The first image in All Manner of Experiments: Legacies of the Baghdad Modern Art Group is a large reproduction. Monochrome, with black curved and interlocking shapes that sit between graphic design and abstraction, the drawing by Mohammed Ghani Hikmat was the poster for the Baghdad Modern Art Group’s first exhibition.

Oh my days, what to say about art criticism! It’s like a very old cat that everyone in the house is amazed is still alive—and so have to treat it with respect even though they’re all secretly waiting for it to kick the bucket. Yes, I’m very disillusioned with the state of art criticism—and I bet, if you’re reading this, you are too.