Islamic Arts Biennale 2025 Showcases Global Muslim Culture Through Historic and Contemporary Objects
The second Islamic Arts Biennale, titled 'And All That Is In Between,' is taking place at the Western Hajj Terminal in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, until 25 May 2025. This event showcases more than 500 artifacts on loan from prestigious institutions, including the Bodleian Library at Oxford, the Louvre, and the Vatican Library. Among the historic items are an 18th-century coin necklace belonging to Empress Maria Theresa and a four-meter-high teak madraj staircase. The manuscripts displayed range from a 13th-century Greek version of Persian astrological charts to Quran translations in various European languages. Contemporary pieces include Bashaer Hawsawi's 'My gift to you is a garden' and Anhar Salem's AI-generated work, 'Media Fountain.' A modular prayer space was awarded the AlMusalla Prize, emphasizing human creativity and cultural exchange.
Key facts
- The Islamic Arts Biennale 2025 is titled 'And All That Is In Between' and runs through 25 May 2025.
- It is held at the Western Hajj Terminal in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
- Over 500 loaned objects are displayed from global collections including the Bodleian Library, Louvre, Vatican Library, and Uzbekistan's national collection.
- Historic items include an eighteenth-century coin necklace from Empress Maria Theresa of Austria and a teak madraj staircase from a South Indian nawab.
- Contemporary artworks feature Saudi artists Bashaer Hawsawi and Anhar Salem.
- A modular prayer space by EAST Architecture Studio, AKT II, and Rayyane Tabet won the AlMusalla Prize.
- The exhibition includes a 1928 Hajj documentary by George Krugers and wayang sadat puppet theatre from Indonesia.
- Themes focus on repetition, translation, and global cultural exchange, with criticism of material accumulation overshadowing spiritual aspects.
Entities
Artists
- Bashaer Hawsawi
- Anhar Salem
- Rayyane Tabet
- George Krugers
Institutions
- Islamic Arts Biennale
- Bodleian Library
- Louvre
- Vatican Library
- Uzbekistan national collection
- Hafez Gallery
- EAST Architecture Studio
- AKT II
- British East India Company
- Furusiyya Collection
- ArtReview
Locations
- Jeddah
- Saudi Arabia
- Oxford
- United Kingdom
- Paris
- France
- Vatican City
- Uzbekistan
- Oman
- India
- Indonesia
- Lebanon
- Mecca
- Medina
- Netherlands
- Austria
- Gulf States
- North Africa
- South Asia
- Southeast Asia
- Chepauk