Bringing heritage to life

Faith, beauty and heritage, highlighting objects from Islamic civilization from across the world, were the focal points of the second Islamic Arts Biennale in Jeddah. Titled this year “And All That Is In Between,” which draws from a line in the Holy Qur’an that appears several times and states: “And God created the Heavens and the Earth and all that is in between,” reflecting the all-encompassing beauty of God’s creation as experienced by humankind.

The biennale, which takes place until May 25, is staged once again in the Western Hajj Terminal of King Abdulaziz International Airport, a site that reflects the cultural breadth of millions of Muslim pilgrims traveling each year to the Kingdom to embark on their journeys for Hajj and Umrah in Makkah and Madinah.

Here, within this most monumental of places, signifying a gateway to Islam’s holiest cities, is an exhibition that juxtaposes historical objects from Islamic cultures around the world with works of contemporary art, many newly commissioned, exploring how faith is experienced, brings people together and reflects both metaphysically and literally on ideas of beauty and harmony.

Led by Artistic Directors Julian Raby, Amin Jaffer in his ongoing role as Director of The Al Thani Collection, and Abdul Rahman Azzam alongside Saudi artist Muhannad Shono as Curator of Contemporary Art, the Biennale is divided into seven unique components: AlBidayah ("The Beginning"), AlMadar ("The Orbit"), AlMuqtani ("Homage"), AlMidhallah ("The Canopy"), AlMukarramah ("The Honored"), AlMunawwarah ("The Illuminated"), and AlMusalla, the inaugural architectural prize awarded to Dubai and Beirut-based EAST Architectural for their design of a Muslim prayer space.

The artifacts on display this year are significant pieces reflective of Islamic culture and civilization, many of which have been loaned from the world’s leading institutions of Islamic arts, from Tunis to Tashkent and Timbuktu to Yogyakarta and include pieces from the Al Thani Collection in Paris, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the V&A, Musée du Louvre in Paris, the Museum of Islamic Art in Doha, the Manuscripts Institute of Türkiye in Istanbul and from institutions across Saudi Arabia, including the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture (Ithra) in Dhahran, the King Abdulaziz Waqf Libraries Assembly in Madinah, and the King Fahad National Library in Riyadh. In total, over 500 objects from more than 20 countries are on display.

Among the major highlights of the biennale is the Kiswa, the cloth that adorned the Ka’aba showcased in its entirety for the first time outside of the Holy City of Makkah. Each year a new Kiswah is made and this Kiswa, which had many visitors moved and some even in tears as they beheld the monumental cloth, is the one that adorned the Holy Ka’aba last year. The display of the Kiswa, in the AlBidaya component, coincides with the first Hijri centenary of the establishment of the Kiswa Factory of the Holy Ka’aba in King Abdulaziz Complex in Saudi Arabia.

Other highlights include six Islamic artifacts loaned from Ithra: The King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture. These include a firman (decree) of Mustafa III concerning the tomb of the Prophet Muhammad (PHUB), a prayer carpet fragment, the manuscript of tafsir, rahal or folding manuscript stand, a mosque lamp and a large wooden minbar or pulpit. 

“Our participation underscores our ongoing commitment to preserving and sharing the rich heritage of Islamic art with a global audience while expanding knowledge of key concepts of Islamic traditions that have shaped and continue to shape Islamic identities today,” stated Farah Abushullaih, Head of Museum.

Ithra’s Curator of Islamic Art and Culture, Idries Trevathan, worked closely with curators Dr Heather Ecker and Dr Marika Sardar, members of the curatorial team of AlMadar, to select works that center around the theme of waqf, a major theme in Islamic culture that involves dedicating assets such as buildings, land, and other properties to better the community. Waqf, which often supports educational, charitable and religious initiatives, is ultimately a spiritual pledge that champions social and economic welfare.

Other notable historical objects can be found in AlMuqtani showcasing masterpieces from the private collections of Qatar’s Sheikh Hamad bin Abdullah Al-Thani known as the Al Thani Collection based in Paris and led by Amin Jaffar and of Saudi collector Rifaat Sheikh El-Ard.

“We decided to develop this narrative in which we show works of art that express elements of faith, different aspects of faith, starting from the sacred, the visceral to the intellectual or mental,” explained Jaffar. “The idea was to showcase works of art that represent high points of artistic and creative achievement across Islamic civilization. We wanted to honor these collectors and show the public that individuals can make a big difference to the understanding of Muslim culture.”

On view from the Al Thani Collection are selections from its over 5,000 works of art, from the neolithic to the contemporary period, including manuscripts, miniature painting, works in metal, glass and jewelry. El Ard’s collection, which he began in 1980, focuses on the overlooked area of weaponry from the Islamic world. Highlighted in the biennale are carefully crafted Islamic weapons from over 1,000 pieces in the collection.

Reflective of the cross-cultural dialogue and diversity of the works on show are 11 pieces from the Vatican Apostolic Library in Rome, Italy. Displayed in the AlMadar section, a highlight among the pieces is a nearly six-meter-long map of the Nile displayed for the first time outside the walls of the Vatican. The map, which dates to the 17th century, was acquired in Constantinople by the Lebanese librarian, Giuseppe Alemanni who later became the Vatican Library’s Prefect. The piece refers to the renowned Ottoman traveler Evliya Çelebi, who crossed Egypt from Cairo to the Nile in 1683. In his book Siyāḥat-nāme meaning “The Book of Travel,” he recounts how the journey marked the most extensive ever undertaken across the Ottoman Empire during the height of its expansion. The texts on the map correspond to what Çelebi recorded in his diaries.

The map is displayed at the Jeddah Biennale alongside a sister map, most probably produced in the same workshop, depicting the Arabian Gulf, now housed in the National Library of Qatar.

Such works positioned side by side, from two global institutions, one from the Gulf and one from Europe, testify the historical dialogue achieved through the works on display, and importantly, how the geographical region of the Gulf and the Arab world were intrinsically linked to the wider mediterranean. The global historical and metaphysical impact of Islamic culture is on view for all to see in this second edition of the Islamic Arts Biennale, demonstrating how there are no entirely isolated cultures.