Maraya Art Centre and 1971 Design Space, an initiative by Sharjah Investment and Development Authority, Shurooq, has announced that Islamopolitan, an exhibition that puts forward a proposed conversation between Islam and design will run between April 14th and May 14th, in Superstudio Milan Expo 2015.
Curated by the Director of Maraya Art Centre, Giuseppe Moscatello, and acclaimed Emirati designer, Khalid Shafar, the exhibition was first shown at Maraya Art Centre last summer during Sharjah's year as Islamic Cultural Capital of 2014, and then was shown at Istanbul Design Week to great acclaim in November. Taking Islamopolitan to Milan fulfils the Centre's plans to nurture local design talent and promote and create awareness of artists and designers from the Gulf region abroad.
Speaking about the upcoming exhibition, Giuseppe Moscatello said, "The contemporary art and design scene in Sharjah is growing rapidly and touring this exhibition to Istanbul, Milan and beyond offers a wonderful opportunity to introduce the international community to the superb work being done by designers and artists from around the world inspired by Islam. We are very excited to see Islamopolitan continuing its international tour and we are looking forward to the discourse and discussion that this thought-provoking exhibition is sure to invoke in the wider design community."
The exhibition aims to put forward a proposed conversation between Islam and design that extends beyond the decorative through connoting multiculturalism and diversity but also respect to context. An almost ironic approach that encourages both the global and the local in its philosophy, exploring the tension between the two.
Featuring work from designers of twelve nationalities, the exhibited pieces span the mediums of furniture design, jewellery, photography, video, art installation, object design, tapestry, wallpaper, fashion design, pottery and sound installation.
Source: WAM