ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the contemporary art scene in Syria during the decade of the twenty-first century in its regional and art-historical context. It examines how young artists sought to re-think the role of artists in society and create a space to re-imagine the world through their work and thus inspire change in the socio-cultural and socio-political spheres. The starting point of this chapter is the artistic infrastructure and its rapid development during the second half of the 2000s as well as the young generation of critical artists’ role in it. The chapter looks closely at artists working in contemporary artistic media such as video and installation, since it is these media which have been of the greatest importance for artists with a socially critical approach during the period covered by this chapter. The chapter is based on author's PhD dissertation, which was written between 2012 and 2017. Sadly, the period of writing was also coincidental with Syria’s descent into total disaster.
