Art is often seen as exclusive—paintings in prestigious museums that feel out of reach for many. There is a common perception that art is not meant for everyone and is difficult to understand, as if appreciating art requires exceptional intelligence or creative genius. However, art is all around and not limited to oil paintings and ornate frames. Meaningful songs, movies, and even poems that give chills are all art forms. Even the design of everyday items like sneakers is an example of this. So, whether through captivating lyrics or an engaging story, engaging with art is a part of everyday life.
Art is constantly changing, which makes it hard to define. From the cave paintings of our ancestors to today's modern creations, art has been reimagined throughout history. People create art for various reasons—to express ideas, make statements, heal, or simply because it is beautiful. It is as diverse as the cultures that produce it, so a single definition remains out of reach.
While there is no universal agreement on what constitutes visual art, it is generally seen as the intentional creation of aesthetically pleasing or thought-provoking works through skill and imagination. Yet, views on what art is and its value change over time and across cultures. For example, while a painting by Jean-Michel Basquiat may be widely appreciated and priceless in modern times, it would not be treated with the same regard in Renaissance Italy.
In this regard, art writing aims to translate visual experiences into words. Art writers convey the artist's intent and share a piece's impact without oversimplifying or overcomplicating it. They balance critical analysis with personal interpretation and historical context with contemporary relevance. Aimee Dawson exemplifies this delicate work. As a digital art consultant and writer, she specializes in art and culture, focusing on the Middle East. Her work resonates with the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goal of Quality Education, as she has contributed to it through writing about art and teaching at SOAS, University of London. Here, Dawson sits down with Amr El Kady of Arts Help to discuss the global evolution of art and share her invaluable insights.
How did you develop your interest in the art world, particularly within the areas of digital art and art from the Middle East?
I grew up in the rural countryside, far from any art museums, and knew very little about art in an institutional sense until I was in my teens. We only visited our nearest city, Norwich, on special occasions, and by the time I was 18, I had only been to London a few times. But from a young age, I was always interested in making things and writing, and I went on to do AS-Levels in Textile Design and Graphic Design. But it was always writing that was my major passion, and I studied both English Language and English Literature for my A-Levels.
I was quite academic and decided to do Arabic for my Bachelor's Degree because I’d always wanted to learn another language and was keen to travel to places completely different from where I’d grown up. Our family had been going on holiday to Luxor in Egypt every year since I was 7 years old, which had an enormous impact on me. I was fascinated mostly by Ancient Egypt, but over time, this became an interest in contemporary culture and society in the country. It was in the 2000s when 9/11 had changed everything, and Islamophobia was rife in Europe. I was intrigued to learn more about this region that was demonized back home, particularly in the traditional, right-wing English village where my family home was. I thought I might go into humanitarian work or politics, but after an internship at the arts initiative Edge of Arabia, I realized I could bring together my studies in the Middle East and my creative interests.
My specialism in digital art grew while working at The Art Newspaper. As one of the youngest people on the team, I was tasked with managing the publication’s social media platforms and keeping up to date with technical innovations in the industry. I think some of the most interesting developments in the art world come from technological transformations, whether that’s how social media disrupts the art market or how scientific equipment helps in provenance and conservation. For me, there’s nothing more fascinating than watching the alarmingly traditional, analogue art world desperately try to get to grips with an increasingly high-tech, digital world!
What path did you take to become a professional writer and speaker in the art world?
After my BA, I pursued a Master's Degree in Contemporary Art and Art Theory of Asia and Africa, specializing in Middle Eastern art. I did a few internships: as well as Edge of Arabia, I worked at the Shubbak, the UK's largest festival of contemporary Arab culture, and Nour Festival of Arts in Kensington and Chelsea. My first real job was with the online publishing platform Ibraaz, which focused on visual culture in North Africa and the Middle East. I started as an assistant to the editor and worked my way up to Editorial Coordinator. After I completed my MA, I got an internship at the international arts publication The Art Newspaper. It was an incredible place to learn the ropes of the art industry from the best people in the business. I stayed there for almost eight years, travelling all over the world to see and write about art, and eventually became Digital Editor, managing pitches and content from a team of over 50 international correspondents.
In your opinion, how has social media fundamentally changed the way artists create, exhibit, and interact with audiences?
Since 2019, I’ve been writing a column for The Art Newspaper called Insta’gratification, which is all about how social media and the art world collide in many different ways. I’ve written extensively about how creatively artists and art professionals have used social platforms to curate exhibitions, hold auctions, experiment with technologies like VR and AR, network with one another, discover new artists and more. Instagram is currently the mainstream art world’s favourite social network, but watching other platforms like TikTok, Threads, BeReal, and Cara compete with one another for dominance is fascinating. The possibilities online are endless, and those with a little imagination and perseverance are breaking the traditional art world mould.
Are there specific ways social media platforms foster innovation within the art world?
The art world is generally still very old-fashioned and closed off. There are all of these unwritten rules and hurdles that people must go through to “make it,” whether you’re an artist or a professional. I truly believe that social media is slowly eroding these barriers. Artists can sell and market directly to collectors, sidestepping the gatekeeping you can often find in the market. Gallerists can find new emerging artists who aren’t necessarily going through the traditional art school system. Auction houses can livestream sales and reach new, engaged audiences. Individuals can become content creators and influencers, offering critiques without having to tick boxes like having art history degrees or managing to get one of the world’s few paid art writing jobs. And museums can produce educational content that reaches young audiences that don’t get to learn about art in schools.
On the flip side, are there any downsides to using social media a lot for your writing?
