Tradition Meets Modern at Nelson-Atkins Islamic Exhibition

Kansas City, MO. Aug. 5, 2013

 Pakistani Cargo Truck by Local Artist Included

The genesis of an exhibition of Islamic art at The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art can be traced to a trip to the city of Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates taken by Kimberly Masteller, Jeanne McCray Beals Curator of South and Southeast Asian Art. As Masteller stepped out of a contemporary art gallery, she heard the call to prayer from mosques in all directions.

“I was struck by the juxtaposition of stumbling from a white cube gallery into a place so steeped in tradition,” said Masteller. “As I listened, I realized that it was only a surprise to me because I was bringing my perceptions and assumptions to this moment, assumptions that separate culture into impenetrable zones like past and present, tradition and modern. Of course, we all live within and beyond the boundaries of these categories. We are contemporary, but are also informed and influenced by our histories, our traditions, our cultures–artists certainly are.”

This layering of tradition and modern would become the framework for Masteller’s exhibition, Echoes: Islamic Art and Contemporary Artists, which opens at the Nelson-Atkins on Aug. 31. The 28 works in the intimate exhibition date from the 9th century to the 21st century and come from Islamic cultures across the globe, including contemporary art from international and U.S.-based artists, such as Shirin Neshat, Ahmed Mater, and Rashid Rana. Featured art works include ceramics, textiles, miniature paintings, decorative brass, photographs and video art. A Pakistani cargo truck made in Kansas City by artist Asheer Akram will be installed outside near the entrance to the Bloch Building.

“This exhibition highlights some of the outstanding works in our collection that have not been seen in a long time,” said Julián Zugazagoitia, Director of the Nelson-Atkins. “Enriched with magnificent loans that will allow us to introduce Kansas City audiences to contemporary art from or inspired by the Islamic lands.”

Akram, a Pakistani-American educated at the Kansas City Art Institute, is a metal artist known for sculptures that incorporate bold patterns and designs. He was inspired to create the truck after traveling to Pakistan and encountering boldly painted trucks throughout the country. Akram purchased a 1950s Chevy farm truck, and with the help of mechanics and a team of artists from Kansas City and Pakistan, he has transformed the vehicle into a Pakistani-American painted truck, filled with hybrid imagery and decoration.

The collections of the Nelson-Atkins provide the historical foundation of the exhibition. Visitors approaching the gallery will be greeted by a monumental mosaic arch that will serve as the entrance to the exhibition. Acquired by the museum in 1932, this early 17th-century Persian arch has not been on view for over three decades, and Nelson-Atkins conservators have been restoring the arch over the past year in preparation for this exhibition.

“We are so excited to show the mosaic arch again after all these years,” said Masteller. “It is a truly spectacular piece, and gives you a glimpse of the grandeur of Persian architecture. Imagine being a traveler to Isfahan in the 1600s and what it must have felt like when you approached the city, seeing these grand gateways covered in mosaics and glistening in the sunlight.”

While the objects in this exhibition span centuries and continents, they are brought together here because of shared visual characteristics that are found in many artworks across the Islamic world. These characteristics include the use of elegant calligraphy based upon the Arabic script, an exploration of geometric or vegetative design, an interest in intricate detail and patterning, and paintings rendered with calligraphic outlines, rich colors, and containing forms or figures suspended in flat or unnatural settings.

Many contemporary artists, particularly those from historically Islamic lands, are using the visual language of Islamic art and transforming it in their own work. This is especially evident in the contemporary miniature painting movement in Pakistan, which is featured by several works in this exhibition. In the late 20th century, the techniques of traditional Mughal painting were preserved and taught at the National College of Art in Lahore. Internationally acclaimed artists like Shahzia Sikander studied the technique there and have transformed it into a personal art form that reveals clear connections to the Mughal tradition and is also at home in a contemporary art gallery.

Masteller interviewed several of the contemporary artists who have objects in the exhibition. Those interviews will be shown on iPads in the gallery so visitors can hear the artist talking about his or her work.

“The overarching theme here is dialogue,” said Masteller. “We use the installation and the artists’ interviews to invoke conversations between the works and their cultures, and also between past and present.”

Programs for this exhibition were made possible with a grant from the Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Art, whose mission is to promote the study and understanding of Islamic arts and cultures.

Public Programs
In collaboration with the Kansas City Artists Coalition International Residency:
Saturday, July 20
Artist’s Talk 
Fatima Abu Rumi 
2-3 p.m.
Lens 2

Discover the work of Fatima Abu Rumi, a Palestinian artist living and working in Israel. Her work elaborates the tale of her personal experience and the collective experience of women in Palestinian society and serves as a basis for dialogue with her audience.

Exhibition Programs:

Saturday, September 21
Under Arabian Skies 
A Celebration of Art, Science and Astronomy from the Islamic World 
5-9 p.m.
North Nichols Plaza

Join us for a special after-hours celebration of Islamic art, the annual equinox and more. Explore the Donald J. Hall Sculpture Park and the exhibition.

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS 

Wonder at the glowing night parade of giant puppets presented by StoneLion Puppet Theatre. Create your own star-studded noisemaker and watch it light up as you follow the parade.

Explore the night’s sky with the Kansas City Astronomical Society.
Discover Islamic and Arabic art, astronomy and more with illuminating talks by curators Kimberly Masteller and Jan Schall. Tickets and full talk descriptions available at nelson-atkins.org/calendar.
Purchase a boxed dinner or bring your own and picnic in the park! Halel options available.

Sunday, October 27
Explore Traditional Islamic Arts 
1-4 p.m.
Ford Learning Center

Discover the beauty and ingenuity of traditional Islamic Arts. Step into the museum’s studios to discover ceramics, textiles, calligraphy and pattern-making through demonstrations and hands-on activities.

Friday, March 7 & Saturday, March 8, 2014

National Symposium 

Eight artists and scholars come to Kansas City to investigate issues related to the practice and reception of Islamic arts. Topics include the importance of design, the written word and how artistic influences are passed down through generations.

Look for exciting related events hosted by our community partners:

Islamic Exchange August 9–September 21 at Kansas City Artists Coalition. kansascityartistscoalition.org.

Professor Ali Asani, Harvard University, Lecture on Islam and Culture

October 29, Kansas City Public Library, Plaza. kclibrary.org.

The Friends of Chamber Music presents Hespèrion XXI and Jordi Savall Blood and Honey: The Cycles of Life in the Mosaic of the Balkan Peoples under the Ottoman Empire October 31 at 8 p.m., Lecture at 7 p.m., Folly Theater. chambermusic.org or 816.561.9999

The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art 

The Nelson-Atkins in Kansas City is recognized nationally and internationally as one of America’s finest art museums. The Nelson-Atkins serves the community by providing access and insight into

its renowned collection of more than 33,500 art objects and is best known for its Asian art, European and American paintings, photography, modern sculpture, and new American Indian and Egyptian galleries. Housing a major art research library and the Ford Learning Center, the Museum is a key educational resource for the region. The institution-wide transformation of the Nelson-Atkins has included the 165,000-square-foot Bloch Building expansion and renovation of the original 1933 Nelson-Atkins Building.

The Nelson-Atkins is located at 45th and Oak Streets, Kansas City, MO. Hours are Wednesday, 10 a.m.–4 p.m.; Thursday/Friday, 10 a.m.–9 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.; Sunday, Noon–5 p.m. Admission to the museum is free to everyone. For museum information, phone 816.751.1ART (1278) or visit nelson-atkins.org/.