Tamara Chalabi

✨ Now showing: “Material Witnesses” at ACG/The Demos Center, Athens Clay and textile intertwine in this exhibition featuring artists Paolo Colombo, Iliodora Margellos, Majd Abdul Hamid, Elif Uras, Tancredi di Carcaci, Francesco Simeti, Lydia Delikouras, Hale Ekinci, Afsoon, and Nuveen Barwari. Experience how these contemporary voices from the Mediterranean, Middle East, and their diasporas transform ancient materials into profound testimonies of identity, displacement, and cultural memory. From embroidered narratives to sculptural vessels, each work speaks to the enduring power of materials to carry forward human stories across time and geography. On view June 6 - July 12, 2025 
📍17 Ipitou St., Plaka, Athens Curated by Tamara Chalabi 📷 by Nikos Alexopoulos #ContemporaryArt #TextileArt #Ceramics #AthensArt #MaterialWitnesses #Mediterranean #MiddleEasternArt #ArtExhibition #CulturalHeritage #ContemporaryCraft #installationsphotos @galerist @francesca_minini @lydiadelikoura @iliodoramargellos @elifuras @francesco_simeti @paolocolomboathens @haleekinci_art @afsoonafsoonagain @nuveenbarwari @majdabdelhamid @tancredi_di_carcaci

A long short odyssey of preparing for the “Beneath the Gaze of the Palms” exhibition of Saudi and Iraqi art organized by the Saudi Ministry of Culture @mocsaudi for the Common Grounds Festival 2024. Part 1: Thank you to everyone who participated in bringing this show to life in record time, especially to the 70 participating artists from Saudi Arabia and Iraq, the collectors @ibrahimicollection @barjeelart , my co-curator Jumana Ghouth @thehumancontainer , to the @benchmarkksa team @mohammedzaki.h @natureiraq and the incredible team of Mudhief builders from the Iraqi Marshes. رحلة قصيرة طويلة للتحضير لمعرض “تحت ضلال النخيل" للفن السعودي والعراقي الذي نظمته وزارة الثقافة السعودية @mocsaudi لمهرجان الأراضي المشتركة 2024. الجزء الأول: شكرا لكل من شارك في إحياء هذا العرض في وقت قياسي، وخاصة الفنانين السبعين المشاركين من المملكة العربية السعودية والعراق، وجامعي الفن@ibrahimicollection @barjeelart ، والقيم المشارك جمانا غوث @thehumancontainer ، إلى فريق @natureiraq والفريق الرائع من بناة Mudhief من الأهوار العراقية و فريق @benchmarkksa

Part 3: The seven themes shaping the exhibition Beneath the Gaze of the Palms, are heritage and identity, pioneers and modernists, land and water, the self and inner world, memory and absence, movement and migration and everyday life. المواضيع السبعة التي تشكل المعرض تحت نظرة النخيل، هي التراث والهوية، والرواد والحداثيين، والأرض والمياه، والذات والعالم الداخلي، والذاكرة والغياب، والحركة والهجرة والحياة اليومية. @mocsaudi thehumancontainer @ruyafoundation @ibrahimicollection @barjeelart

And in Florence, Rothko is displayed at three sites: the painted cells by Fra Angelico at the Convento di San Marco, the Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana designed by Michelangelo, and the Palazzo Strozzi. A breathtaking meditation on colour, these works sit in conversation with Beato Angelico and Michelangelo—both of whom inspired Rothko. ♥️ #rotkhoinflorence #markrothko #fraangelico #michelangelobuonarroti @museodisanmarco @bibliotecamedicealaurenziana @palazzostrozzi

I am still digesting all the works of art I saw over the last week at the 61st Venice Biennale, but I keep returning to the Saudi Pavilion—«May your tears never dry, you who weep over stones »—and Dana Awratani’s impressive mosaic monument of resistance, composed of 29221 handmade clay earth bricks by 32 artisans in Saudi Arabia that took over 30,000 hours to make. The dimly lit floor installation, depicting mosaics (that first originated in Mesopotamia before spreading westward) of geometric patterns, flora and fauna inspired by 23 World Heritage sites that are Greek, Roman, Christian, Byzantine and Islamic—partially or fully destroyed in Lebanon, Palestine, and Syria, is an urgent invitation for reflection and engagement. More importantly, it is a loud reminder of the losses that have been suffered—and that continue—as part of a sustained campaign against the land and peoples of these regions. All of it is presented in the most humanistic and elegant way possible. Congratulations, @danaawartanistudio , for the beautiful work and dedication. Thank you @antoniamcarver , for such a heartfelt, precise presentation of the exhibition—and for naming all the difficult things that must be named again and again—and @hafsaalkhudairi for the infectious passion. References Sites include: .Syriac church, Manbij, Aleppo . .Church of Saint Simeon Stylites, Dayr Sim'an, Aleppo . Mar Zakka Monastery, Raqqa • Raqqa Museum, Raqqa • Ma'arat AlNuman Museum, Murad Pasha Caravansary, lalib • Apamea Synagogue, Qal'at AlMudiq, Hama • Apamea Citadel, Qal'at AlMudiq, Hama • Church of the Holy Martyrs, Taybat Allmam, Hama . Rastan archaeological site, Homs • Emir Bashir II Palace, Beiteddine • AlBass Necropolis, Tyre . Synagogue of Severus, Hamat Tiberias . Bosra Citadel, Bosra AlSham, Dar'a . Church of Gethsemane (Church of All Nations), Jerusalem • Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Jerusalem • Monastery of the Cross, Jerusalem • Mar Saba Monastery, Bethlehem • Church of the Nativity, Bethlehem • Khirbet Midras archaeological Site, Jerusalem . Bayt Jibrin archaeological site, Hebron . Ibrahimi Mosque, Hebron . Saint Hilarion Monastery, Nuseirat, Gaza

