Public Programs at CCS Bard: Valences of “istilhām al-turāth”

A founding principle of the Baghdad Modern Art Group, istilham al-turath “encouraged innovation through Iraq’s unique history and heritage and also presented a means of counteracting Europe’s dominance over modernism,” as scholar Tiffany Floyd has written. Discussing case studies from the exhibition as well as geographically expanding the reach of istilham al-turath, the panel investigates how artists negotiated modernism and nationalism in relation to tradition, influence, inspiration, and transformation. 

Held in conjunction with the exhibition All Manner of Experiments: Legacies of the Baghdad Modern Art Group, this panel will feature scholars and curators who will speak to one of the central concepts of the Baghdad Modern Art Group: istilham al-turath. 
Organized by Lara Fresko Madra featuring Saleem Al Bahloly, Alma Chaouachi, Clare Davies, and Anneka Lenssen.

This is a 90-minute panel with four 15-minute presentations and a Q&A. 

All Manner of Experiments: Legacies of the Baghdad Modern Art Group is curated by Nada Shabout, Regents Professor at the University of North Texas and Visiting Professor and Investigator at NYU Abu Dhabi, with Tiffany Floyd, Lecturer of Modern and Contemporary Art at the University of North Texas. The exhibition is organized at the Center for Curatorial Studies, Bard College, by Lauren Cornell, Artistic Director, with exhibition design by Ian Sullivan, Director of Exhibitions. Zuhra Amini (CCS Bard ’25) and Truth Murray-Cole (CCS Bard ‘26) contributed curatorial research and editorial support to the project.

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For more information, call 845-758-6822, or e-mail [email protected].

Time: 2:00 pm – 3:30 pm EDT/GMT-4

Location: Classroom 102

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