Press Release
Organised by Sharjah Museums Authority (SMA), the exhibition features never-seen-before objects, speaks of the distinctive Islamic influence on Venice’s architecture, art, culture, science, trade and literature.
The exhibition was inaugurated by His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Salem bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Deputy Ruler of Sharjah, in the presence of Manal Ataya, Director-General of SMA, His Excellency Giuseppe Venuciaro, Consul General of Italy in Dubai, and Professor Ida Zilio Grandi, Director of the Italian Cultural Institute.
The five-month long exhibition will take visitors on a journey that shows how the rich exchange between the Islamic world and Venice forged a strong bond in the period between the Middle Ages and The Modern Age that resulted in artistic excellence on both sides and inspired the city’s artists.
The exhibition is a showcase of never-seen-before collection of impressive artworks and documents preserved by the Fondazione Musei Civici di Venezia. Images courtesy of Sharjah Museum Authority and Fondazione Musei Civici di Venezia.
The show, a first collaboration between SMA and Fondazione Musei Civici di Venezia, promises to be an experience of a lifetime.
It is a showcase of never-seen-before collection of impressive artworks and documents preserved by the Fondazione Musei Civici di Venezia.
“Inspired by the vision of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan Bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, the exhibition is an endeavour to show how historically, cross-cultural interactions effectively connected people and continue to do so,” said Manal Ataya, Director General of Sharjah Museums Authority.
“It speaks of the unique relationship between Venice and the Islamic world at the time and reflects the far-ranging influence of the Islamic civilization across the globe,” Ataya added.
She pointed out that Venice’s status as one of the largest cities in Europe between 8th and 13th centuries and simultaneously one of the most important trading hubs at the time, allowed for the creation of this unique relationship of intellectual creativity with the Islamic world.
The exhibition comprises three chapters: Encounters, Dialogues, and Inspirations, each of which includes important documents and impressive collections of both Islamic and Venetian art.
Encounters, focuses on the first meetings giving rise to reciprocal exchanges that could have been in the form of gifts or barter.
Some of the objects that have been preserved were diplomatic gifts like fabric, carpets and weapons given to the Doge by the ruler of Persia, Shah Abbas The Great in 1603 AD.
Other artifacts showcased in this section include weaves in rich silk and velvet from the Safavid Dynasty, oil paintings, maps, drawings and nautical charts.
The second chapter titled Dialogues, delves into how shared economic, commercial and cultural interests governed the exchanges between the Muslims from the East and the Venetians. For instance, in 1000 AD, the Byzantine and Arab gold coins were sought after in Venice; in the later centuries the Venetian gold ducat became the anchor currency across the East.
Rare minted gold coins, abacus books, tariff manuals, medals, the Qibla compass and copies of the Quran that the Venetians read to have a better understanding of the people they traded with and also learn Arabic to communicate with them, are being displayed at the exhibition.
The third section ‘Inspirations’, showcases magnificent artefacts made from leather, metal, lacquer, ceramic, enamel or glass.
These were inspired by Islamic mastery and created by Venetian artists either in their original forms, or been reworked imaginatively.
The show concludes on July 02, 2022.
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