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The Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities (BACA) is staging a series of events featuring arts, music and food influenced by the richness of Islamic art in celebration of its first internationally-dedicated day.
In 2018, the Bahrain delegation had lobbied to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) to mark a special day on the yearly calendar to commemorate Islamic art.
The General Conference of UNESCO at its 40th session in 2019 then proclaimed November 18 of each year as the international day with the aim of showcasing the diversity and pluralism embodied in this art form.
BACA will be marking the day with a variety of activities and exhibits focussed on highlighting the history of Islamic art and its multifaceted influences on the world through food, music, architecture and calligraphy.
Farah Mattar, the director of Culture and Arts who is leading the team on the celebration, said: “Islamic art is neither a monolithic style nor a movement. It spans more than 1,400 years of history and has incredible geographic diversity with Islamic empires from Spain to western China at various points in history to current renditions of contemporary art.
“Our aim is to shed light on the beauty and intricacy of Islamic art, to promote the celebration of this annual day recognised worldwide by UNESCO and to introduce it to our audiences, our artists, students, schools and other institutions in the kingdom.
“I believe this is a positive way to highlight our history and bridge cultures together through the love of art in any form.”
The event will start on November 18 at 4pm at the Art Centre next to Bahrain National Museum in which 12 artists created outdoor murals inspired by Islamic art, calligraphy and the stunning standards it has upheld over the past 1,442 years.
The dynamic dozen are Ali Albazzaz, Ali Malih, Ammar Almahmood, Hussain Fateel, Njood Naji, Khalil Almadhoon, Mohamed Redha, Mohsin Ghareeb, Moosa Alkhazzaz, Mustafa Alhalwachi, S Murtadha Alsakin and Seema Baqi.
The artwork will be on display outside of the Art Centre for about three weeks and on the inaugural day, the artists will be available to chat with visitors.
Afterwards, people can enjoy contemporary art and ancient Islamic artifacts showcased at the Bahrain National Museum.
“The curated collection at the National Museum, entitled ‘Art from the Islamic World’, will feature the works of seven artists from Islamic cultural backgrounds from the Gulf region, North Africa, Andalusia (Spain) and Southeast Asia,” said Farah.
“The artists are inspired by Islamic heritage elements such as the Arabic language, textiles, handicrafts, architecture and more.
“The exhibition will also include works from the collection of the Bahrain National Museum as well as loans from a number of private museums and collectors in the kingdom.” The exhibition will feature about 20 artifacts and 15 artworks and will stay up until the end of January 2021.
There will also be a panel discussion on ‘Global Perspectives on Islamic Art Today’ at 6pm on November 18.
It is open to registration on Zoom with a panel of international speakers such as architectural historian Seif El Rashidi from The Barakat Trust, Dr Ulrike Al-Khamis, director of the Aga Khan Museum in Canada and Islamic art expert Dr Heba Barakat, an art historian and head of Curatorial Affairs Department at the Islamic Arts Museum in Malaysia.
On November 18, at 5pm, there will be an exhibition at the museum highlighting the Al-Fadhel Minaret, which has been an important aspect of the visual identity of Bahrain for all those arriving through the Manama port.
BACA is working on restoring the minaret of this historic mosque by reviving its original appearance and design. The architectural and scientific methods of the restoration processes are presented throughout this exhibition. The guided tour will showcase the inauguration of the restored Al-Fadhel Mosque minaret.
This project is supported by Her Highness Shaikha Maryam bint Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa and a bank.
There will also be an outdoor film screening of the documentary entitled Islamic Art - Mirrors of the Invisible World on November 19 at 7pm at the Bahrain National Museum and another film called Traces of the Soul on November 21 at 7pm.
To watch both English films, make sure to register in advance. The documentary is narrated by Academy award-winning actress Susan Sarandon. It is an epic journey into 1,400 years of history and across nine countries. As for the Traces of the Soul documentary, it explores the world of contemporary calligraphy from Arabic to Chinese and Japanese, and its increasing relevance in the digital age.
Meanwhile, Darseen Café at the Bahrain National Museum has created a special menu made up of six dishes, each representing a cultural centre within the ancient pan Islamic world.
The menu will be available from November 18 to 25 and can be enjoyed while watching the films.
BACA will also be screening a performance by Moroccan group Layali Al Nagham at the outdoor area of Darseen Café, on November 18 at 7.30pm, which boasts a sense of mystery and recalls Andalusia as a paradise during its Golden Age. This will be homage to that era where poets and philosophers flourished.
All activities are open to the public.
For details, visit www.culture.gov.bh or follow @culturebah on Instagram and on Twitter.
