Contemporary Perspectives
How do artists and other contemporary voices engage with the rich collection of the Museum for Islamic Art? The series "Contemporary Perspectives" brings together positions that open new perspectives on historical objects. It starts with a special invitation: artists were asked to respond to selected museum exhibits with a work of their own. Their contributions sit alongside further stories that offer a wide range of perspectives on the collection, history, and the present – revealing how artistic and cultural traditions remain connected across time and space.
Written Images by Shams Anwari-Alhosseini
Classical calligraphic traditions meet a distinctive aesthetic style in Master calligrapher Shams Anwari-Alhosseini’s work.
Stations of Place with Gohar Dashti
Gohar Dashti is an Iranian artist whose recent research focuses on the UNESCO World Heritage Site Takht-e Soleyman in northwest Iran. Her works from „Abstract Horizons“ will be part of the museum’s presentation of the site. In this story, she discusses mobility, migration, and temporary placement with a museum’s curator.
Midnight Garden by Imran Qureshi
To deepen the experience of the Alhambra Dome, a new artistic intervention by Imran Qureshi brings to life an imaginary garden that will expand the spatial and emotional context of the Alhambra dome.
Through Shadi Ghadirian’s Lens
Discussing Shadi Ghadirian's Qajar series, photography in Iran, identity, and the audience's engagement with her art.
The Shape of Nothing by Parviz Tanavoli
How Parviz Tanavoli turned a single Persian word into the defining symbol of modern Iranian art.
Chinese-Arabic Calligraphy with Haji Noor Deen
Haji Noor Deen combines Arabic calligraphy with Chinese aesthetics in his art. Discover the unique dialogue between cultures in this story.
zan zendegi azadi by Maryam Keyhani
'Zan Zendegi Azadi' - “Woman, Life, Freedom” - is a powerful slogan of the Iranian struggle for freedom. In calligraphic drawings, the artist Maryam Keyhani combines this call for dignity and equality with Iranian visual and written traditions.
