Basrah Arts Journal

This study examines the Ramadan supplicatory chant (Ibtihal) in Iraq as a ritualistic and devotional phenomenon with religious and cultural dimensions. It represents an important component of the chanting heritage associated with the holy month of Ramadan and has contributed to the formation of the collective memory of Iraqi society. The study also investigates the role of Iraqi radio and television in disseminating this chanting tradition and transferring it from its local ritual context to the broader public media sphere, The research adopts the supplication “Ya Ilah al-Kawn Inna Laka Sumna” (O Lord of the Universe, to You we have fasted) as a model to analyze the role of audio-visual media in highlighting the spiritual and aesthetic dimensions of Ramadan supplicatory chants. The study is structured into four chapters. The first chapter addresses the methodological framework, including the research problem, objectives, significance, scope, and terminology. The second chapter presents the theoretical framework through two sections: the Iraqi Ramadan Ibtihal—its concept and cultural rituality—and the role of media in strengthening the cultural identity of Ramadan supplicatory chants. The third chapter is devoted to the analytical framework, which includes the research methodology, research sample, tools, and the analysis of the selected model. The fourth chapter presents the research findings and conclusions, in addition to recommendations and suggestions, and the study concludes with the list of references

This research addresses "Interactive Context and Postmodern Art Techniques," with the researcher aiming to highlight the concepts of interaction in contemporary art and the role of the audience in engaging with these arts. The research is divided into four chapters. The first chapter presents the general framework, addressing the research problem through the following question: What are the interactive contexts in postmodern art? It also includes an overview of the research's significance, objectives, temporal and spatial boundaries, methodology, and a definition of the essential terms upon which the study is based. The second chapter focuses on the theoretical framework, divided into two sections: the first (Interactive Context in Contemporary Art) and the second (Interaction Techniques in Postmodern Art). The third chapter discusses the research procedures adopted by the researcher, including the research population and sample, methodology, research tools, and content analysis of the sample. The fourth chapter provides a comprehensive review of the key findings the researcher arrived at:
1-Interaction is a fundamental condition in contemporary art; it is not just a technical addition but a philosophical and intellectual system.
2-Interaction is a shift from passive to active reception. The evolution of art has driven the audience to engage with it, making them an active part of its aesthetic and philosophical system.
3-Context plays a formative role in art, which is not isolated from its social, cultural, and historical contexts that affect the essence of the work and its understanding, in addition to the conclusions

Sustainable interior design is regarded as one of the contemporary fields of knowledge characterized by a clear intersection between technical and environmental aspects on the one hand, and socio-semantic dimensions on the other, This intersection renders it a fertile domain for interpretive reading, This research is based on the hypothesis that sustainability in interior design is not achieved solely through apparent performance-based principles related to the use of natural resources, energy efficiency, pollution prevention, environmental harmony, and an integrated approach, but rather through the ability of interior space to generate meaning as a semiotic structure perceived on two levels: the appearance, represented by the visible and embodied presence of design elements, and the interpretation, represented by the deeper meaning produced through interpreting the being of these elements within their environmental and social contexts, The study focuses on how materials, forms, and spatial organizations can be reinterpreted to produce sustainable meaning that transcends functional considerations toward value-laden and semantic dimensions, Accordingly, the research problem is formulated as the following question: How can an interior space be materially sustainable as it carries apparent meanings embodied in its material and organization, and interpretively sustainable as it carries hidden meanings generated from interpreting these manifestations within their environmental and social design contexts?, the research aims to analyze the interpretive relationship between the concepts of the appearance and the interpretation and to trace their manifestations in sustainable interior design, A descriptive–analytical methodology with an interpretive dimension was adopted, a conceptual theoretical framework was developed, from which a set of analytical indicators was derived and employed in a qualitative analysis form applied to three international case studies (2010–2015): Masdar Institute spaces (Asia-Middle East), the Bullitt Center (North America), and The Edge building (Europe), The research yielded several key findings, most notably: The three models demonstrated sensory integration in interior design, going beyond visual perception to involve the other senses in shaping the spatial experience, in model (1), this integration was achieved through filtered natural lighting, natural ventilation, and gradual transitions between enclosed and semi-open spaces, enhancing the sense of comfort and spatial continuity, in model (2), sensory integration was linked to the use of untreated natural materials and the clarity of light and air, creating a direct and immersive interior experience, as for model (3), sensory integration was embodied through the hybrid interaction between sensory perception and smart systems that adjust lighting and temperature according to the user's needs, thus expanding the perceptual experience and making the interior space more interactive and responsive

