Informal Contemporary Art School

The idea of the school has evolved conceptually through a major development project by our organization AllArtNow.

AllArtNow began life in 2005 in reaction to limiting factors facing artists and other contemporary cultural practitioners in today’s Syria.
With each project completed we became convinced of the need and benefits a platform to enable the development of contemporary art would bring in providing the necessary opportunities for artists to flourish.
We have succeeded in encouraging artists to work using contemporary practices, such as video, installation, and performance. We aim to continue developing new collaborative approaches with organizations in and outside Syria, where a much greater number of artists are involved in the production of contemporary art. These opportunities for cultural exchange will be a vital component in the understanding of visual art in an international context.
On 2012 we established a major program in the study of all aspects of contemporary art. This included an intensive focus on painting, sculpture, installation, mixed media and current conceptual concerns.
Arranged chronologically, the course introduced
Background information on the post-war period (1945-59)
The emergence of art from 1960 to 1970
Contemporary art from 1970 to 1980
Ways of interpreting contemporary art (example of works produced between 1980 and 2000)
Art in the new millennium; examines work that has been produced during this vibrant decade, showing the diverse influences and motivations that have influenced it.
The aim of the school is to make artists aware of the wide array of approaches in art during the period 1960 to the present and the reasons for it.
With the help of teaching staff this form a solid base in the development of a student’s own critical position, their ability to research and contribute to clear and involved discussion.
AllArtNow is always open - to help artists work and to encourage dialogue on a local and international level. We believe that by laying these important foundations we can improve the current ecology of the arts in Syria and criticize the Fine art faculty who refused till now the contemporary art.