Begun in the early eighties, The Khalid Shoman Collection is one of the earliest collections dedicated exclusively to contemporary art of the Arab world. This extensive publication brings together the voices of artists, architects, curators, art critics, and scholars to reflect on The Khalid Shoman Collection and its potential role in narrating a regional art history.

The book consists of three interwoven parts: (1) academic essays by scholars from different disciplines examining a range of art historical concerns through art works from the Collection, (2) personal reflections by artists, curators, critics, and scholars who have lived the history of Darat al Funun, and (3) the works by the over one hundred and forty artists forming the Collection, reflecting the shifts and transformations in the region’s artistic practices over the last four decades.

By bringing together this diverse consideration of The Khalid Shoman Collection, the publication reveals not only the captivating story of a historically unique endeavor, but also considers the timely question of what a regional art history might mean within today’s globalized art world.