Yes, social media is exhausting! It’s constant and gives a sense of FOMO that is unending. Many people take social media ‘sabbaticals’ but with it being such an important part of my work, I’m unable to do that. I recommend them to people often, though—being on social media constantly is a bit like going out every night. It’s tiring and can lead to burnout. It’s even more difficult for me to follow my own advice now since I became freelance and use Instagram as part of my own networking and self-promotion, but I still try to take little breaks. I’ve written about the downsides of social media in my column too: trolling, hacking. But the good outweighs the bad, most of the time!
What are some of the unique and exciting trends you see emerging from contemporary art in the Middle East?
There are lots of interesting museum-building projects happening in the Gulf at the moment—like the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, the Art Mill Museum in Qatar and a contemporary art museum in Saudi Arabia in partnership with the Centre Pompidou—so it will be interesting to see how they change the art scene in the region. It’s interesting how these Western institutions partner with other countries to create new museums. While they offer a certain level of expertise it’s also a very neo-colonial concept, exporting the Western conception of what a museum should be and transposing it into a very different culture. That being said, the Louvre Abu Dhabi is a great institution and has done a lot for the local art scene, so I am hopeful that good things will come from these museums.
The most exciting trend in Middle Eastern art is the continued work to document the region's art history, which until recently was somewhat dispersed, inaccessible or simply not written about. There are lots of fantastic scholars working on this endeavour, and the Barjeel Foundation, based in Sharjah, is particularly doing amazing work. The founder, Sultan Sooud Al-Qassemi, and his team are building a collection of work from across the region—and not only from the better-known creative centres—much of which involves searching out works from private collections or family estates that can’t be found online. This is bringing lesser known artists to the fore and revealing the nuances of scenes and cultures in different countries rather than blindly discussing “the Middle East” as one simplistic, homogenous place. Al-Qassemi is also focussing on achieving a gender balance in his collection, which is groundbreaking for the region and the global art scene.
The Paris-based non-profit AWARE (Archives of Women Artists, Research & Exhibitions) is also doing great work in this area. I predict (and hope) that we will increasingly see more exhibitions of women artists at major museums all over the world, and hopefully, this will increase their market value in line with that of their male counterparts.
How do your writings relate to the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals?
I’ve never really thought about this before, it’s a great question! I think my work helps contribute towards Quality Education, through writing about art but also teaching at SOAS, University of London. I hope to contribute to a more diverse art world by covering the art scenes in the Middle East and North Africa, particularly through my texts on the Dubai Collection’s research platform, which discuss artists and movements in the region in an approachable way.
I’ve recently become more interested in the inequalities of the art world. I come from a working-class background and now work in an incredibly privileged industry in which the 1% run rife. I’ve joined the new Working Arts Club, a group for people working in the arts from lower socioeconomic backgrounds in the UK. Through this membership, I hope to contribute in some small way to making the art world more equitable. This year, I’ve also made a conscious effort to take fewer press trips, lowering my carbon footprint. I think the art world is really bad for this, with a circuit that sees the same people—and art—travel from city to city without thought every year. New organizations like Julie’s Bicycle and the Gallery Climate Coalition are trying to change this on an industry-wide level, and I’m trying to do my bit.
Do you have any future projects or plans?
I really want to write a book! Now that I’ve moved to Norwich, an east-of-England city, I hope to get more involved with the art scene there.
As someone who closely follows the art world, what advice would you give aspiring artists or art enthusiasts?
It’s important to stand out and not be a carbon copy of every fine art or art history graduate out there. I took an unusual path to get to where I am today, and I recommend it! And if you can’t get your dream job, then use social media to help—build up your own platform and profile. High follower counts are increasingly taken into account in art world jobs! Additional digital content skills like podcast and video hosting, recording and editing are increasingly in-demand in the industry.
Is there a particular artwork, artist or storyteller that has profoundly impacted you? Tell us about it.
While I was doing my internship with the Shubbak Festival in 2015, I got the chance to meet and film the French-Tunisian artist eL Seed, who was painting a mural in East London as part of the program. His work combines Arabic calligraphy, philosophy, street art and community participation to create really impactful projects. He comes from a humble background, too, without traditional art training, so I relate to him a great deal, and over the years, I’ve written about his work a lot.
I have one of his prints and it hangs in my living room. It was inspired by his incredible work Perception (2016) in Cairo, where he painted almost 50 buildings that together when viewed from one specific vantage point on a nearby mountain, made up one giant work of Arabic calligraphy. The mural was made in Manshiyat Nasr, where the people are pejoratively nicknamed the Zabaleen (the garbage people) because they collect Cairo’s rubbish and process and recycle it. This anamorphic piece involved working with the community and getting them all on board with his vision, but it was also a feat of endurance, scaling buildings and working in extreme heat. The message—quoted from Saint Athanasius of Alexandria, a Coptic Bishop from the 3rd century—is about letting go of our preconceptions and prejudices: “Anyone who wants to see the sunlight clearly needs to wipe his eyes first.” I think those are powerful words to live by, especially in these politically turbulent times.
In this interview, Aimee Dawson offers an interesting analysis of contemporary art, while exploring its intersections with creativity and culture. In recent years, the art world has undergone significant transformations, influenced by factors such as globalization, technological advancements, and shifting social and cultural contexts. These changes have presented both, opportunities and challenges for artists, collectors and institutions.
Dawson's advocacy for inclusivity in the art world is another important aspect of her work. She contributes to a broader cultural shift towards diversity and representation while being committed to showcasing Middle Eastern artists and advocating for a more inclusive and equitable art scene.
As the art world continues to evolve, art writers and critics must adapt their approaches to provide comprehensive and insightful analysis. Their thoughtful and nuanced commentary contributes significantly to shaping the discourse surrounding art and ensures its continued relevance and engagement for diverse audiences.