Doha Showcases Hajj through Art
Exploring the art revolving around the world’s largest human gathering, a special exhibition about hajj “Journey through Art” has launched in Qatar, offering audiences a local interpretation of the Muslim pilgrimage to Makkah.
“Exhibitions such as this have traditionally been the purview of European and North American museums,” Aisha Al Khater, Director of Museum of Islamic Art, Doha (MIA), said in a press release.
“MIA is dedicated to shedding light on our past to inspire future generations, and we believe the power of art is essential to bringing the story of our cultures to life. We have every confidence that this exhibition will do just that,” she added.
The exhibition, the Journey through Art, is the first exhibition held in the Muslim world to explore the art revolving around the pilgrimage of hajj.
Inaugurated On Wednesday, October 9, it would run through 5 January 2014.
The exhibition presents artworks from MIA and objects from Qatari collections, many of which have never before been displayed in public.
It also offers audiences a local interpretation of the pilgrimage by focusing on the routes taken from Qatar to Makkah, gifts brought back by local pilgrims and oral histories of Qatar.
Organized in collaboration with the British Museum, the exhibition will be supported by a full educational program which includes art and calligraphy workshops, special tours and classroom materials for schools.
Lectures would also be offered by a number of experts including Tim Mackintosh-Smith, and a panel discussion with three of the contemporary artists involved in the exhibition: Ahmed Mater, Walid Siti and Khalifa Al-Obaidly.
Along with local artworks, the exhibition hosts international photographers including Peter Sanders (Britain), Reem al-Faisal (Saudi Arabia), Kayuzoshi Nomachi (Japan), Juliette Sawyers (Australia) and Khalifa Al-Obaidly (Qatar).
“We are very proud of the work we have done to provide a truly unique vision of Hajj and offer a local lens through which to view it,” Mounia Chekhab-Abudaya said.
“Using objects from our own collection and those of a number of generous local contributors, we bring to light the breath-taking artistry that has revolved around Hajj since the beginnings of Islam and continues to this day.
“This is a perfect example of the continuation of Islamic artistic traditions.”
The exhibition is not the first international event to feature Muslims hajj journey.
In 2012, the British Museum hosted a major exhibition on the Muslim hajj to educate non-Muslims about one of the five pillars of Islam.
The UK exhibition, billed as the world’s largest on hajj, traced some of the main routes Muslims have followed over the centuries to get to Makkah.
Muslims from around the world pour into Makkah every year to perform hajj, one of the five pillars of Islam.
Hajj consists of several ceremonies, which are meant to symbolize the essential concepts of the Islamic faith, and to commemorate the trials of Prophet Abraham and his family.
Every able-bodied adult Muslim who can financially afford the trip must perform hajj at least once in a lifetime.
Hajj is officially expected to fall between October 13 and 18, with the climax falling on October 14 when the faithful descend the Mount `Arafat.
Source: On Islam
“MIA is dedicated to shedding light on our past to inspire future generations, and we believe the power of art is essential to bringing the story of our cultures to life. We have every confidence that this exhibition will do just that,” she added.
The exhibition, the Journey through Art, is the first exhibition held in the Muslim world to explore the art revolving around the pilgrimage of hajj.
Inaugurated On Wednesday, October 9, it would run through 5 January 2014.
The exhibition presents artworks from MIA and objects from Qatari collections, many of which have never before been displayed in public.
It also offers audiences a local interpretation of the pilgrimage by focusing on the routes taken from Qatar to Makkah, gifts brought back by local pilgrims and oral histories of Qatar.
Organized in collaboration with the British Museum, the exhibition will be supported by a full educational program which includes art and calligraphy workshops, special tours and classroom materials for schools.
Lectures would also be offered by a number of experts including Tim Mackintosh-Smith, and a panel discussion with three of the contemporary artists involved in the exhibition: Ahmed Mater, Walid Siti and Khalifa Al-Obaidly.
Along with local artworks, the exhibition hosts international photographers including Peter Sanders (Britain), Reem al-Faisal (Saudi Arabia), Kayuzoshi Nomachi (Japan), Juliette Sawyers (Australia) and Khalifa Al-Obaidly (Qatar).
“We are very proud of the work we have done to provide a truly unique vision of Hajj and offer a local lens through which to view it,” Mounia Chekhab-Abudaya said.
“Using objects from our own collection and those of a number of generous local contributors, we bring to light the breath-taking artistry that has revolved around Hajj since the beginnings of Islam and continues to this day.
“This is a perfect example of the continuation of Islamic artistic traditions.”
The exhibition is not the first international event to feature Muslims hajj journey.
In 2012, the British Museum hosted a major exhibition on the Muslim hajj to educate non-Muslims about one of the five pillars of Islam.
The UK exhibition, billed as the world’s largest on hajj, traced some of the main routes Muslims have followed over the centuries to get to Makkah.
Muslims from around the world pour into Makkah every year to perform hajj, one of the five pillars of Islam.
Hajj consists of several ceremonies, which are meant to symbolize the essential concepts of the Islamic faith, and to commemorate the trials of Prophet Abraham and his family.
Every able-bodied adult Muslim who can financially afford the trip must perform hajj at least once in a lifetime.
Hajj is officially expected to fall between October 13 and 18, with the climax falling on October 14 when the faithful descend the Mount `Arafat.
Source: On Islam
