ACT Professor Azra Akšamija‘s solo show “Mosque Manifesto” opens today at the Anderson Gallery at Virginia Commonwealth University.
Featuring selected works from Akšamija’s book with the same title, this exhibition is launched in conjunction with the prestigious 2017 Hamad bin Khalifa Symposium on Islamic Art. Mosque Manifesto: Propositions for Spaces of Coexistence, published in 2015, explores how creative forms of Islamic representation can help foster better intercultural communication and intervene in socio-political conflicts.
Akšamija, an artist and architectural historian, re-conceptualizes the mosque as a non-static, educational, and performative social space, that can facilitate both religious and secular programs.
“Mosque Manifesto” offers a myriad of ways to generate a critical response to cultural stereotypes and the politics of representation, while providing a framework for dialogue between Muslims and non-Muslims.
Through her multi-disciplinary practice, Akšamija investigates how art and architecture can be used as a form of mediation in cultural and political conflicts.
The exhibition runs from Nov. 1, 2017—Jan. 5, 2018, with an opening reception on Friday, Nov. 3, 5-9pm.
More about Azra Akšamija
More about Mosque Manifesto: Propositions for Spaces of Coexistence
