NYU Abu Dhabi extends exhibition on Baghdad Modern Art Group
UAE exhibition showcasing influential 1950s Iraqi art movement extended through 2027
Shakir Hassan Al Said, Horse , 1962. Oil on canvas, 49.5 x 63 cm. Barjeel Art Foundation, Sharjah. Courtesy of Barjeel Art Foundation, Sharjah (Mahmood Shakir Al Saeed)
The NYU Abu Dhabi Art Gallery has extended its exhibition, All Manner of Experiments: Legacies of the Baghdad Modern Art Group, which will now remain open to the public through Jan. 3, 2027.
Curated by Dr. Nada Shabout, a senior investigator at the al Mawrid Arab Center for the Study of Art, the exhibition highlights the work of 36 artists. The collection includes paintings, sculptures, and works on paper, alongside archival materials such as manifestos, exhibition posters, and newsreel footage.
The Baghdad Modern Art Group was founded in 1951 with the goal of establishing a new visual language for Iraq following its independence from British rule in 1932. The group sought to integrate Mesopotamian and Islamic artistic traditions with global modernism. Key figures in the movement included Jewad Selim and Shakir Hassan Al Said.
Maya Allison, executive director of the NYUAD Art Gallery and university chief curator, noted that the extension provides additional opportunities for audiences to engage with the research. She added that the exhibition is being presented during a significant period for the arts in Abu Dhabi, coinciding with preparations for the opening of the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi.
The gallery is currently hosting a series of public programs throughout the fall of 2026. These events include Saturday afternoon lectures and discussions focused on the role of archives, the contributions of women artists, and the development of alternative modernities.