Friday, May 01, 2009

magda abu-fadil on qatar museum of islamic art


Magda Abu-Fadil has a vivid piece on the Qatar Museum of Islamic Art at the Huffington Post. I particularly enjoyed her use of musical analogies to convey a sense of the museum and its exhibits:

Any lover of chamber music would undoubtedly appreciate Qatar's Museum of Islamic Art, or MIA, (http://www.mia.org.qa/english/index.html), given its exquisite exhibits, magnificent displays and minute attention to detail aimed at featuring the religion's values and bridging cultural gaps.

The analogy can't be escaped, when one sees the choice and finesse of the works that highlight the brilliance of the artists who drew inspiration from their faith, much as intense composers like Bach, Haydn and Mozart did in their rich religious repertoires...
...The MIA's airy atrium boasts a double stairway connecting a refreshingly spacious main floor with decorated patterns inspired by geometric Islamic designs akin to Mozart's highly structured allegros to the upper levels."

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