Bringing artists from different generations, places and artistic traditions into a single publication gives their work visibility, introduces readers to artists they might never have encountered and creates a record that can be returned to years later.
This is what makes The Present Tense, the latest Richard Mille Art Book, particularly interesting. Curated by Dr Ridha Moumni, Chairman of Christie’s Middle East and Africa, the bilingual publication brings together established masters and younger contemporary artists from across the Arab world, North Africa and Türkiye, offering a broader understanding of the region’s contribution to modern and contemporary art.
The book is the third in a series that began with Art in the Gulf in 2022, followed by Modern Icons in 2024. While the earlier volumes explored the region’s creative landscape and its modern masters, The Present Tense looks at how their influence continues today, placing artists working across different periods and disciplines alongside one another.
Four artists were invited to create covers for the publication, each offering a different interpretation of its title. Saudi artist Alia Ahmad explores memory through fields of colour, while Syrian artist Jason Seife reinterprets traditional carpet patterns against the textures of concrete. Emirati artist Juma Al Haj approaches Arabic lettering as a visual rhythm, and Egyptian artist Nada Baraka moves between abstraction and surrealism.
From calligraphy and geometric traditions to personal memories and experiences of displacement, the artists draw on their own histories and cultural references. What makes their work interesting is how differently they approach these influences, even when they share similar cultural backgrounds.
The publication also gives visibility to artists whose contributions have too often been overlooked in international art history. Many of the modern masters who helped shape the region’s visual culture received little recognition outside their countries for decades, despite developing their own artistic languages and influencing subsequent generations.
By bringing these artists together, The Present Tense allows readers to discover their work, understand the relationships between generations and consider their place in a wider history of art. It is also a publication that can be revisited as an academic reference by collectors, curators and anyone interested in learning more about the region’s art and its development.
For Richard Mille, the Art Book series forms part of a wider commitment to the region’s artistic community, alongside the Richard Mille Art Prize and Art Here exhibition at Louvre Abu Dhabi. While exhibitions provide an opportunity to encounter works in person, publications allow that knowledge to reach a wider audience and remain accessible long after an event has ended.
It’s a book that future generations may return to, not only to learn about the artists themselves, but to understand what was happening in the region’s art scene at this particular moment.
