Welcome to the brand new Arthive! Discover a full list of new features here.

The influence of the Islamic world on Western art

Exhibition October 10, 2019 − January 26, 2020
Representing the fascinating history of cultural and artistic interaction between East and West, thisExhibition explores the influence that the Islamic world has had on Western art for centuries.

The artistic exchange between East and West has a long and intertwined history, and the exhibition lifts these stories from the 15th century, following the cultural interactions that are still felt today. Exhibits from Europe, North America, the Middle East and North Africa emphasize the centuries-old tradition of influence and exchange from East to West. A diverse selection of items includes ceramics, photography, glass, jewelry and clothing, as well as contemporary art, demonstrating how artistic exchange has influenced various types of fine and decorative art. The exhibition concludes from the 21st century perspective through the eyes of four women artists from the Middle East and North Africa who continue to question and undermine the idea of ​​Orientalism in their works and explore the theme of Muslim female identity.

The exhibition examines in more detail the artistic movement "Orientalism", in particular, how North Africa and the Middle East were represented as countries of beauty and intrigue, especially in European and North American art. Often blurring the line between fantasy and reality, the art of oriental studies reached its peak in the mid-1800s, when Europeans and North Americans sought to learn more about other cultures abroad, but its popularity waned by the 1940s with the decline of the British.