Recap: Lecture by Prof. Dr. Nadia Radwan
On December 11, 2024, we were delighted to welcome Prof. Dr. Nadia Radwan at the Department of Near Eastern Studies at the Universität Wien for an engaging lecture titled "Making Art for Whom? Urgency, Cancellation, and Loss." Part of the series Cultural Heritage in the Middle East and Central Asia: Conservation and Destruction, the lecture offered a deep dive into the resilience of art and heritage amidst cultural destruction.
Nadia Radwan examined how contemporary artistic practices, including craft, counter-archiving, and fragment collection, respond to crises of urgency, censorship, and loss. Drawing on real-world examples from the Middle East, she explored pressing questions:
How can ephemeral exhibitions create enduring narratives?
How do institutional constraints influence artists' responses to cancellation?
Who are the audiences for art created in contexts of destruction?
The lecture also highlighted the role of art in preserving narratives and giving voice to silenced histories. It was followed by a thought-provoking Q&A session that deepened the discussion on the transformative power of art.
A heartfelt thank you to Nadia Radwan and to all participants for engaging and fostering a lively discussion!
About Nadia Radwan
Nadia Radwan is an esteemed art historian, curator, and head of the Visual Arts Department at HEAD – Genève, University of Art and Design. Her expertise spans modern and contemporary art from the Middle East, non-Western modernisms, and decolonial curatorial approaches. Radwan has an impressive body of work, including her book Les Modernes d’Égypte, numerous international publications, and contributions to prestigious exhibitions at institutions like the Metropolitan Museum of Art and Kunsthaus Zürich. She is the founder of Manazir: Platform for the Studies of Visual Arts, Architecture, and Heritage in the MENA Region and editor-in-chief of Manazir Journal.