BAHRAIN will celebrate International Day of Islamic Art this week with events showcasing the arts, architecture, calligraphy, music and food.
Originally planned for November 18 and 19, the activities were postponed as the nation mourned the passing of HRH Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa.
The day will now be marked on Wednesday and Thursday.
The Unesco General Conference at its 40th session last year proclaimed November 18 of each year as the International Day of Islamic Art, to raise awareness of past and contemporary artistic expressions of Islam, and the contribution of culture through Islamic art to civilisation.
An artefact that will be on display
Organised by the Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities, the celebration starts on Wednesday with ‘Murals Inspired by Islamic Art’ at 4pm in the outdoor area of the Art Centre near the Bahrain National Museum.
Twelve artists who will display murals inspired by Islamic art and calligraphy 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.
Exhibition
At 5pm, the ‘Art from the Islamic World’ exhibition at the museum will be opened to the public, featuring the works of seven artists from Islamic cultural backgrounds from the Gulf, North Africa, Andalusia (Spain) and Southeast Asia – inspired by Islamic heritage elements such as the Arabic language, textiles, handicrafts, architecture and more.
The showcase will also include works from the collection of the museum as well as loans from a number of private museums and collectors in the kingdom. It will boast about 20 artefacts and 15 artworks and will stay up until the end of January 2021.
Murals on show
There will also be an exhibition at 5pm 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.
The same day at 6pm there will also be a panel discussion on ‘Global Perspectives on Islamic Art Today’ via Zoom.
International speakers include architectural historian and director of Barakat Trust, Seif El Rashidi, director of the Aga Khan Museum in Canada, Dr Ulrike Al Khamis, and art historian and head of Curatorial Affairs at the Islamic Arts Museum in Malaysia Dr Heba Barakat.
Members of the discussion panel
A documentary, Islamic Art – Mirrors of the Invisible World, will be screened at 7.30pm at the outdoor area of Darseen Café at the Bahrain National Museum.
Another film, Traces of the Soul, will be screened on Thursday at 7pm.
Registration is required for both the screenings.
‘Traces of the Soul’ film to be screened
Meanwhile, the café has cooked up a special menu of six dishes, each representing a cultural centre within the ancient pan-Islamic world.
The menu will be available from Wednesday to December 3 and can be enjoyed while watching the films.
All activities are open to the public.
For details and to register, visit www.culture.gov.bh or follow @culturebah on Instagram and on Twitter.
A still from ‘Islamic Art – Mirror of the Invisible World’
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