The Emancipatory Potential of Contemporary Arab Art

Khaldoun Hijazin’s doctoral dissertation in Philosophy, titled “The Emancipatory Potential of Contemporary Arab Art,” is a phenomenological inquiry that explores how artists from the eastern Mediterranean region respond to the socio-political challenges and colonial legacies that continue to impact their lived realities. The study foregrounds both the aesthetic foundations and artistic practices through which art becomes a tool for resistance, cultural resilience, and liberation. Drawing on the work of philosophers such as Walter Benjamin, Theodor Adorno, Giorgio Agamben, and Jacques Rancière, alongside decolonial perspectives from the Global South—including Abdullah al-Orawi, Abdul Qader al-Jabiri, Lila Abu-Lughod, Rolando Vázquez, and Walter Mignolo—this research maps the arts of the region that cultivate decolonial awareness and revitalize indigenous cultural values and knowledge systems.

In this context, the study explores how regional art may be forging new pathways for sociocultural transformation through both traditional and new media practices, while critically examining the curatorial and audience engagement strategies that shape these developments. Through its analysis and fieldwork, the study aims to establish a methodological aesthetic framework that integrates art theory, decolonial thought, and creative practice—serving both theoretical inquiry and creative innovation in contemporary Arab art.

Khaldoun Hijazin is a Jordanian visual artist and cultural director, serving as Director of Art and Cultural Programs at the Jordan National Gallery of Fine Arts, and is currently lecturing at the School of Arts and Design, University of Jordan. In 2014, he earned his Master of Fine Arts from SMFA – Tufts University, Boston, USA, and he is presently completing his PhD in Philosophy at the School of Arts, University of Jordan. For over ten years, Khaldoun has worked as a cultural advisor with various initiatives and institutions in Jordan and abroad. As a visual artist, his exhibition record includes solo shows in Amman and Dubai, alongside numerous regional and international group exhibitions, workshops, and artistic exchange programs.