Exhibition Tour with Nadi Abusaada

In his research on the Arab Exhibitions in Jerusalem in the 1930s, researcher Nadi Abusaada uncovered a rich scene of artists and painters in Mandate Palestine. In this tour, Abusaada will focus on the Jerusalemite painters in the first half of the 20th century.

Nadi Abusaada (PhD, Cantab.) is a Jerusalem-born architect and historian. He is currently a Visiting Professor at the School of Architecture and Design at the American University of Beirut (AUB). His work focuses on the material histories and visual cultures of the modern Arab world. He is the co-editor of the forthcoming books “Arab Modern: Architecture and the Project of Independence” (gta Verlag, 2024) and Resurgent Nahda: The Arab Exhibitions in Mandate Jerusalem (Kaph Books, 2024).
Besides his writings, Nadi has also been involved in research-based curatorial work. He has curated and participated in a number of exhibitions around the world including in Ramallah, Amman, Zurich, Venice, Dubai, and Montreal.

Made Present: The history of Palestine’s art is commonly portrayed as that of loss, fragmentation, colonial plunder and destruction. This research exhibition presents an alternative historiography—one in which artworks defy attempts of erasure.
Through constellations of artworks, archival material, and field notes, Made Present outlines biographies of artworks that have persevered. It foregrounds the extensive history of artists going to great lengths, sometimes risking their own lives, to make their works present.