ArtDayME: Art Dubai Modern showcases modern masters from South West Asia and North Africa (SWANA), presenting works by artists who have significantly influenced the 20th century and shaped the contemporary cultural landscape. This year, for the first time, the section will include Latin American artists.

Looking at the curatorial framework for the upcoming edition, section Curators Dr. Nada Shabout and Magalí Arriola explained that “migration around the mid nineteenth century influenced a growing relationship between Latin America and SWANA. Geopolitical challenges and anti-imperial struggles have led to cultural affinities and solidarities. For this section, we will explore artistic and institutional intersections through specific themes that artists from both regions navigate to express their realities.“ 

Dr. Nada Shabout is an academic, curator, and writer dedicated to confronting and addressing the art historical neglect of modern and contemporary art from the Arab world. Through her extensive research, publications, and curatorial projects, Nada has aimed to protect the visual cultural memory of modern Iraqi art. Nada has received major awards as a result of such research, notably the Writers Grants, Andy Warhol Foundation 2018, and a Getty Foundation Grant in 2019 to support the project ‘Mapping Art Histories from the Arab World, Iran and Turkey’. 

Magalí Arriola, Director of Museo Tamayo in Mexico City, often highlights the potential of the art institution as a platform for debate, and an essential portal to the artists’ perspectives on the world.  She has previously held curatorial positions across Mexico City, including Museo Jumex Chief Curator organising shows of artists such as James Lee Byars, Guy de Cointet and Danh Vo. Her independent pursuits have also seen her work on international projects, including curating the Mexican Pavilion for the 58th Venice Biennial. Arriola has written extensively for books, and catalogues and has contributed to publications such as Art Forum, Curare, Frieze, Mousse, and The Exhibitionist, among others.