Renowned Islamic art collection shown for first time in Middle East

01-23-2008

ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES – From January 23 through April 22, 2008, Abu Dhabi will host the exhibition The Arts of Islam: Treasures from the Nasser D Khalili Collection, comprised of more than 500 extraordinary artworks from the world-renowned Nasser D Khalili Collection. Widely considered to be among the largest and most important collections of Islamic art in private hands, the Khalili Collection has never before been exhibited in the Middle East.

 

Installed in Gallery One of the Emirates Palace Hotel, The Arts of Islam: Treasures from the Nasser D Khalili Collection is being shown under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces.

 

On view are many of the finest extant examples of textiles, ceramics, jewelry, metalwork, glassware, painting, engraving, and calligraphy from the Muslim world. Among them are works that have never been exhibited anywhere before, such as an exquisitely detailed panoramic watercolor of Mecca, painted in 1843, which is the earliest known visual record of the Holy City. Both religious and secular works are included in the exhibition, which ranges in date from the 7th century through the 20th and in geography from Spain and North Africa to India and China.

 

To inaugurate the exhibition, Abu Dhabi is also hosting an international symposium, The Arts of Islam, attended by an estimated 700 guests. Among the noted scholars who will address the symposium on January 23 are: Professor Doris Behrens-Abouseif, Nasser D Khalili Chair of Islamic Art and Archaeology at the University of London; Professor Jeremy Johns, Chair of the Faculty of Oriental Studies, The Oriental Institute, Director of the Khalili Research Centre and Professor of Art & Archaeology of the Islamic Mediterranean at Oxford University; Tim Stanley, Senior Curator for the Middle Eastern collections at London’s Victoria and Albert Museum; Professor Michael Rogers, Honorary Curator of the Nasser D Khalili Collection of Islamic Art; Nahla Nassar, Curator of the collection; Dr. Abdel Rahman H. Makhlouf, owner and Managing Director of the Arab Office for Planning and Architecture; and Nasser D Khalili, scholar, author, noted collector and benefactor who holds a PhD in Islamic Art from London University’s School of Oriental and African studies.

 

Organized by Abu Dhabi’s TDIC (Tourism Development & Investment Company), the exhibition and symposium mark the latest stage in the Emirate’s evolution into an international hub for art and culture.  “The staging of this magnificent exhibition sets the tone of Abu Dhabi’s cultural ambitions as defined by Their Highnesses Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE President and Ruler of Abu Dhabi and Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan,” said His Excellency Sheikh Sultan Bin Tahnoon Al Nahyan, Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture & Heritage and TDIC.

 

“This is a physical demonstration of our determination to transform the UAE capital into a global cultural center and a major step forward in what will be a sustained educational program aimed at nurturing a national awareness of arts appreciation and encouraging a new stream of career development for Emiratis.”

 

Abu Dhabi is on its way to becoming a global cultural center with the creation of the Cultural District on Saadiyat Island, the 27 square kilometer island lying 500 meters offshore the UAE capital, which is being transformed into a signature cultural and leisure destination. The island will be home to the largest single cluster of world-class cultural assets including the Sheikh Zayed National Museum, the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi modern and contemporary museum, the Louvre Abu Dhabi encyclopedic museum, a performing arts centre, maritime museum and arts pavilions.

 

“The UAE capital is fast becoming internationally recognized as a strong and highly efficient proponent of the arts,” said Professor Nasser D Khalili, Iranian scholar, collector and benefactor who assembled the collection under the auspices of the Khalili Family Trust.  “The staging of this exhibition owes much to the personal support of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan and His Excellency Sheikh Sultan Bin Tahnoon Al Nahyan and the TDIC sponsorship.”

 

A fully illustrated catalogue, published in English and Arabic, accompanies the exhibition. In addition to the opening symposium, a series of lectures and other educational initiatives will also be staged.

 

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