This research seeks to study \"Movement Aesthetically\" as a phenomenon that transcends its simple material dimension, aiming to uncover its profound philosophical and aesthetic dimensions and its pivotal role in human expression, particularly within the theatrical space. The researcher begins with a theoretical grounding of movement as a mirror of thought, a vessel for culture and history, and a language capable of embodying complex aesthetic and intellectual visions, reviewing the perspectives of prominent philosophers and directors. Subsequently, the researcher transitions to an applied analysis of observations from a purposefully selected theatrical performance (\"Caligula\"). This analysis reveals how movement was employed in innovative ways (such as rigor, alienation, varied rhythm, and stylization) to become the central tool in constructing meaning, embodying existential conflicts, analyzing power relations, and presenting a comprehensive directorial vision that transcends the spoken word.
Movement is not merely physical displacement but an expression of human thought, historical and cultural consciousness, will to power, intuition, and poetic imagination. In theatre, movement transcends its purely utilitarian function to become an essential language, an effective directorial tool, and an avenue for understanding the visions of major figures such as Hegel, Spinoza, Nietzsche, Bergson, Bachelard, Grotowski, Wilson, and Kantor.

This research examines the manifestations of visual imagination in the work of Iraqi artist Alaa Al-Anzi, approaching it as an aesthetic system that transcends documentary realism toward interpretive and semantic horizons. It investigates the expressive mechanisms deployed across his pictorial scenes through a dialectical analysis of spatial and temporal structures, seeking to illuminate the nature of the visual discourse that emerges from the productive tension between the real and the imagined. Drawing on a selection of representative works, the study concludes that Al-Anzi\'s practice operates on a sustained dialectic between the familiar and the unfamiliar, that space in his paintings functions not as a neutral container but as an active semantic structure, and that his visual imagination follows a dreamlike logic — one that reconstructs the relations of world and existence while remaining anchored in lived reality.

The contemporary world is witnessing a rapid advancement in artificial intelligence technologies, whose impact has extended to the visual arts, particularly the spatial arts. This development raises questions about their capacity to produce sculptural forms with artistic content. Accordingly, this study investigates the potential of generative artificial intelligence to embody an artistic subject within a three-dimensional sculptural form through an experimental approach.
The study is structured into several interrelated chapters and sections. The first chapter presents the methodological framework, addressing the research problem, which centers on the extent to which artificial intelligence can generate three-dimensional sculptural forms with artistic significance. The study aims to examine the ability of generative AI systems to materialize an artistic concept in sculptural form through experimental investigation, and its significance lies in clarifying the relationship between digital technologies and sculptural practice from both analytical and applied perspectives. The second chapter develops the theoretical framework, reviewing the concept of embodiment in aesthetic and artistic thought, the relationship between artificial intelligence and contemporary plastic practices, and tracing the evolution of three-dimensional generation technologies from a sculptural perspective. The third chapter outlines the experimental procedures, detailing the stages of the experiment, generation mechanisms, and analytical methods, while examining the digital outputs in terms of their compositional, structural, and semantic characteristics. The fourth chapter presents and discusses the results in light of the theoretical framework.
The findings indicate that generative AI systems demonstrate a clear capacity to produce preliminary sculptural configurations with a degree of structural coherence, particularly in the organization of mass and spatial relationships. However, the results also reveal relative limitations in translating fine compositional details from text into form, including recurring issues related to element integration, proportional imbalance, and the limited precision of certain formal symbols

