{
  "id": 11106622,
  "title": "Youness Atbane on who gets to define Arab art in today's museums",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/01/youness-atbane-on-who-gets-to-define-arab-art-in-todays-museums-11106622",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-10-01T03:53:20.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The National Business",
    "slug": "the-national-business",
    "url": "https://www.thenationalnews.com/arts-culture/music-stage/2026/10/01/youness-atbane-on-who-gets-to-define-arab-art-in-todays-museums/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Youness Atbane's performance, Untitled 14km, explores the complexities of how Arab art is represented in museums. Through a satire, the piece delves into the influence of museums, curators, and cultural institutions on the portrayal of Arab art and artists. Set in an imaginary museum, the performance features an Arab contemporary artist, a curator, a Western museum director, and an Arab-Andalusian poet attempting to organize an exhibition. The group's struggle over identity and legitimacy reveals deeper questions about who decides how Arab culture should be presented.\n\nAtbane acknowledges the evolution of terminology, such as diversity, representation, and decolonisation, within museums and cultural institutions. However, he remains skeptical about the progress, noting discrepancies between the language used and actual practices. He highlights a concerning issue where artists from different regions face different payment rates for the same exhibition, despite working for the same institution. This disparity, Atbane argues, reflects the underlying power dynamics at play.\n\nThe performance also points to the growing influence of curators, who act as intermediaries between artists and institutions. Curators are increasingly seen as all-knowing figures who shape the perception of artists and their work. However, Atbane emphasizes that curators are not independent entities and are instead shaped by the broader context in which museums operate, particularly in the Middle East and North Africa.\n\nIn recent years, museums in the region have evolved to promote a more African-centric identity rather than a shared Arab identity. This shift, Atbane observes, has emerged alongside other developments, such as regional sporting events like the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco. While welcoming the prospect of greater autonomy for Arab artists, Atbane remains cautious about the potential outcomes, urging artists to seize opportunities for meaningful change within the institution.\n\nAtbane's own experiences as an artist have changed, with students at NYU Abu Dhabi demonstrating a more open dialogue about his work. This newfound freedom allows for a more critical engagement with his art, rather than simply defending or proving its validity. As a result, Untitled 14km fits well within a university setting, fostering discussions among students about the complex issues surrounding Arab art and its representation in museums.",
  "summary": "Youness Atbane has spent years through his work as a performer, choreographer and visual artist examining who decides how Arab artists are represented and valued. Perhaps the clearest expression of that concern is Untitled 14km , which comes to The Arts Centre at NYU Abu Dhabi on Thursday and Friday. Set inside an imaginary museum, the work scrutinises how museums, curators and cultural…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The National UAE",
        "title": "Youness Atbane on who gets to define Arab art in today's museums",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/01/youness-atbane-on-who-gets-to-define-arab-art-in-todays-museums",
        "published": "2026-10-01T03:53:20.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}