Jameel Prize 3

Sharjah Museum, Sharjah

March 16 – Jun 6, 2015

Curators: Tim Stanley, Salma Tuqanù

 

Ten shortlisted international artists and designers to exhibit their work at the Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilization   

The artists and designers shortlisted for the prestigious Jameel Prize will have their work displayed in an exhibition starting next week at the Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilization.

The international 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 is the only venue in the Middle East to display the diverse works of the 10 artists, who were shortlisted by a panel of expert judges chaired by V&A Director Martin Roth from a field of more than 270 nominations from around the world.

The exhibition, which runs from March 16 until June 6, will feature more than 20 works ranging from Arabic typography and calligraphy to fashion inspired by the mosques and palaces of Istanbul, video installations and intricate meditative drawings.

Jameel Prize 3 offers visitors the opportunity to see some of the best international contemporary art and design inspired by Islamic tradition. The exhibition was previously displayed at the V&A before embarking on a tour of international venues.

A series of specially commissioned short films on each of the artists and designers can be viewed online at www.vam.ac.uk/channel/search/jameel/

Speaking ahead of the opening of the exhibition, Manal Ataya, Director General of the Sharjah Museums Department (SMD), said: “The Jameel Prize has without doubt been instrumental in rejuvenating Islamic art for young people, so it is a great honour for us to be once again hosting this exhibition. Part of our vision at the Sharjah Museums Department is to support creative talent in the younger generation, particularly when their work reflects the strong influence of Islamic art through the ages. I think sometimes when people hear the term Islamic art they automatically think of calligraphy and nothing more. The diversity of the artworks on display at this exhibition will underline the true richness and breadth of Islamic art forms and their importance today.”

 

The exhibition is curated by Tim Stanley, senior curator for the V&A’s Middle Eastern collection, and Salma Tuqan, the V&A’s curator of Middle Eastern Contemporary Art and Design.

The Jameel Prize, whose patron is award-winning architect Dame Zaha Hadid, was originally conceived after the renovation of the V&A’s Jameel Gallery of Islamic Art by Art Jameel, which opened in July 2006 to showcase the rich artistic heritage of the Islamic world.

The £25,000 prize recognises contemporary artists and designers inspired by Islamic traditions of art, architecture, craft and design and aims to create a broader understanding of Islamic culture and its place in the world by demonstrating its influence on contemporary art.

The 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 Ay?e Ege, is 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.

 

“Over the centuries Islamic culture has been known for its strong influence,” said Fady Jameel, President of ALJCI International. “Our aim with the Jameel Prize is to encourage artists across the Middle East & North Africa (MENA) and Turkey to continue exploring the roots of Islam and the role of its traditions in the world today expressed through art, whether it is in the form of traditional or contemporary artwork, craft or design.”

 

Sharjah, March 2015