Visual composition is considered one of the most significant realities affirmed by artistic achievements through technological development. In particular, the visual elements within the performance system may not merely indicate transformations of theatrical space; rather, they express the natural, psychological, and environmental dimensions of the theatrical event. This is achieved through experiences of spaces and places beyond conventional and repetitive forms, presenting new interpretations of visual compositions. Such interpretations frame the artistic work as an aesthetic and cognitive unit shaped by the director through philosophical visions that embody the dominance of technology within a cumulative context of fundamental transformations related to the individual and their relationship with the external world.
These transformations are recreated according to the dialectical relationship between the recipient’s subjective formation and the subject matter presented in the theatrical discourse. This relationship is realized through the aesthetic space created by the use of technological devices within the theatrical performance for the purpose of meaning production. Meaning may manifest cognitively, psychologically, or as a combination of both in varying degrees, creating a sense of separation or distance between the audience and the theatrical performance.
Accordingly, the research was divided into four chapters. The first chapter, Methodological Framework, begins with the research problem, centered on the following question:
What is the role of visual composition in creating aesthetic distance within contemporary Iraqi theatrical performances?
The chapter then discusses the significance of the research, highlighting its focus on visual composition in Iraqi theatrical performances through an understanding of aesthetic distance and its effective role in conveying theatrical discourse to the audience. It also serves scholars interested in both aesthetic and intellectual aspects of theater.
The research objective is:
To identify the role of visual composition between artistic framing and aesthetic distance in furnishing contemporary Iraqi theatrical performances.
The chapter further outlines the temporal and spatial boundaries of the study and concludes with definitions of the key terms linguistically, conceptually, and operationally.
The second chapter, Theoretical Framework, consists of two sections:
1-Aesthetic Framing and Theatrical Aesthetic Distance.
2-Mechanisms for Employing Visual Elements in Forming Theatrical Aesthetic Framing.
The chapter concludes with the indicators derived from the theoretical framework.
The third chapter, Research Procedures, includes the research population, limited to the play Tahweer (Transformation/Modification). The research tool consisted of the indicators derived from the theoretical framework, which served as the analytical criterion. The researcher adopted the descriptive-analytical method due to its suitability for the research objective, followed by the analysis of the selected sample.
The fourth chapter presents the Research Results, including:
1-The director employs tools to construct a performance system that presents what is different within a context containing a set of questions aimed at stimulating the audience’s engagement and opening interpretive possibilities through the activation of aesthetic space.
2-The director focuses on employing visual compositions and their functions in creating an aesthetic space based on principles of rejection and opposition, generating conflict through the aesthetics of visual, auditory, and kinetic construction.
3-The cognitive and aesthetic levels achieved in experimental performances that rely on visual technologies provide a form of artistic and aesthetic pleasure through the aesthetic distance established between the performance components and the audience.
Conclusions
4-The process of aesthetically framing a theatrical performance through visual composition plays an effective role in creating aesthetic space and activating the audience’s awareness.
5-The elements of theatrical performance are subject to aesthetic standards that shape the relationship between human and non-human visual elements.
The research concludes with recommendations and proposals, followed by a list of sources and references.

This research highlights the symbol, which has preoccupied those working in art and art education, because art, for the learner, is a means to express their thoughts, feelings, and emotions. It is the outlet for their vivid imagination and stimulates thought. Expressive ability only comes alive in lines, symbols, shapes, colors, their rhythms, and the events presented in the work. Therefore, the relationship between the subject and the expressed emotion is not a means-end relationship, but rather a relationship between two elements, each supporting the other within a coherent whole, where the symbol reinforces this relationship. The research problem was defined by the question: (What are the popular symbols and their reflection in the artistic expression of secondary school students?) The second chapter included a discussion of the symbol and its relationship to artistic expression and concluded with previous studies. In the third chapter, the researcher selected a purposive, selective sample, and through the analysis form, she arrived at the most important results, conclusions, recommendations, and suggestions.

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

The study examines the role of social media and the Formation of Artistic Value in the Digital Presentation of Contemporary Plastic Art, based on the analysis of two artistic case studies using theoretical indicators. It aims to reveal how social media influence the formation of artistic value in digital art presentation. The research shows that artistic value is no longer confined to traditional aesthetic standards or critical evaluation, but is produced within a network of digital interactions involving the artist, the audience, and the platforms. The audience actively participates in guiding and reproducing the work, transforming the art display experience into an accumulative and dynamic process based on real-time interaction and digital engagement. This reflects a redefinition of the relationship between the artist, the audience, and technology, demonstrating that artistic value in digital spaces is not fixed but socially and technically produced. The study confirms that social media platforms can function as productive tools for generating beauty and value, rather than merely serving as channels for display and communication.

