Almost 19,000 visitors flocked to see artwork previously on display at London’s V&A Museum and to take part in educational workshops
SHARJAH, 1 July, 2015: The prestigious Jameel Prize 3 exhibition held recently in Sharjah was a huge success that underlined the Emirate’s place as a seat of Islamic art.
The exhibition, which ran from March 16th to June 6th, displayed the Islamic-inspired work of the 10 artists and designers shortlisted for Jameel Prize 3. Eight programmes of free initiatives and workshops for children, teachers, students, individuals with disabilities and families ran alongside the exhibition.
Almost 19,000 people visited the Jameel Prize 3 exhibition, among them VIPs including the ambassadors of Serbia and Germany and the Consuls General of Germany and the US.
The Jameel Prize for art, inspired by Islamic heritage, is awarded by London’s Victoria and Albert Museum in partnership with Art Jameel, one of the Abdul Latif Jameel Community Initiatives (ALJCI).
The Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilization was the first venue in the Middle East to display the diverse works of the artists, who were shortlisted from a field of more than 270 global nominations.
Tim Stanley, from the V&A’s Middle Eastern collection, was one of the two curators responsible for the exhibition. He said: “The Jameel Prize 3 exhibition was a tremendous success, having proved very popular with visitors eager to see some of the best international contemporary art and design inspired by Islamic tradition. Sharjah’s roots in Islamic heritage made it the perfect place to host the exhibition in the Middle East and showcase the impact of Islamic civilization on today’s art and design.”
The diverse works of the 10 artists ranged from Arabic typography to fashion inspired by the mosques of Istanbul, video installations and meditative drawings.
Among the workshops on offer during the exhibition was a series led by Pascal Zoghbi – one of the 10 Jameel Prize 3 finalists – for students from the American University of Sharjah (AUS) on the history of Arabic fonts.
Manal Ataya, Director General of the Sharjah Museums Department, said: “It was an honour for us to host this exhibition to mark yet another successful collaboration with the V&A.
The works in Jameel Prize 3 demonstrate the influence of Islamic traditions in contemporary art. We are very pleased with the outcome of the exhibition and the effect it had here in Sharjah. Supporting artistic talent is something that’s very important to the Sharjah Museums Department.”
Jameel Prize 3 was won by Parisian fashion brand Dice Kayek for Istanbul Contrast, a collection of garments created in 2010 that evoke Istanbul’s architectural and artistic heritage. In the exhibition, the work of Dice Kayek’s founders, Ece and Ayşe Ege, was joined by that of nine shortlisted artists and designers – Faig Ahmed, Nasser Al Salem, Nada Debs, Mounir Fatmi, Rahul Jain, Waqas Khan, Laurent Mareschal, Florie Salnot and Pascal Zoghbi.
