Post-Perception in the Arabic Context:

A Comparison with Arabic Artistic Movements

By: Ibrahim Shalabi

Founder of the Post-Perception Movement

Preface: Why This Comparison?

Before delving into the comparison, a fundamental point must be clarified: there is no movement in the history of modern Arabic art that parallels "Post-Perception" in terms of its core concepts and inquiries. Major Arabic movements emerged in distinct contexts and addressed different issues: identity, heritage, language, modernization, and social causes. However, a critical comparison is essential to reveal points of convergence and divergence, highlighting the specificity of "Post-Perception" within the Arab artistic landscape.

This comparison aims to locate "Post-Perception" on the map of Arabic art, demonstrating how it differs from previous schools and what it contributes to the discourse.

I. Hurufiyya (The Lettrist Movement)

About the Movement: Emerging in the 1950s and 60s, Hurufiyya was an extension of the "New Spirit" artists in Egypt, Iraq, and Lebanon. Led by pioneers such as Ibrahim El-Salahi, Shakir Hassan Al Said, and Dia Azzawi, it utilized Arabic letters as a primary formal element, transforming them from tools of communication into aesthetic and spiritual values.

Points of Convergence:

Language as an Artistic Medium: Hurufiyya employs the Arabic letter as a visual element, while "Post-Perception" utilizes text as a tool to disrupt perception (as seen in This is a Pipe).
Symbolism: Letters carry spiritual and cultural connotations, just as the religious symbols in "Post-Perception" (Adam’s Apple, The Table) carry existential weight.
Transcending Traditional Form: Hurufiyya moves away from traditional representation toward abstraction; "Post-Perception" moves away from traditional art toward installation and conceptualism.

Fundamental Divergences:

The Goal: Hurufiyya searches for an authentic Arabic visual identity, whereas "Post-Perception" seeks to deconstruct perception and the fragility of the senses in the age of simulation.
The Medium: Hurufiyya relies on the canvas (acrylic, oil, calligraphy). "Post-Perception" utilizes installations, video, sound, performance, and interactivity.
Relationship with Technology: Hurufiyya largely ignores technology; technology is central to "Post-Perception" (AI, AR, synthesized acoustics).
The Recipient: In Hurufiyya, the recipient is a spectator contemplating beauty. In "Post-Perception," the recipient is a subject testing the limits of their own perception.

Conclusion: Hurufiyya searches for "Identity"; Post-Perception searches for "Truth" in an era where the senses have lost their innocence.

II. The Baghdad Group for Modern Art

About the Movement: Founded in 1951 by the pioneer Jewad Selim, this group aimed to create a contemporary Iraqi artistic style that integrated modern techniques with Iraqi folk and mythological heritage. Artists like Shakir Hassan Al Said sought liberation from Western imitation by drawing inspiration from Al-Wasiti’s drawings and Babylonian/Assyrian motifs.

Points of Convergence:

Symbolism: The Baghdad Group employs myths and heritage, similar to the use of religious and mythical symbols in "Post-Perception" (Conflict of the Two Cows).
Rejection of Tradition: Both reject literal imitation of reality in favor of symbolic or conceptual deconstruction.
Roots: The Baghdad Group seeks an authentic Arabic voice; "Post-Perception" roots its critique of perception in Arabic philosophy (Al-Ghazali, Ibn Sina).

Fundamental Divergences:

The Goal: The Baghdad Group seeks to express the collective Iraqi and Arab soul, whereas "Post-Perception" aims to deconstruct the mechanisms of awareness in the age of simulation.
The Inquiries: The Baghdad Group asks: "How do we express our collective spirit?" Post-Perception asks: "How do we protect our consciousness from fabrication?"

Conclusion: The Baghdad Group seeks the "Soul"; Post-Perception seeks "Perceptual Immunity."

III. New Realism in Egypt

About the Movement: Emerging in the 1960s and 70s as a reaction to Socialist Realism, this movement included pioneers like Hamed Nada, Abdel Hadi El-Gazzar, and Inji Efflatoun. It addressed social and political issues through an expressive style that moved away from literal mimicry.

Points of Convergence:

Critique of Authority: New Realism critiques political and social systems; "Post-Perception" critiques the authority of the institution (This is Not a Fountain).
Commitment: New Realism is committed to social causes; "Post-Perception" is committed to building perceptual immunity against misinformation.

Fundamental Divergences:

The Goal: New Realism seeks to change political and social consciousness, while "Post-Perception" seeks to change the perceptual apparatus itself.
The Recipient: In New Realism, the spectator empathizes or feels outrage. In "Post-Perception," the subject acts as a laboratory testing the boundaries of what they perceive.

Conclusion: New Realism critiques "Reality"; Post-Perception critiques the "Perception of Reality" itself.

IV. Comparative Summary: Locating Post-Perception

No previous Arabic movement can be considered a direct "ancestor" to Post-Perception. The differences are fundamental:

Era: Previous movements arose in a pre-digital age; Post-Perception belongs to the era of Digital Simulation and AI.
Medium: Previous movements were almost exclusively painterly; Post-Perception is multi-media and installation-based.
The Question: While previous movements asked "Who are we?" and "How do we express ourselves?", Post-Perception asks: "How do we know that what we see and hear is real?"

V. Arabic Philosophical Precedents in Perceptual Critique

While parallel artistic movements were absent, Arabic philosophy provided essential "intellectual roots" for Post-Perception:

Al-Ghazali: His critique of the senses and systematic doubt provides the foundation for the fragility of sensory perception.
Ibn Sina: His hierarchy of perception and internal faculties informs the movement's understanding of how perception moves from sense to intellect.
Ibn al-Haytham: His scientific analysis of vision proved its susceptibility to deception, supporting the idea of perceptual fallibility.
Ibn Arabi: His concepts of "Unveiling" (Kashf) and mystical taste suggest a perception that transcends traditional sensory boundaries.

Conclusion

Post-Perception is neither a simple continuation of previous Arabic movements nor a total rupture from them. It is a qualitative addition that poses new questions necessitated by the digital age—questions about perception, truth, and fabrication. It fills a genuine void on the map of contemporary Arabic art.

Ibrahim Shalabi Conceptual Artist – Founder of the Post-Perception Movement