The Qatari capital, Doha, is preparing to host an art exhibition that highlights the experience of the Baghdad Modern Art Group and its legacy in shaping the features of modern visual art in Iraq and the Arab world, featuring artworks and archival documents that document the journey of several prominent Iraqi artists.
The exhibition, titled “What Remains in the Artist's Mind: The Experiences of the Baghdad Modern Art Group and Its Legacy,” is set to launch on October 25 and will continue until February 6, 2027, as part of the Arab Museum of Modern Art festival in Doha.
The exhibition includes a diverse collection of paintings, sculptures, drawings, photographs, and archival documents, showcasing an artistic experience whose influence transcended the borders of Iraq and contributed to the development of trends in modern Arab art by blending cultural heritage with contemporary visual visions.
The Baghdad Modern Art Group was founded in 1951 by artists Jawad Salim and Shakir Hassan Al Said, aiming to build an Iraqi artistic identity inspired by the civilization of the Mesopotamia, Islamic traditions, and local life aspects, away from direct imitation of Western schools or confinement to traditional heritage forms.
The exhibition revisits the experiences of a select group of Iraqi artists, including Jawad Salim, Shakir Hassan Al Said, Nazihah Salim, Lorna Salim, Mohammed Ghani Hikmat, Faiq Hassan, Khaled Al Rahal, Kazem Haidar, and Dia Al Azawy, alongside prominent works that document the artistic and cultural transformations that Iraq has witnessed.
It also highlights works associated with the Freedom Monument in Baghdad, designed by Jawad Salim and completed by sculptor Mohammed Ghani Hikmat, as well as artistic models that reflect questions of identity, memory, belonging, and the relationship between art and society.
The organization of the exhibition comes as part of the renewed interest in the legacy of modern Iraqi art, the importance of documenting artistic experiences, protecting artistic archives, and making them accessible to new generations, thereby enhancing the presence of Iraqi art in the Arab and international cultural scene.