Chefs-d’oeuvre Islamiques de l’Aga Khan Museum
At the Louvre, the “Chefs-d’oeuvre Islamiques de l’Aga Khan Museum” was the opening event of a season devoted to the arts and culture of the Muslim world. In an exhibition curated by Sophie Makariou, the Louvre presented nearly 80 works from the Aga Khan Museum collection.
Over
168,000 people visited "Chefs-d'oeuvre Islamiques de l'Aga Khan Museum"
at the Louvre, Paris, from 5 October 2007 to 7 January 2008.The exhibition included six rare folios from the Shah-nameh (Book of
the Kings) of Shah Tahmasp, the most famous Persian manuscript of the
16th century. It also featured magnificently preserved medieval garments.
Various examples of calligraphy bore witness to the vitality of the artists
of the Islamic world ranging from India to Spain and from the eighth to
the nineteenth century.
The exhibition was divided into four main parts: exchanges between the Islamic world, Europe and the Far East, from figuration to narrative, architectural elements, and from the Qur’an to the aesthetics of calligraphy, including a section on the Shia tradition.
The Song of the World - Iranian Safavid Art, 1501-1736
Items from the Aga Khan Museum were also on display in another adjoining
exhibition, curated by Professor Souren Melikian-Chirvani, entitled “The
Song of the World - Iranian Safavid Art, 1501-1736”, which ran 5
October 2007 to 7 January 2008 in the Louvre's Napoleon Hall. These included
two of the most celebrated pages from the Houghton Shah-nameh (Book of
Kings).
Museum of Decorative Arts / Le musée des arts décoratifs
The Aga Khan Trust for Culture was also the main sponsor of an exhibition
at the Museum of Decorative Arts entitled “Purs décors? Chefs
d’oeuvre de l’Islam aux Arts Décoratifs” (Pure
decoration? Islamic masterpieces at the Decorative Arts Museum), which
will run from 11 October 2007 to 13 January 2008.
The exhibition was designed to question the artificial distinction between "fine" arts and "decorative" or "applied" arts – a differentiation particularly impossible to make in the field of Islamic art. The host museum is known for its outstanding collection of over 3,000 works of Islamic Art, including carpets, textiles, ceramics and miniatures.
For more information, please see the press release in
English and en
francaise and the video.
"Chefs-d'oeuvre
Islamiques de l'Aga Khan Museum" catalogue
Format: PDF
Language: English
Size: 8.33MB
228 pages
Download
Courtyard
The abstract notion of light and the light of human creativity and openness were all sources of inspiration for the design of the Aga Khan Museum by the renowned Japanese architect Fumihiko Maki.
Courtyard
The Aga Khan Museum’s architectural elements reflect its educational and cultural mission - to provide visitors with an understanding of the artistic, intellectual, scientific and religious heritage of communities, both Muslim and non-Muslim, which permeated the lands of Islam.
Galleries
A large permanent exhibition space will house art and artefacts acquired by His Highness the Aga Khan and his family and donated to the Museum.
Galleries
Up to 200 pieces from the Museum’s collection will be showcased in the permanent gallery that will combine state of the art display systems with innovative approaches to design and interpretation.
GalleriesMajor temporary exhibitions concerning the Islamic world will be presented in historic, geographic or thematic terms. These exhibitions will draw upon private collections and institutional holdings from all parts of the world.
Formal gardens five ponds
The Museum will share the site with the Ismaili Centre, designed by Charles Correa, and will be surrounded by a ten-hectare landscaped park, designed by Vladimir Djurovic. Together they will constitute important landmarks and green space for the city of Toronto.
Bookmark & Share
Click on the image to view catalogue