More favourites, or Etc etc etc part II Venice @labiennale various 1-3. 𝘈 𝘕𝘦𝘤𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘢𝘳𝘺 𝘍𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯: 𝘔𝘢𝘱𝘴, 𝘈𝘳𝘵, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘔𝘰𝘥𝘦𝘭𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘖𝘶𝘳 𝘞𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥; Monira Al Qadiri, Sarah Abu Abdallah, Aseel AlYaqoub 4-7. Palazzo Grimani and Amoako Boafo 9. 𝘌𝘭𝘦𝘨𝘺, Gabrielle Goliath 11. 𝘛𝘜𝘙𝘈𝘕𝘋𝘖𝘛: 𝘛𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘋𝘢𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘌𝘢𝘴𝘵, Farideh Lashai 12. Dana Awratani, 𝘔𝘢𝘺 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘴 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘥𝘳𝘺, 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘱 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴, Saudi Pavilion 13. Chiara Camoni, 𝘊𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘶𝘵𝘵𝘰, Pavilion of Italy 14. Tegene Kunbi, 𝘚𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘚𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦, Pavilion of Ethiopia 16. Faiza Butt, 𝘗𝘶𝘯𝘫-𝘈𝘉, Pakistan Pavilions 17. Lydia Ourahmane, 5 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬𝘴, Nicoletta Fiorucci Foundation 18. Michael Armitage, Palazzo Grassi 19. Studio Drift, 𝘚𝘩𝘺 𝘚𝘰𝘤𝘪𝘦𝘵𝘺 20. Refaat al-Areer, 𝘐𝘧 𝘐 𝘮𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘋𝘪𝘦, 𝘐𝘯 𝘔𝘪𝘯𝘰𝘳 𝘒𝘦𝘺𝘴, Arsenale @moniraism @sarahalabdaliart @aseelalyaqoub @aminabdiab @gabriellegoliath @lashaifoundation @danaawartanistudio @chiara.camoni @faizaaugust7 @tegenekunbi @emogirl4 @studio.drift @refaat17 @michael_armitage_studio

My Biennale favourites, etc etc etc. 𝘐𝘯 𝘔𝘪𝘯𝘰𝘳 𝘒𝘦𝘺𝘴 by Koyo Kouoh, The 61st edition of the Biennale Arte, 2026 1. Hiroshi Sugimoto, Palazzo Diedo 2. Leonilda González, In Minor Keyes, Giardini 3. Maria Magdalena Campos Pons, In Minor Keyes, Giardini 4. Sammy Baloj, In Minor Keyes, Giardini 5.Raed Yassin, In Minor Keyes, Giardini 6. Yto Barrada—Comme Saturn, French Pavilion 7. Lubaina Himid—Predicting History, Testing Translation, British Pavilion 8. Liquid Tongues-Polish Pavilion by Bogna Burska, Daniel Kotowski 9. Anca Benera and Arnold Estefán, Black Seas, Romania Pavilion 10. Khaled Sabsabi, Conference of one’s self, Australia 11. Eustaqiou Neves, In Minor Keyes, Arsenale 12. Kader Attia, In Minor Keyes, Arsenale 13. Joanna Hadjithomas and Khalil Joreige, In Minor Keyes, Arsenale 14. With artists Nabil Nahas and Raed Yassin 15. Nabil Nahas, Don’t get me wrong, Lebanese Pavilion 16. Amina Agueznay, Assetta, Pavilion of Morocco 17. Aligheri Boeti, Pace 18. Oriol Vilanova: “Los restos”, Spanish Pavilion 19. Daria Kutsova, Echoes 20. Clouds 🌧️ @labiennale #biennalearte2026

BEIRUT ♥️

Finding it hard to reconcile the images of destruction in the South of Lebanon now with the idillic and bucolic memories of my childhood there, especially in the spring. These are some works from the South made by my late aunt the artist Samia Osseiran Junblat (1944-2024) who always found solace in that nature throughout her careeer. #samiaosseiranjunblat #internationalwomensday2026 #southlebanon❤️ #lebanonisbeautiful #womenartists♀️

Such a beautiful and poignant introduction to the Afghanistan exhibition at the Museum of Islamic Art in Doha by Khadim Ali. Entitled: Un-Safe Heaven, it captures Ali’s experience of his home country: “My early perception of Afghanistan was shaped by the nostalgic stories of my grandfather. But his idyllic vision was shattered by the massacre of his people, forcing him into exile. His loss became my inheritance. This work is not just a lament for what has been lost but a meditation on the enduring power of symbols, the fragility of cultural identity, and the resilience of those who carry their stories forward, even in exile.” Empire of Light: Visions and Voices of Afghanistan @miaqatar @khadim96 #dohaqatar

Splendours of Uzbekistan’s heritage. #khiva #tashkent #samarkand #urgut #bukhara #silkroad #timuridempire #sovietarchitecture #centralasia #islamicarchitecture