SMA explores the role of water in Islam and art

His Excellency Sheikh Khalid bin Issam Al Qasimi, Chairman of the Department of Civil Aviation, Sharjah, inaugurated the exhibition in presence of His Excellency Nicola Lener Italian Ambassador to the UAE, His Excellency Giuseppe Finocchiaro, Italian Consul General in Dubai, Alberto Sacco, Deputy Mayor for Business, Trade, Tourism, Contracts and Legal Affairs in Torino, Manal Ataya, Director-General of SMA, Sheikh Salem Al Qassimi, Assistant Undersecretary for Arts and Heritage Sector, Ministry of Culture and Youth, Ida Zilio-Grandi, Director of the Italian Cultural Institute - Embassy of Italy to the UAE, Giovanni Curatola, Professor at the University of Udine and curator of the exhibition at the Sharjah Museum of  Islamic Civilization, and Dr Zaki Aslan, Director of ICCROM-Sharjah.
 
Organised in collaboration with the Italian Fondazione Torino Musei, the exhibition features 120 artifacts that are being exhibited for the first time outside of Italy and are related to water and people’s daily lives in the Islamic world, including decorated jugs, cups, carpets, fountains and other exquisite items sourced from different parts of the Islamic world.
 
Running until December 11, the exhibition was initiated with a manuscript containing the holy Quranic verse: "And we created every living thing from water”.
 
Collections on display are on loan from various renowned Italian public and private collections, and from the permanent collection of Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilization and from Sharjah art Museum. 
 
Revolving around four themes: The Blessings of Water and Islam, Water and Daily Life, Traditional Hammam and the Gardens, displayed items at the exhibition collectively illustrate the historical development of the numerous roles played by water in daily life, and represent the artistic embodiment of it in the Arabic and Islamic arts and culture.