Nasser Mohamed, who holds the distinction of being the only openly queer citizen from Qatar, addresses a core ethical dilemma prevalent in the art sector today: “The art world cannot claim to champion freedom while ignoring the people who are denied it.”
This contradiction is evident in events like Art Basel Qatar. In a poignant opinion piece, Mohamed highlights the irony of escaping a nation that outlaws queerness while witnessing artists, dealers, and collectors gather in its capital.
Elsewhere, artists and political activists protest Russia’s involvement in the Venice Biennale, and US-Israel airstrikes have inflicted damage on yet another invaluable Iranian cultural heritage site. Don’t miss our recommended art books for the month, along with Associate Editor Lisa Yin Zhang’s incisive critique of Anika Jade Levy’s latest novel, Flat Earth, which she describes as “navel-gazing, ouroboric, masturbatory.” The latest edition of A Beer With a Painter offers a glimpse into the creative and political world of Hilary Harkness, an artist who views the paintbrush as both a tool for creativity and political expression.
