Arab News | Art Week Syria launches inaugural edition in Damascus

DUBAI: Art Week Syria opens its first edition in Damascus on Friday, bringing together around 47 Syrian artists across generations at Massar Rose for eight days of exhibitions, film, music, talks and workshops.

The multidisciplinary platform runs until Sept. 18 and spans painting, sculpture, photography, digital art, installation and mixed media, offering an overview of artistic practice connected to the Syrian Arab Republic and its wider cultural landscape, organizers said.

It was founded by Line Kouwatli, who said the aim was to build “a serious and lasting platform and ecosystem for Syrian art.”

“There is an extraordinary depth of artistic practice connected to Syria, across generations and across geographies,” she said, adding that the intention was to open conversations between artists, collectors, institutions and audiences domestically and internationally.

The edition includes a photography exhibition curated by French-Syrian photographer Ammar Abd Rabbo, featuring Syrian photographers who documented the country’s recent history.

Massar Rose, on the banks of the Barada River, was chosen for its unfinished contemporary architecture, which organizers described as a setting rooted in Damascus while engaging with the conditions of current artistic production.

An invitation-only opening ceremony takes place on Friday at 7 p.m., followed by a private preview on Saturday for collectors, cultural professionals and invited guests, with selected works available for acquisition.

Exhibitions open to the public from Sept. 13 to 18, with talks, screenings and workshops running throughout the week.