FR

/

ENG

#9 Thursday 20th May 2021 MENART FAIR in Paris, May 27-30, 2021 Focus on female artists Women represent 40% of the artists exhibited at MENART FAIR! This is a fact, not a claim, and even less a proclamation. This surprising proportion simply led us to wonder about the status of the female artist in the ME.NA regions. Etel Adnan (Lebanon), Lumière Blanche, 2016, wool, 162 x 243 cm, 63,77 x 95,66 in, Ed. 3 Courtesy of Galleria Continua Among the 72 artists present, around thirty are women. This is a one-off observation among others: geographical origin, period of creation, figurative vs. abstract ... We analyze this data to understand supply and demand, advance our future editions and show the best and reality of this art scene. Reem Al Faisal (Saudi Arabia), “Only the Lonely I”, analog print, 60 cm x 50 cm Courtesy of Mono Gallery There were, of course, female artists who revolutionized the artistic, even social, scene in the 1950s to 1970s. At the same time as in the West. These pioneering modern artists shook up the rules of the game in the art scene. Vertical and courageous figures such as Etel Adnan (Lebanon), Simone Fattal (Syria) and Mona Hatoum (Palestine), Behjat Sadr (Iran), Nji Efflatoun (Egypt), Baya Mahieddine (Algeria) and Chaïbia Talal (Morocco) modernized the chessboard, by joining in a provocative way the gesture, the word and the posture. But the status of the female artist cannot be summed up in its isolated rocks. And times have changed. Delel Tangour (Tunisia), Hya (triptyq), B/W silver prints on fine art paper Hahnemuhle ultra smooth, 24 x 30 cm, limited prints 1/3, Courtesy of AYN Gallery Michelle Maluf (Lebanon), Inca, 2019, Leather, thread and ticks, 100 x 50 cm, Courtesy of Galerie Cheriff Tabet In a way, the contemporary female scene - much richer, more varied and more dispersed - is the heir to those golden years. But all the societies concerned have evolved, sometimes even regressed ... The media are often very different (photo, video, digital, installations, performances ...) and social networks protect as much as they expose these creators. Women artists continue to produce despite obstacles, in a largely masculine, patriarchal and religious universe, which complicates their affirmation, expression and recognition. Simone Fattal (Syria), oil on canvas, 171 x 121 cm, Courtesy of Galerie Tanit The place of the female artist in the Middle East, the Gulf, Iran and the North Africa is neither easy to characterize, nor similar everywhere: it varies from one point to another of this transverse continent, from one point to another, according to longitude and local history, proximity to the East or the West, politico-religious radicalism or tolerance ... If the backdrop remains masculine Islam all the same dominant, more or less subtly, we have encountered all the scenarios. The nuance is essential, therefore. Hiba Kalache (Lebanon), pitched in a swirl of absurdity, 2020, mixed media on canvas, 125 x 107 cm, Courtesy of Saleh Barakat Gallery Apart from the British initiative Arab Women Artists Now (AWAN), there would not be, to our knowledge, a “gendered” claim, a feminist artistic current or the display of a difference compared to the artist. male. This or that woman artist has here and there affirmed her femininity or even her feminine preference, but not to the point of nourishing a "current". Conversely, many artists strive to put their origins or their gender in the background, preferring to express themselves in their work, their creations and their inspirations. They are above all artists, which will be confirmed by this first edition of MENART FAIR. Wijdan (Jordan), Walah, 2015, Murano glass, 29 x 19 x 7 cm, Courtesy of Wadi Finan Art Gallery Hanieh Delecroix Tabatabaei (Iran), Amour, 2016, acrylic on paper, 187 x 98 cm, Courtesy of the artist and Shirin Art Gallery MENART FAIR thanks for their support : PartNER - Institutions - Media - Practical informations Cornette de Saint Cyr - 6 avenue Hoche - 75008 Paris  Tel : +33 1 47 27 11 24 Free access exclusively by online reservation here : https://menartfair2021public.eventbrite.fr Public access Thursday, May 27 to Sunday, May 30, from 12 pm to 6 pm, with online reservation, by time slot. Collectors & institutions preview Thursday, May 27 to Sunday, May 30, from 10 am to 12 pm (by invitation) with mediation for groups. We are pleased to announce our partnership with Artsy, the leading global marketplace for discovering and collecting art online starting from 27th of May 2021. Sanitary measures implemented by Cornette de Saint Cyr & MENART FAIR In accordance with current French regulations, strict sanitary measures are put in place to guarantee the health and safety of all visitors : - Hands-free ticketing - One-way circuit in the fair - Wearing masks is compulsory - Availability of hydro-alcoholic gel - Real-time monitoring of site saturation. Press Contact Agence Marie Jacquier Communication Marie Jacquier : marie@mariejacquier.com      / + 33 6 13 54 60 12 Muriel Marasti : muriel@mariejacquier.com     / + 33 6 17 36 26 08 mariejacquier.com #mariejacquierparis Copyright ©️ 2021 FANNART SAS, All rights reserved  -  MENART FAIR Newsletter FANNART SAS : 3 Rue Duban, 75016 Paris, France Add us to your address book : newsletter@menart-fair.com Want to change how you receive these emails? You can unsubscribe from this list.