Al Serkal and Christie's Collab to Bring MARWAN to the UAE

Following the earlier exhibition of Marwan at Christie’s in London this Summer, the auction house has now partnered with Alserkal Avenue to bring the late Syrian-German artist Marwan Kassab-Bachi to Alserkal Art Week 2026.

Marwan (1934-2016) is probably one of the most celebrated modern Syrian artists, famous for his striking portraits that explore identity, exile and belonging. The upcoming exhibition at Alserkal Art Week will take place at Alserkal Avenue in April 2026, and will span the breadth of his career. The show will take place at the Concrete exhibition space, bringing the exhibition to Dubai for the first time, celebrating the Syrian artist in the MENA region where he was born.

Though a Syrian artist, Marwan spent most of his life in Germany, with the original London exhibition having been titled “A Soul in Exile”. The UK iteration comprised almost 200 works, including the Landscape series, Heads portraits, and a series of lithographs and works on paper inspired by collaborations made with Arab writers. So it seems likely we can expect the same at Alserkal Art Week.

The exhibition will again be curated by Dr Ridha Moumni, Chairman of Christie’s Middle East and Africa, and will be on view between 12 and 22 April 2026. “Marwan was a profoundly original artist whose deeply moving and distinctive work, shaped by his Syrian heritage and artistic journey in Germany, redefined the portrait as a space for psychological exploration and aesthetic experimentation”, explains Dr Moumni, “Widely regarded as one of the most important Arab artists, Marwan reinvented portraiture through a meditative, introspective practice, and established himself as one of the leading artists of the contemporary German art scene.”

Marwan had a six-decades long career, having been inspired by both German expressionism and the Neue Wilde artists. However, he responded to Arab political struggles and retained his Syrian identity too. He is best-known for his portraits - focusing on the head - which morph into landscapes. These intense images comprise thick layers of paint to capture the different shades of the skin, using many different colours including purples, blues and greens. The resulting images dissect every part of the human face, excavating different layers of the sitter’s personality.

Bringing the show from London to the UAE brings the works to a new audience and opens up a new space for discussion and appreciation. We’re interesting to see how the exhibition will be received in the region of the artist’s birth.

■