From Islamic to Contemporary? The visual Arts in the Arab World and the Missing Modernity

Silvia Naef is full professor at the Arabic Studies Section of the University of Geneva, where she teaches cultural history of the Arab world. She has been a visiting professor at the University of Toronto (2007-2009), lecturing on modern art of the Middle East and has taught in Basel and Tübingen (1995-2000). Her research deals with modern art and visual representations in the Arab and Islamic world. Among her main publications are: Y a-t-il une question de l’image en Islam ? (2004; German 2007, Italian 2011), A la recherche d’une modernité arabe, L’évolution des arts plastiques en Egypte, au Liban et en Irak (1996; Arabic 2008).