The King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture (Ithra), in collaboration with the Abdullatif Al-Fozan Award for Mosque Architecture, will launch the second edition of the Islamic Art Conference, from November 25-30, 2024.
This year’s edition, titled “In Praise of the Artisan: A Reassessment of Contemporary Islamic Arts and Crafts Practice,” celebrates traditional Islamic arts and crafts, on the occasion of naming 2025 “The Year of Handicrafts.”
Inspiring New Generations
The Islamic Art Conference aims to bridge the gap between the past and the present through presenting a diverse and unified landscape for Islamic arts from around the world, with Saudi Arabia at its core.
In the light of this, the Director of Ithra, Abdullah Al-Rashid, said: “The Islamic Art Conference and the In Praise of the Artisan exhibition offer an extraordinary journey into the world of Islamic crafts. By hosting these two events in parallel, we aim to celebrate the rich heritage of Islamic arts and support craftspeople who keep these traditions alive, in addition to inspiring the new generations.”
Year of Handicrafts
Al-Rashid added that the event “aligns with Ithra’s mission to preserve the cultural heritage, foster talent, and enhance cultural communication with the world through cooperation with prestigious cultural institutions. It also aligns with the Ministry of Culture’s decision to declare 2025 the Year of Handicrafts.”
On his part, the secretary-general of the Abdullatif Al-Fozan Award for Mosque Architecture, Mashary Al-Naim, said: “This conference and exhibition support our ongoing efforts to unearth new ideas from around the world for designing mosques and encouraging innovative planning, design and technical ideas that can form a new identity for Islamic art.”
Exploring New Trends
More than 27 speakers from 13 countries worldwide are taking part in the Conference to explore the new trends in the contemporary crafts practices. The event will feature lectures, panel discussions, workshops, exhibitions, film screenings and demonstrations by skilled craftspeople. It will bring together prominent art historians, academics, curators, and museum directors.
Moreover, the event will focus on Saudi Arabia’s new strategy to revive handicrafts by discussing topics such as the future of handicrafts in the Kingdom and the Islamic World, artisans in the Arabian Peninsula, and the relation between crafts, city and society.
Showcasing Islamic Arts
In parallel with the Islamic Art Conference, Ithra will inaugurate three major exhibitions as one of the key activities accompanying the Conference. In Praise of the Artisan exhibition highlights the rich history and the impacts of Islamic arts and crafts.
It presents historic and contemporary works that reflect the spirit and practices of traditional Islamic arts. The exhibition also explores the challenges facing craftspeople worldwide, offering a rich and unique experience for visitors.
The exhibition features more than 150 art works, many of them displayed for the first time, including 18th century wooden interior from Damascus, rare textiles such as 20th century kiswa textile. It also showcases the largest hand carved stone wall, 8 special art works, and rare crafts from Saudi Arabia, Morocco, India, Spain, Egypt, Türkiye, Uzbekistan and Malaysia.
Celebrating Diversity
Furthermore, the Islamic Art Conference includes the Crafts in Conversation exhibition, which highlights the work of ten contemporary artists who practice traditional craft. It aims to explore the interconnection of contemporary and traditional Islamic arts and crafts.
Meanwhile, the third exhibition celebrates the rich diversity of Saudi traditional clothes and cultural heritage, showcasing elements of Saudi traditional clothes in modern designs through the works of Saudi and international designers.
