The Power of the Word
By Kamil Walji
Dr.
Venetia Porter signs copies of her book ‘Word
into Art’ |
On
April 29, 2007, His Highness Prince Aga Khan Shia Imami Ismaili
Council for the Western United States, the Ancient Art Council
and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) hosted "The
Power of the Word: Word into Art," an exploration of
the work of contemporary Middle Eastern artists and the art
of Arabic calligraphy. The guest speaker, Dr. Venetia Porter,
was invited to discuss a highly successful exhibition "Word
Into Art," recently held at the British Museum, London,
where she is the Curator of Islamic Collections.
Contextualizing the art of Arabic calligraphy within the history
of Islam, Dr. Porter described the birth of calligraphy as
not only a means of communicating the word of God but also
a decorative, artistic expression. The exhibition included
wide-ranging examples of calligraphy that transformed writing
into art, books of poetry, and political commentary. All of
these reflect the richly diverse artistic heritage of the
region.
A powerful theme running through all the works was how artists
engaged and experimented with the Arabic script. For some
this resonated with the sacred tradition of Islam and the
Qur'an. Other artists used calligraphy to express social and
political ideas which transcended geographic and religious
borders. Examples included Shirin Neshat's "Offered Eyes"
commenting on the state of women in Iran and Egyptian Sabah
Naim's work that examined the separation between media representations
and reality. Though Arabic calligraphy is most often associated
with the Qur'an, Dr. Porter shared examples of sacred works
of Arab Christian artists with verses of the Bible in the
Arabic script as well as the works of other artists from China
and Japan.
Ultimately, the presentation spotlighted the potential power
of cross-cultural understanding by illustrating the pluralism
and diversity of a region through the artistic calligraphic
medium. Museums, using exhibitions like "Word into Art"
as dynamic tools for instruction and reflection, have an increasingly
important role as catalysts for cultural exchange and communication.
Commented Laila Hussain, an art enthusiast: “As you
may know, both The London Times and the Financial Times gave
rave reviews of her exhibition which highlighted contemporary
art and culture emerging from the Middle East and North Africa
today. It was a privilege for many of us in Los Angeles to
experience the spectacular ‘Word into Art’ Exhibition
displayed several years ago at the British Museum. The audience
expressed great interest learning about the art of calligraphy
and understanding the diverse artistic expressions of artists
in the Middle East.”
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