Iraqi and other Arab artists, who were all trying to figure out who they really were as Arab artists. Are the works of the Masters valued for their antiquity or for their freshness? Both? Any artwork is valued based on its historical value as well as artistic value.

The art market is peculiar and the market for Syrian art in particular is even more so! In this instance, we are also driven by the collectors’ appetite and their appreciation for Syrian modernism, in particular. The scarcity of historical data on price points for some of these artists made valuation quite complicated. What were the artistic influences on the Masters?I would say it varies not only by artist, but also with time. Artists like Michel Kurche studied in France at the turn of the 20th century and was heavily influenced by Impressionism.

 Shireen Atassi, Director of Atassi Foundation for Arts and Culture.

Many artists, in the first half of the century, documented local scenes, landscapes and people. However, later on, and in the mid-century, they were more concerned with their identity and with Arab struggles. For instance, the beautiful oriental women of Nazir Nabaa (lot 29) are a representation of the Arab identity. Another example is Burhan Karkutli’s life work which was politically committed to the Palestinian struggle.

Later generations, such as Safwan Dahoul, were more inspired by their inner worlds. How did the Masters interact with their Western contemporaries?Prior to the opening of the Faculty of Fine Art in Damascus University, artists studied in Europe and in Egypt - so there was quite a bit of interaction with non-Syrian artists. However, since the early sixties and for a variety of political and social reasons, Syrian artists were quite isolated from Western art, except for the instances when they travelled.

By the year 2000, the Internet became widely spread in Syria — and that gave artists a window to follow art from around the world. How does the Atassi Foundation’s Syrian vision align with the larger Arab/Global artistic vision? I am not sure we need to align with a larger global vision. We must recognise the unique nature of the art scene of Syria and its particular challenges. The artistic ecosystem of Syrian art is totally distorted, and while we cannot fill every void single-handedly, we try to focus on immediate needs.

For instance, when we felt that records were getting lost, and that there were little documentation on Syrian art, we initiated MASA (Modern Art Syria Archive) which will go live in Feb 2022. When we identified the distance between our artists (whether in diaspora or in Syria) and their regional audiences, we decided to organise auctions to give Syrian artists the opportunity to show their works. I guess what I am saying is that yes, there are universal artistic priorities: but we as a foundation must align with the issues of our stakeholders, and our reality at the moment is somewhat unique.

How has Syrian art fared during the “Wardemic” and Pandemic?Syrian art over the past ten years has undergone transformations that are too early to assess, but are important to identify. We must remember the large proportion of artists in diaspora, the isolation of those who remain in Syria, and the struggles of coming to terms with scenes of death and destruction. It has been difficult; but also inspiring that artists have resisted, persisted and continued to develop. I am lucky to work with such amazing people who give us hope for a brighter tomorrow.