Online Arab Art Exhibits You Can Visit For Free

posted on: Dec 15, 2020

By: Dani Meyer/Arab America Contributing Writer

Are you looking for a new activity you can do right from your couch? Many museums have started to put their collections online and launched virtual tours to help people with quarantining. While you might have checked out some of the more famous museums, like the Louvre or the Met, there are also incredible Arab museums that you can take virtual tours of. From female Syrian modern art to a visual history of the Hajj, here are art exhibits from around the Arab world that you can visit right from your house.

1. Barjeel Art Foundation

The Barjeel Art Foundation is an independent initiative based in the United Arab Emirates. Their goal is to manage and preserve the personal art collection of Sultan Sooud Al Qassemi. They want to contribute to the intellectual development of art in the Arab world by building a publicly accessible art collection. They have over 900 art pieces available to view online, including 20 exhibitions.

2. Mathaf

Mathaf is a modern Arab art museum located in Qatar. It was created by H.E. Sheikh Hassan bin Mohamed bin Ali Al Thani. The museum offers a contemporary Arab perspective on art. The online collection only has one art exhibit, but it is masterfully curated. It has insightful blurbs, written by local and international art experts, that tell the story of modern Arab art.

3. Contemporary Art Platform

This is a collection created by a non-profit in Kuwait. They are dedicated to supporting the arts in Kuwait and the broader Arab world. This online collection has over 600 pieces of art, spanning 5 exhibits and 6 collections.

4. The Khalili Collections

In 1970, Iranian-British Professor Nasser D. Khalili began collecting Islamic art. Today, the Khalili Collections have over 35,000 pieces of art spanning many art exhibits and is said to be the most comprehensive private collection of Islamic art. Over 1,000 pieces are available online, including a Visual History of the Hajj, which encompasses pieces from over 1,400 years of the Hajj.

5. Atassi Foundation for Art and Culture

The Atassi Foundation has created an exhibition tracing the history of Syrian art from the beginning of the 20th century to today. One of their most popular art exhibits is dedicated to the role of women in the development of the Syrian arts.

6. The Museum of Islamic Art

The Museum of Islamic Art, located in Qatar, features masterpieces of Islamic art going back to the 7th century. It includes mosaics, metalwork, jewelry, woodwork, and much more.

7. Mahatat for Contemporary Art

Mahatat is a Cairo-based social and cultural enterprise founded in 2011. Through contemporary art practices, Mahatat seeks to transform public spaces, create opportunities for exposure to the arts, and offer needs-based learning experiences to artists, practitioners, and entrepreneurs. Their online exhibition features modern art from all over Egypt, including modern performance art.

8. TIRAZ

TIRAZ is the home of the Widad Kamel Kawar dress collection, the most complete collections of both Palestinian and Jordanian dress. It is also home to the largest collection of Syrian dress outside of the country. The museum showcases Arab costumes from the 19th and 20th centuries, with a total collection of over 2000 costumes and weavings. TIRAZ is a Jordan-based institution that aims to preserve the Widad Kawar collection, and promote the vibrant Palestinian and Jordanian cultural heritage and Arab traditions. Online, they have an exhibit on the history of Palestine and Jordan, as told through traditional dress.

9. Beirut Art Residency

The Beirut Art Residency is dedicated to supporting the production and dissemination of contemporary art. They have 14 collections available online, encompassing artists from all over Lebanon. Their goal is to expose artists to the Lebanese art world and to create a global network of engaged artists.

10. National Archives of the United Arab Emirates

At first glance, this might not seem like an art exhibit – in fact, it’s the National Archives of the UAE. However, this online collection includes a number of photographs taken from all over the UAE and the Arabian Peninsula. One of their exhibits is dedicated to the establishment of the UAE and masterfully combines history and art to tell the story of the United Arab Emirates.

These 10 art exhibits are a great activity for a rainy day, a day when you don’t feel like leaving your house, or just for quarantine in general! While we might not be able to travel to all of these museums right now, these online art exhibits are a great way to get a taste of these amazing museums – and, of course, give you an excuse to travel to the region once it is safe. Is there another exhibit you have enjoyed viewing online? Let us know in the comments!

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