This research examines the difficulties faced by art teachers in the Karbala Al-Hindiya Education Directorate. It comprises four chapters. The first chapter includes the methodological framework of the research, addressing the research problem, its significance, objectives, and limitations, as well as defining key terms. The second chapter covers the theoretical framework of the research, with three sections: the first discussing the relationship between art and education; the second addressing the goals of art education classes and the role of the art teacher; and the third addressing the difficulties faced by art teachers. The second chapter concludes with the most important findings of the researcher, in addition to a discussion of previous studies on this topic. The third chapter details the research procedures, including the population, methodology, sample, research instrument, and statistics used. The final chapter presents the results, conclusions, recommendations, and suggestions. The most significant findings include:
- The lack of an art studio ranked first among the difficulties faced by art teachers in Al-Hindiya schools, reaching 98%.
-The marginalization of art education classes and their placement at the end of the school day is one of the most significant difficulties faced by most teachers, stifling their enthusiasm. Therefore, this difficulty ranked second in importance, at 96.77%.
The most important conclusions were:
- The lack of attention to having an art studio that nurtures students' talents and abilities and provides a comprehensive art lesson was the biggest obstacle facing art teachers.
- Art education was consistently ranked last among other subjects in terms of difficulty faced by art teachers.
- The exclusion of art from ministerial exams made it seem unimportant to students and parents.

This research is concerned with studying (the heart of the event and the assumptions of visual artificiality in contemporary art), which is based on the concepts of continental philosophy, and the relationship of this philosophy to art, through the concept of artificiality and its relationship to contemporary art. And its impact on the image that has undergone the practices of the heart of the visual event through the artistic achievement, where the assumptions of artificiality have transcended traditional formulas to establish another, different form of visual production that is an open form that does not rely on traditional institutions in artistic production. Accordingly, the research structure was established within four chapters. The first chapter (the general framework) contained the research problem, which the researcher summarized by asking: (How do the assumptions of artificiality that characterize reality contribute to the process of reversing the visual event? And how does the copy image dominate in the assumption of hyperreality? The aim of the research is (to identify and reveal the implementation of assumptions of artificiality in the process of reversing the visual event within the contemporary formation system). The second chapter (the theoretical framework) consists of three topics: The first topic (representations of reversing the induction from concept to formation), the second topic dealt with (artificiality from philosophical formation to hyperreality), and the third topic dealt with (contemporary formation as a philosophical representation of the event). The third chapter (research procedures) included defining the research community, and three artistic works were selected. The fourth chapter contained the results and conclusions. The most important results are: Contemporary formation is based on evoking the visual event, through artistic and performance display techniques that represent assumptions of artificiality and depend on performance, practice, repetition, and variation in achieving The image, which seeks to capture the heart of the visual event.

The current research, entitled "The Dialectic of the Human Form Between Distortion and Beautification in the Works of Salvador Dalí and George Grosz," examines the artworks of these artists within the diverse art movements of Expressionism and Surre alism. The research comprises three chapters. The first chapter addresses the methodological framework, including the research problem, which is answered by the following question: What is the dialectic of the human form between distortion and beautification in the works of Salvador Dalí and George Grosz? It then discusses the importance of the research, the need for it, its objective, and its scope, which includes the thematic boundaries: the artworks of Salvador Dalí and George Grosz. The chapter concludes with the definition of terms. The second chapter addresses the theoretical framework and contains three sections. The first section deals with the concept of form, the second with distortion and beautification and their philosophies, and the third with the intellectual shift between Expressionism and Surrealism. The chapter concludes with the indicators derived from the theoretical framework. Chapter Three includes the research procedures, the research population, the research sample, and the research methodology (where the researchers adopted the descriptive method using sample analysis). Chapter Four addresses the results, conclusions, recommendations, and suggestions, followed by the sources and references.

This study investigates representations of cultural symbolism in contemporary Iraqi sculpture (1960Ad–1983Ad), examining how folkloric and cultural symbols are embedded in sculptural practice and how they operate as aesthetic and semantic systems. Grounded in a descriptive-analytical methodology,The theoretical framework surveys cultural-symbolic discourse in Iraqi art and the emergence and development of contemporary Iraqi sculpture. Findings indicate that symbolic production in Iraqi sculpture evolved through historical phases, producing works that variably reflect semantic symbolism, identity retrieval, and popular-environment elements. The human figure—especially the male body—emerges as the principal locus of symbolic expression, shaping the artworks’ discursive intents and amplifying their expressive and semiotic functions. Symbolic representations are shown to stem from objective portrayals of prevailing social realities, distinguished from other contemporary movements by their heterogeneous materials and techniques and by an attendant focus on individual identity. The study concludes that subject-matter drawn from modern Iraqi socio-historical contexts constitutes a primary source of sculptural motifs, and that the deliberate selection and articulation of symbols confer integrated, non-arbitrary meanings within contemporary Iraqi sculpture. Recommendations for further research and implications for curatorial and material choices in sculptural practice are provide