Sara Shamma—Cleaving the World in Two
After living in London and Beirut, Sara Shamma returned to Damascus, where her hyperrealistic paintings reflect the chaos of today’s world.
Art
September World Picks from the Editors
Literary conversations, films, exhibitions, concerts and several new recommended books for September to add to your reading list.
Architectural Biennale Confronts Brutality of Climate Change
As planet temperatures rise, architects in the Middle East eschew Western fixes and revitalize local solutions.
Kaynuna: Interview with Mohammad Kassem on Kuwait’s Pavilion
A conversation with Mohammad Kassem, co-curator of the Kuwait Pavilion at the 2025 Venice Architecture Biennale.
Taqi Spateen Paints Palestine Museum Mural of Aaron Bushnell
Aaron Bushnell, the U.S. serviceman who self-immolated to protest the genocide in Gaza, has become a modern Palestinian martyr.
Syria and the Future of Art: an Intimate Portrait
Following the banishment of Bashar Al-Assad, Syrian artists are starting to return and exhibit new work at home and internationally.
Repression and Resistance in the Work of Artist Ateş Alpar
Defying a pervasive climate of self-censorship in Turkey, Kurdish artist Ateş Alpar grapples with cultural assimilation, historical erasure and methods of state control.
July World Picks from the Editors
Literary conversations, films, exhibitions, and concerts … TMR World Picks run the gamut …
Iraq’s Kurdish Genocide and Three Wars: Artists Osman Ahmed & Fakher Mohammed
A joint Arab/Kurdish exhibition at Baghdad’s The Gallery showcased how the nation’s two solitudes can unite through art.
Victorious Decolonization in the Work of Joyce Joumaa
Lebanese Canadian writer and visual artist Joyce Joumaa’s videos demonstrate that the colonized are not passive recipients of their condition.
About to Erupt: A Snapshot of Contemporary Art in Istanbul
Naima Morelli explores Istanbul's art scene, delving into its underground energies through a gallery show, art fair, and museum retrospective.
June World Picks from the Editors
Film & photography festivals, concerts, art, standup comedy, lectures, new books...TMR World Picks run the gamut...
Going Home to South Lebanon: Abdel Hamid Baalbaki
The Sursock Museum in Beirut presents "Ode to the South," a tribute exhibition to the late Abdel Hamid Baalbaki, 1940-2013.
Neither Here Nor There
Envisioning innovative new futures that challenge conventional thinking and inspire transformative possibilities.
Return to Iraq: Sama Alshaibi’s ‘طرس’
Sama Alshaibi’s new project focuses on the spatial, material, and technological fragments that narrate the story of a place and its people.