26th Islamic Arts Festival kicks off in November

This came during a meeting chaired by Mr. Mohammed Ibrahim Al-Qasir, Director of the Cultural Affairs Department at Sharjah Department of Culture (SDC), Director of the Festival, along with members of the committee.

A bridge of civilisational dialogue

Al-Qasir said that the global presence enjoyed by the Islamic Arts Festival comes thanks to the patronage of His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah for all arts, as it is a bridge that extends the language of civilisational dialogue between the peoples of the world. He added that this artistic event is proceeding in a new edition, confirming His Highness's cultural and artistic visions, to shed light on an authentic historical art, the Islamic art, which has always been an inspiration to many artists around the world.

“Siraj” slogan of the 26^th edition

Al-Qasir stated that the slogan of the 26th edition of the festival came after discussions between members of the Supreme Committee, stressing that among many proposals, "Siraj" was chosen because of its connotation that is consistent with the nature of the artistic event.

The Director of the Cultural Affairs Department pointed out that the festival's slogan focuses on the connotations of “Siraj” and its broad artistic symbolism. He pointed out that “Siraj” refers to light, calls for ideas, and just as it summons images without limits, stressing that “Siraj” in this context is not only a material, but also an essence, as it does not stop at the function of lighting, but rather, goes beyond it to become an entrance to the depths of the human soul.

Expressing Islamic art

Al-Qasir added about the slogan, saying that “Siraj” expresses Islamic art, as it appeared as one of the pieces of early Islamic history at a time when lighting equipment was an essential part of Islamic arts, and even accompanied Islamic architecture, and the various decorative and applied elements that appear in paintings.  He continued that it is necessary to link the lamp to history, and this is what the slogan of the current session of the Islamic Arts Festival seeks to achieve, first, by standing at the connotations and symbols of the lamp with what is associated with spiritual, aesthetic and creative values, passing through the time periods through which it passed and in which it was an essential part of human life and the map of global art.

While the Higher Committee will begin extending invitations to artists from all countries of the world during the coming period, participants will have to come up with new ideas that are in line with the theme of the edition "Siraj". Works will be selected based on their compatibility with the idea of the slogan at a later time.

It is worth noting that the Islamic Arts Festival was launched in 1998 under the directives of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, and has since reproduced a new artistic vision for Islamic arts, and preserved the aesthetics of its presence and historical connotations.