ISLAMIC ART IN THE NINETEENTH CENTURY: Innovation or Eclecticism?  | Introduction

Venue
Main School Lecture Theatre (SOAS), Thornhaugh Street, Russell Square, London WC1H 0XG.

Dates
22-24 April 2003.

Conference Convenors
Doris Behrens-Abouseif and
Stephen Vernoit.

Organised by
London Middle East Institute at SOAS.

Supported by
The Bahari Foundation,
The Barakat Trust,
The British Academy,
The Iran Heritage Foundation, and
The Khalili Family Trust.

Introduction
The aim of the conference is to provide a timely reassessment of the out-dated but still prevalent belief that Islamic art in the nineteenth century is too decadent and hybrid to be worthy of consideration, a view that disregards the many interesting and noteworthy attempts at innovation or cultural preservation. Whether these attempts were successful or not, their socio-political significance and relevance to the history of material culture should also not be underestimated.

The conference intends to look at Islamic art in the nineteenth century beyond the regional perspective and in a more global context. This approach is imposed by the period itself, in which the Muslim world was forced to interact with various forms of European hegemony.

The conference and its intended publication should put forward a strong argument to have the nineteenth century included in curricula of Islamic art studies, as well as in the programmes of museums and exhibitions. The topic of Islamic art in the nineteenth century has a direct bearing on the more general debate concerning cultural identity and the adoption of modern ideas in the Muslim world. In this respect, it is also relevant in the contemporary context.