Taking Shape

Opening Conversation: Taking Shape: Abstraction from the Arab World
NU Block Museum Blog, November 7, 2022

The Block’s Fall 2022 exhibition, Taking Shape: Abstraction from the Arab World, 1950s–1980s explores the wide range of nonfigurative art practices that flourished in the Arab world over the course of four decades. Looking critically at narratives of mid-20th-century abstraction, the exhibition rethinks art-historical canons and expands conversations around global modernisms. The exhibition keynote conversation on […]

New exhibition broadens view of abstract art with works from Arab world and beyond
NU Block Museum Blog, September 6, 2022

From September 22 – December 4, 2022 the Block Museum of Art at Northwestern University will present Taking Shape: Abstraction from the Arab World, 1950s–1980s. The exhibition explores mid-20th-century abstract art from North Africa, West Asia, and the Arab diaspora—a vast geographic expanse that encompasses diverse cultural, ethnic, linguistic, and religious backgrounds. Comprising nearly 90 works […]

Getting a closer look at ‘Taking Shape’
Northwestern Now, November 18, 2022

By Stephanie Kulke Students from the MENA Student Association and the fall quarter art history course visited the Block Museum exhibition “Taking Shape” for a tour led by Barjeel Art Foundation founder Sheikh Sultan Sooud Al Qassemi. Al Qassemi, an Emirati columnist and researcher, is the founder of the Barjeel Art Foundation. All works in “Taking Shape” […]

Abstraction through an Arab lens
Fourteen East, October 21, 2022

By Sam Freeman Northwestern’s Block Museum opened an exhibition that explores abstraction in the Arab world. Taking Shape: Abstraction from the Arab World, 1950s-1980s incorporates artworks that reflect the diversity of countries, cultures and artists in the Arab world. It also examines the ways Arab abstraction relates to the international art scene. Taking Shape began at NYU, where […]

Abstraction and meaning: A survey of work from MENA region artists visits Evanston’s Block Museum
Chicago Reader, October 7, 2022

By Dmitry Samarov It’s rare for me to be surprised by a painting show, but I didn’t see “Taking Shape” coming. The exhibition is a generous survey of abstract art made from the 1950s to the 1980s, drawn from the collection of the Barjeel Art Foundation based in Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates. “Taking […]

The Block Museum’s latest exhibit, ‘Taking Shape,’ brings creators from the Arab world to the forefront
North by Northwestern, October 4, 2022

By Sara Ibrahim The Block Museum’s fall exhibition, “Taking Shape: Abstraction from the Arab World, 1950s – 1980s,” opened on Thursday, Sept. 22 after being postponed for two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. “Taking Shape” redefines the history of 20th century modernism by highlighting the works of artists from the region who have historically […]

Block Museum exhibition ‘Taking Shape: Abstraction from the Arab World’ redefines modernism
The Daily Northwestern, October 2, 2022

By Divya Bhardwaj Two and a half years after its originally scheduled inauguration in spring 2020, “Taking Shape: Abstraction from the Arab World, 1950s–1980s” has arrived at the Block Museum of Art. Students, faculty and community members gathered Wednesday evening to welcome the exhibit to Northwestern. “This exhibition brings to light the works of artists who […]

Broadening our view of abstract art with works from the Arab world and beyond
Art Daily, September 26, 2022

EVANSTON, ILL.- The Block Museum of Art at Northwestern University presenting “Taking Shape: Abstraction from the Arab World, 1950s –1980s,” Sept. 22 to Dec. 4, 2022. The exhibition features mid-20th-century abstract art from North Africa, West Asia and the Arab diaspora work from the renowned Barjeel Art Foundation collection. The Block Museum is the final stop of […]

Art for fall 2022: Our picks include exhibitions from the Arab world, from the Cultural Center, from identity politics
Chicago Tribune, September 16, 2022

By Lori Waxman “Taking Shape: Abstraction from the Arab World, 1950s-1980s” at the Block Museum offers so much more than what its subtitle describes. Anyone who loves, studies or makes nonrepresentational paintings ought to see this traveling exhibition, and not just for the sheer joy of a gorgeous show full of surprises. It is the […]

Mark “la rentrée” with French Culture in September
Frenchly, September 7, 2022

By Joanna Scutts Now that back-to-school season is well underway, the cultural scene is roaring back from its summer (and Covid) slumbers. Across North America, September is a month packed with festivals, performances, and new exhibitions. So sharpen your pencils, hoist your cartable, and venture out with our guide to all things French for fall. See abstract […]

Our next exhibition will open March 2, 2024.