 |
| A viewer examines a ceramic panel. |
The project, which cost nearly 100 million euros and took 11 years to
complete, includes priceless artifacts from the 7th to the 19th century. It
takes museum-goers on a chronological journey through Islamic art at a time of
increased religious tension in the world.
“It’s a very rich collection,” said art historian Agnieszka Kluczewska
Wojcik, who viewed the exhibits after the public opening on Sept.
22.
 |
| The museum poster |
(The launch was partly overshadowed by media focus on several mocking cartoons published in a French satirical magazine, which added to the furore surrounding an anti-Islam film.)
Wojcik said that the Louvre’s new department could be compared with the Victoria and Albert Museum’s Islamic art collection in London, which comprises more than 19,000 objects from the Middle East and North Africa.
 |
| Some of the ceramic items on display. |
At the Louvre, the 18,000 or so artifacts represent regions ranging
from Spain to India, with some of the most stunning pieces dating from the
former Islamic civilization in southern Europe. Iran and Turkey also account
for many of the impressive pottery objects on show.
The Louvre’s executive director, Henri Loyrette, said the new wing is a "dream come true" for the museum, which has one of the “most beautiful
collections of Islamic art”. He said that creating the new space and
integrating the previously scattered collection was an “architectural and cultural
challenge”. The Louvre met the challenge by converting one of its courtyards
into the Islamic art department.
Architects Mario Bellini and Rudy Ricciotti designed a gauzy,
undulating glass-and-metal roof that somehow evokes the feeling of being in a
vast tent in the desert or being sheltered by a huge veil. This roof covers the
upper, ground-floor level of the space, while the subterranean level is more in
line with a conventional museum. Here, carpets, ceramic objects, ornately
carved doors and other exhibits are displayed in spacious halls.
 |
| Carpets from Islamic countries form part of the collection. |
The curators hope that the new wing will promote dialogue and also
shine a light on little known aspects of Islamic art. For the next ten months,
they have scheduled a series of debates and cultural events around the
collection.
Acclaimed Iranian filmmaker Abbas Kiarostami, Turkish writer Orhan Pamuk and Lebanese artist Walid Raad are some of the featured speakers who will “illustrate Islam’s diversity”, according to the Louvre. - A.M.
Acclaimed Iranian filmmaker Abbas Kiarostami, Turkish writer Orhan Pamuk and Lebanese artist Walid Raad are some of the featured speakers who will “illustrate Islam’s diversity”, according to the Louvre. - A.M.
