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Art investment in the MENA region is evolving rapidly, blending cultural insight with strong market growth.
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ADAI works with artists across the Middle East and North Africa to ensure their work is seen, understood, and contextualized. Representation on ADAI means supporting artists through curated visibility, research, and digital presentation, connecting their work to audiences, exhibitions, and broader cultural conversations.
Artists featured on ADAI are not exclusively signed or commercially represented— instead, ADAI provides a platform to showcase your practice, highlight your perspective, and situate your work within the evolving landscape of MENA art.
By representing your work on ADAI, you gain access to:
Representation is about visibility, context, and community - helping your art reach the right audiences while respecting your autonomy as an artist."
Often referred to as the era of Al-Ruwad (The Pioneers), this period marks the birth of modern Arab art. Many of these artists were sent on government-sponsored scholarships to study in European capitals like Paris and Rome. Upon returning home, they blended Western academic techniques (such as Impressionism and Realism) with local subjects, landscapes, and the emerging concept of national identity.
This period was heavily defined by regional political turmoil, most notably the 1967 Six-Day War (the Naksa or 'setback'), the Palestinian exodus, and the Lebanese Civil War. Art became a crucial tool for resistance, political commentary, and documenting human suffering. Existential angst and national trauma led to an emotionally charged, often somber, figurative expressionism.
The Hurufiyya (Letterism) movement is arguably the most significant and cohesive modernist movement to emerge from the Arab world. Artists deconstructed Arabic calligraphy, liberating the letters from their linguistic and religious functions to use them as purely abstract, rhythmic, and visual elements. This allowed them to engage with global abstract expressionism while remaining deeply rooted in Islamic and Arab heritage.
Driven by globalization, the diaspora experience, and new technologies, Arab art in this era expanded well beyond traditional painting and sculpture. It became heavily characterized by video, photography, installation, and performance art. Operating on a global stage, these artists tackle complex themes of post-colonialism, migration, memory, borders, and gender identity.
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Belonging is often imagined as something rooted, a place we come from, a community we inherit, or an identity we carry. But what if belonging is not defined by where we stay, but by how we move through the world?
This question lies at the heart of ROOTS & WINGS, a collective art exhibition bringing together 26 artists from the seven seasons of Artists of Beirut, alongside artists from the Boutique Concept, in an eclectic exploration of the theme of Belonging.
Taking place from September 24 to October 3, 2026, at Rebirth Beirut in Gemmayze, the exhibition brings together more than 80 artworks spanning a wide range of artistic practices, including painting, sculpture, mixed media, embroidery, photography, digital art, ceramics, and upcycling.
Rather than offering a single definition of belonging, ROOTS & WINGS invites viewers to encounter the many ways in which we connect to home, places, people, memories and ourselves. The works reflect both the grounding force of our roots and the possibility of spreading our wings, of leaving, returning, reinventing and creating new forms of connection.
ARTISTIC WORKSHOPS
As part of the exhibition program, two workshops will invite participants to engage with the theme through different creative perspectives:
• Upcycling Workshop with the Artist Karin Hantes
Monday, September 28 | 3–4.30 PM
• Photography Workshop with the Artist Nada Karam
Thursday, October 1 | 3–4.30 PM
Finally in line with the mission of Artists of Beirut, The show will also contribute to the restoration and revitalization of Beirut. Part of the proceeds will be donated to support Rebirth Beirut Initiatives.
The Participating Artists:
RANA ABBOUD, ARDZIV, MARCELLE ASMAR, NADEEN BABA, NAYLA CANNAMELA, ZEINA CHEHAB, ALIA CORM, PAULETTE EID, KARIN HANTES, ALINE KALLAB, NADA KARAM, MAYA KHALAF, TAMARA KHODR, LAMA MANSOUR, NEVINE MATTAR, NICOLE MEZHER, JOANA MOCACHEN, CYNTHIA ODSI, CHRISTINE OZEIR, HELEN SERHAN, NADINE SIDANI, WASSILA TAHA, AIDA TANNOURY, PATRICIA VIVIAN, ZENA YACHOUI in addition to the Guest MICHELINE NOHRA.
