Islamic Art Rises in the 2013 Venice Biennale

THE NATIONAL
By David D'Arcy

A lenticular Photograph of Mecca by Ahmad Angawi

ITALY---At the 2013 Venice Biennale, Arab artists and those from the broader Islamic world are back as never before. The work ranges from stained glass to video, from solemn to satirical. Iraq’s presence in Venice, said another Ruya donor, Shwan Ibrahim Taha, “means that we are alive. We’re not dead. That we are culturally significant. Iraq is the cradle of civilisation and I beg everyone not to make it the grave of civilisation. This is the continuation of culture in Iraq. [link]