The Frame: Architecture and Design of Exhibitions of Islamic Art Courtney A. Stewart Paper given at the International Forum on Contemporary Islamic Art, Design and Architecture October 7-9, 2015 Singapore C.A. Stewart CIADA 2015 1 “For a ceramic plate or a brass bucket makes better sense in a room where we can imagine it being used, just as a rug makes more sense on a floor than on a wall. This apparent requirement of a context is important, in that the objects lead constantly to the architectural setting in which they would be used. The real or fantasized memories of the Alhambra or Isfahan or Cairene mosques provide objects with their meaning.”1 These words were written by eminent art historian Oleg Grabar in response to the 1975 installation of Islamic Art at the Metropolitan Museum in New York. The clean and sparse exhibition design presented artworks from the Islamic world in a manner akin to modern art, devoid of context, highlighting aesthetics, and allowing works to speak for themselves through craftsmanship, form, and technique. Figure 1: Islamic Galleries, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1970s It seems as though the next generation of architects and exhibition designers listened well to this critique, as several recent constructions of Islamic art museums, and renovation projects to existing Islamic art galleries have moved away from this clinical, white-box exhibition design. New projects, some created by well known architects and 1 Oleg Grabar “Art of the Object” Artforum, 14, March 1976, p. 39 C.A. Stewart CIADA 2015 2 designers, at the Islamic Art Museum Malaysia, The Museum of Islamic Art, Doha, The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, and the Aga Khan Museum in Toronto all have been designed with inspiration from historical Islamic art, and arguably provide some of the context that Grabar sought. In this paper I will explore historical references in the design and architecture of these museum projects, and question whether they can be considered Islamic design or Islamic architecture as explored by the participants at this conference. In a museum setting, are these motifs received as contemporary design, or seen as ethnographic context? IAMM Kuala Lumpur, 1998 The first museum project I would like to discuss is the Islamic Art Museum, Malaysia (“IAMM”), which opened in 1998.2 This example undoubtedly has the most abundant references to Islamic art in its design, as is outwardly stated by the curatorial team: “In all expressions of Islamic art, there is an emphasis on the repetition of motifs. In the IAMM, this is not only seen in the artefacts in its collections, but also in the detailing of the museum building. Besides the columns and domes, the same materials are used throughout the building, reinforcing the unity that is Islam, and one of the main aspects of Islamic art.”3 Suggesting a unified visual expression between the museum structure and its artifacts, this quote summarizes how references to Islamic art were used in the design of the building and exhibition spaces. The designers have created a pastiche of styles inspired by Mamluk 2 Originally Prime Minister Mahathir offered for the government to pay for half, and for the private sector to pay for the rest. Syed Mohamad Al-Bukhary, the current director and instigator of the museum instead obtained full funding from the Albukhary Foundation, run by his brother, Syed Mokhtar Al-Bukhary. The government did provide the land next to the National Mosque. (Souren Melikian, “A Malaysian’s Tour de Force for Islamic Art, New York Times, 2002) The Akbukhary Foundation has also provided significant funding to the 2018 renovation of the British Museum galleries for Islamic art. (Ben East, The National, 2015) 3 Fong, Pheng K. Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia. Kuala Lumpur: Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia, 2003, (p. 47) C.A. Stewart CIADA 2015 3 North Africa, Safavid Persia, Umayyad Spain, Mughal India and Timurid Central Asia, an amalgamation which reflects the diversity of artifacts on display. The museum's structure was originally conceptualized by Roberto Monsani, an Italian architect known for his sleek designs of Salvatore Ferragamo's shops around the world. Monsani's insistence on modern designs at the Islamic Art Museum clashed with his client's desire for Islamic motifs and the project was completed by a local architectural firm, Kumpulan Senireka.4 The combination has resulted in a modern building ornamented with details referencing some of the most famous works of Islamic art and architecture, creating an immersive experience for the visitor. Figure 2: Islamic Arts Museum, Malaysia This is visible immediately upon arrival, as the main entrance resembles a tiled iwan of the Timurid or Safavid Period. Fabricated on site by craftsmen from Iran, this entrance portal resembles a number of historical examples, and can be compared to an iwan 4 Lee, Yoolim “Kuala Lumpur’s Islamic