ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book discusses the growing phenomenon of collections in the Arab world, by joining nascent theory to inchoate practice, and to pave the way for further research. It presents the identity, or rather, the local identities, both contemporary and historical, constructed by collecting practices in the Arab world. While collecting art has a long history in the Middle East, the museum and the collecting practices it entails constitute a relatively new phenomenon in the region, closely linked to the modern history of Europe. Post-2003 practices have been marked by the destruction of cultural institutions, Nada Shabout concludes, pointing out two trends: globalism and representations of modern art from the region including Iraq, on one hand, and 'national' acquisition that seeks to keep Iraqi art in the hands of Iraqis, on the other hand.
