In the period of adaptation of art in the Western modality (1940s to 1991), the reference to Arab culture and heritage became quintessential. In was also in this period that the elaboration of an Arab modernity, rooted in local visual traditions and patrimony, be they pre-Islamic (Pharaonic or Mesopotamian), Islamic (Arabic script and geometric patterns) or belonging to folk art (tattoos, textiles, wall paintings, Berber patterns), was the main issue in the artistic field. In spite of considerable differences between single countries, some general trends can be detected. Starting from the first modernist groups in Egypt and Iraq, this article will then discuss the development of Hurufiyya (i.e. the use of the Arabic script), the only pan-Arab artistic trend.
Art, Modernity, Authenticity, Heritage, Hurufiyya.