Arts Museum Reaches Out to the World.” Bloomberg.com October 27, 2005 http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=aOXZZRjIXWaI C.A. Stewart CIADA 2015 4 from the Registan (or Public Square) in Samarqand, each bearing a large calligraphic inscription in colorful tile. Figure 3: Left: Islamic Art Museum, Malaysia. Right: Tilya-Kori Madrasah, Registan, Samarqand, Uzbekistan (1646- 1660) The white marble walls were chosen to recall the opulent monuments of Mughal India, exemplified by the Taj Mahal (which also has a large calligraphic-covered iwan). The museum’s name is repeated throughout the building, on glass, in marble and wood, written in kufi banaie, or square kufic, a calligraphic style seen as early as the 15th century Ulug Beg Madrasa also in Samarqand. Figure 4: Kufi banaie on glass, metal, and wood in the IAMM C.A. Stewart CIADA 2015 5 In the lobby, references to the Maghreb, or the region of North Africa and Southern Spain, can also be found, in the form of an interlocking star. This shape can be found in other spaces throughout the building, including on the glass walls, doors, and the floor of other museum spaces. It is also part of the museum’s logo, as well as a fountain on the outside terrace. Figure 5: Star-shape motif on the floor, and fountain at the IAMM The second floor Rehal Terrace 5 has large granite water troughs, which are reproductions of those at the Imam mosque of Isfahan, and were created by Iranian craftsmen specifically for the museum. 5 Named for the rehal, or book stand, which holds a stone manuscript inscribed with poetry by the 13th century poet Sa’di C.A. Stewart CIADA 2015 6 Figure 6: Left, Rehal Terrace, IAMM. Right: Imam Mosque with water trough, Isfahan, Iran, 1611-29 The exterior is ornamented with further design references to Safavid Persia, including four large turquoise domes on the roof, the main one inspired by the Lutfallah mosque in Isfahan. The domes are completely covered in tile decoration, made up of calligraphy, florals and arabesques.6 Figure 7: Left: IAMM, Right: Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque, Isfahan, Iran 1603-1619 The underside of these domes were crafted in stucco by artists from Uzbekistan. Though more ornate, this inverted white dome is intended to evoke those of the Mamluk era in Egypt, such as the mosque of Sultan Qaytbay.7 6 Also including small sprays of hibiscus, Malaysia’s national flower. 7 Islamic Art Museum Malaysia Vol. I, p. 40 C.A. Stewart CIADA 2015 7 Figure 8: Left, IAMM. Right: Mosque of Sultan Qaytbay, Cairo, Egypt, completed 1474 All installations were designed in house, and are simple and restrained, allowing visitors to make connections across geography and dynasty. A large part of gallery space is reserved for Islamic arts created by majority local ethnic groups, specifically Malays, Chinese and Indians. 8 According to the mission statement: “The museum aims to create a collection that is truly representative of the Islamic world. Instead of concentrating on works from the heartlands of Persia and the Middle East, IAMM also puts the emphasis on Asia. China and Southeast Asia are especially well represented.”9 So while the institutional emphasis is on SE Asian art, the design and architecture frames all exhibitions with references to canonical Islamic art. The visitor thereby is able to make connections between local Islamic art, and parallel productions from the larger Islamic world. 8 This is also present in temporary exhibitions. For instance, in a collaboration with the Museum of Cultural Palace of Nationalities, Beijing and the Northwest Minorities University, Lanzhou, China, the 2001 exhibition of “Six Centuries of Islamic Art in China” highlighted the cultures of the Muslims in China. Or “The Message and the Monsoon: Islamic Art of Southeast Asia” (2005), focusing on local Malaysian Islamic arts. 9 From the museum website. C.A. Stewart CIADA 2015 8 Museum of Islamic Art, Doha, 2008 Ten years after the opening in Kuala Lumpur, the Museum of Islamic Art in Doha, opened its doors. Like the IAMM, the MIA Doha borrows architectural vocabulary from the canon of Islamic art history- forms and traditions that are not native to the immediate region, but serve as representative of the field as a whole. The intention for this adoption is best summarized by the museum’s first director, Oliver Watson10, who has stated: “The project was driven first and foremost by a belief that the people of Qatar, both Qataris and non-Qataris do not know enough about and did not as it were “own” as much as they could and should of the cultural heritage of the Islamic world. An important initial goal is to encourage the recognition among the Muslim populations of Qatar and beyond that this cultural heritage is by rights theirs.” 11 10 Watson was director from 2008-2011 11 “A second goal is then to show both Muslims and non-Muslims what the heights of Islamic culture were, and to illustrate these through objects of top quality.