"... I want people to travel through the arches and end their journey here at the fountain and think about their life. So, in a way, it represent a spiritual journey." (Stanley Siu)

Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan Bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, member of the Supreme Council and ruler of Sharjah, the Cultural Affairs Department at the Sharjah Department of Culture and Information has organised the 19th Edition of the Sharjah Islamic Arts Festival.

As a part of the 19th Sharjah Islamic Arts Festival, the pavilion 'Spiral Arches' is on view at the Al Majaz Waterfront until January 24, 2016.

image The pavilion 'Spiral Arches', installation view / Photo © Islamic Arts Magazine

image Stanley Siu, a Co-founder and and Principal of Daydreamers Design / Photo © Islamic Arts Magazine

We asked Stanley Siu, Co-founder of Daydreamers Design what was the inspiration behind 'Spiral Arches' and he told us, "Inspiration... it's history, and is Islamic culture. As an architect, when I design architecture or any artwork I first look into history, it really gives you a true idea of what we should do. Therefore I looked into Islamic architecture and I really liked arches, all these different types. So I adopted arches and use 100 of them for this pavillion so people will travel this 90 m journey and they will travel back in time. There are 10 different types. I wanted people to remember, to surround them, to be aware of what kind of building is around them. And then, the middle is important, it is a fountain with an Islamic star at the top. I want people to travel through the arches and end their journey here at the fountain and think about their life. So, in a way, it represent a spiritual journey."

'Spiral Arches' is a pavilion that consists of 100 arches, forming a long arcade guiding into the courtyard. A fountain, as an abstract form, is placed in the center of the pavilion and it represents the heart of the journey through the arcade. The entrance and exit of the pavilion is facing towards Mecca. The arcade starts with the modern Parabolic Arch and leads back to the ancient Horseshoes Arch, which was the first Muslim adaptation and modification of the arch design.

image The pavilion 'Spiral Arches', installation view (detail) / Photo © Islamic Arts Magazine

image The pavilion 'Spiral Arches', one arch form, installation view / Photo © Islamic Arts Magazine

image The pavilion 'Spiral Arches', different arches within the arcade, installation view / Photo © Islamic Arts Magazine

image The pavilion 'Spiral Arches', one arch form, installation view / Photo © Islamic Arts Magazine

image The pavilion 'Spiral Arches', installation view at night, illuminated with a blue light / Photo © Islamic Arts Magazine

image The pavilion 'Spiral Arches', detail, installation view / Photo © Islamic Arts Magazine

image The pavilion 'Spiral Arches', the fountain in the center of the pavilion / Photo © Islamic Arts Magazine

image The pavilion 'Spiral Arches', installation view at night / Photo © Islamic Arts Magazine

image The pavilion 'Spiral Arches', the entrance, installation view / Photo © Islamic Arts Magazine

image The pavilion 'Spiral Arches', visitors at the opening / Photo © Islamic Arts Magazine

The 19th Edition of Sharjah Islamic Arts Festival presents 64 participating artists, 232 artworks all together 364 activities in the form of exhibitions, lectures, and workshops. More than 20 organisations assisted in the coordination of the festival projects. There are 42 exhibitions, of which 34 at the Sharjah Art Museum, presenting works of artists from 21 countries. From the eight parallel exhibitions, three are exhibited at the Al Majaz Amphitheatre, Al Noor Island, and the College of Fine Arts and Design at the University of Sharjah. The Al Majaz Waterfront hosts two exhibitions, and Calligraphy Square hosts three exhibitions.

The Festival will run until January 24, 2016.


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