Islamic Art in the Middle of Ideological Disputes

ART MEDIA AGENCY

FRANCE - Islamic Arts are currently at the centre of media coverage in the art world. This disparate ensemble including art works from various origins, is problematic for two reasons: the sacred dimension intrinsic to the art and the Eastern-Western relationship reflected with the term “Islamic Art”. In fact, no one has ever used the term “Islamic” to refer to Mughal Art or to the architecture of monuments such as Taj Mahal in India: fusion of Persian and Indian cultures. However, Wesern museum visitors, galleries and other actors of the art market could be easily confused. A relevant example is the Islamic Arts section in Sotheby’s, as the society organises auctions dedicated to traditional Islamic Art, Modern Art and Contemporary Art of the Middle-East and other related areas. It seems the Islamic art concept was created from an ensemble of ideas dating from the colonisation era and echoes several practices of looting and desecration against the colonised civilisations. This thesis is presented in Edward W. Saïd’s book, Orientalism.  [link]