PRESENTING “ISLAMIC” ART IN CONTEMPORARY CONTEXT

What makes “Islamic” art Islamic?

What are the conceptual aspirations of “Islamic” art?

Is “Islamic” art transcultural, or is it culturally restricted?

These are just some of the many questions that will be addressed by the conference Presenting “Islamic” Art in Contemporary Context, to be held in Amsterdam on 5 April 2011. This international gathering will bring together museum curators, art historians and cultural strategists to assess the relevance of “Islamic” art to a contemporary audience.

The conference is highly topical and comes at a time when several major museums are reevaluating their “Islamic” art collections. While its scope is international, special attention will be given to the Dutch context, in which “Islamic” art seems to have been largely absent
from public view.

The conference will take advantage of what is relatively unexplored territory in the Netherlands, to suggest a fresh approach or a guideline to the study and presentation of “Islamic” art, based on international expertise and experience.

The international conference Presenting “Islamic” Art in Contemporary Context is an initiative of Messis Foundation (http://www.messis.nl).

Time: 9h – 18h
Venue: Oude Lutherse Kerk Amsterdam, Singel 411
Entrance fee: 10 euro (students: 5 euro)
Language: English

Register at http://www.messis.nl/conference