Welcome to the first issue of the Atassi Foundation Journal.
As a non-profit initiative, one of Atassi Foundation’s main missions is to raise awareness of 20th century Syrian art. We hope this Journal will be just one small way in which we can promote its study, as well as share news on our projects and artist.
Each issue of the Journal will be themed, so it felt fitting to start under the idea of Beginnings. In that spirit, we have an artwork spotlight on two works by early 20th century artist Tawfik Tarek, as well as an interview with our first resident artist, Ghaith Mofeed.
We are also delighted to present a new English translation of famed Syrian academic and artist Elias Zayyat’s The Visual Arts in Syria, from its Roots to Contemporary Art. This text originally featured in Atassi Gallery’s 1998 book, Contemporary Art in Syria and provides a wide-ranging overview of the history of art in Syria. Arabic speakers will know that Zayyat’s mastery of the Arabic language is rich and evocative and so can read the original here.
Finally, in this issue we share information on our upcoming project, the Modern Art Syria Archive (MASA), a free, online archive that documents art in Syria in the 20th century.
The spirit of Atassi Foundation and this Journal is to share knowledge, so we would love to hear your feedback, and any possible contributions and collaborations moving forward. Drop us a line any time on info@atassifoundation.com
Happy reading,
Shireen Atassi & Anna Wallace-Thompson
