Taking place on 13 March 2018, this symposium, devised by Sultan Al Qassemi during his residency at Delfina Foundation, used Ala Younis’s exhibition at Delfina as a starting point to discuss current research and practice around Modernisms in art, architecture and urban space.

Taking Younis’s exploration of the history of a gymnasium in Baghdad, designed by Le Corbusier and named after Saddam Hussein, this offsite two-part mini-symposium brought together leading scholars and architects to discuss the history and future of modern architecture in Iraq (part 1) and the wider Gulf Region (part 2).

Speakers (Part 2 – Gulf Cities)

  • Ahmed Taleb: Modernism & Urban Growth: Isa Town, Bahrain
  • Sultan Al Qassemi: Modern Architecture of Sharjah
  • Omid Kamvari: Iran’s Missing Modernism
  • Hussam Dakkak: Modernism in Saudi Arabia: A Vernacular Tradition
  • Dalal Musaed Alsayer: Sand and Mud to Grass and Concrete: Environmental Imaginaries and the Making of a Modern Kuwait

Watch part 1 of the symposium here.