The Use of Arabic in Art Becomes a Tool for Critical and Universal Inquiry
The Casa Árabe in Madrid has been hosting an exhibition dedicated to avant-garde Arabic calligraphy since September 25. Titled "Del Alif A la Zain" (From Alif to Zain), the exhibition brings together ten artists from Arab countries and the diaspora, whose works highlight the polyvalence and richness of contemporary Arabic representation.
It's worth noting that the Casa Árabe in Madrid is a Spanish public institution created in 2006, modeled after the Institute of the Arab World in Paris. It serves as a cultural and research center for the Arab and Muslim world, as well as the Spanish history of Al-Andalus.
Curated by Toufik Douib, the exhibition, which will be on display until January 30, honors the creative vitality and evolution of the Arabic language in contemporary culture, both in the MENA region and on the international stage.
While calligraphy remains its iconic visual reference, contemporary artists are increasingly venturing beyond traditional forms, exploring poetic lettering, radical typography, and hybrid aesthetics in perpetual reinvention.
The use of Arabic in art becomes a tool for critical and universal inquiry: letters transform into gestures affirming a cultural position, words unfold as social or political declarations, and design opens up new territories for dialogue.
Toufik Douib, an Algerian exhibition curator and artistic director, explores Maghrebi and Algerian identities from contemporary and eclectic perspectives in his curatorial approach, connecting artists from the diaspora to creative scenes in the East and West.
For this exhibition, he has brought together artists Hamed Abdullah, Idriss Azougaye, Nasreddine Bennacer, Akram Idris, Anissa Lalahoum, Mosa One, Shareef Sarhan, Bahia Shehab, Sarah Smahane, and Tunisian artist Haythem Zacharia.
The latter lives and works in France, and his work is inspired by spirituality and cosmogony. His research aims to create connections between different disciplines (sociology, theology, economics, or ethnography). As a transdisciplinary artist, he explores new methods of creation to represent archetypal figures and uses a variety of tools and techniques, including new technologies (interactive programs, installations, etc.) and more classical mediums (photography, video, drawing, sculpture, etc.).
His formally minimalist works unfold like visual partitions, offering the attentive eye a complexity of layers. He will also participate in the exhibition "Made with Your Magic–First Movement, Tunis" as part of Dream City 2025, which will take place from October 3 to 9.
