Re-Orientations : Europe and Islamic Art from 1851 to Today

Inspiration Islam – European artists in dialogue with Islamic art and culture. The art and architecture of the Islamic world strongly influenced the development of Western modernism. Some 170 works from the mid-19th century to the present day illustrate this fascinating cultural exchange. Beguiling examples of fine and decorative art reflect the diversity of this lively transfer. During the 19th century, Europe became caught up not only in Orientalism, but also in a real “Islamophilia”. Important collections of Islamic art were established. With the approach of modernism the view of these “foreign” influences changed. Artists of the avant-garde and masters of applied art sought inspiration for their own new style in the wealth of formal language and colourfulness characterized by Islamicate art. Positions of contemporary art to current Islamic discourse round out this multi-faceted publication. ARTISTS INCLUDE: Nevin Aladag | Baltensperger and Siepert | Marwan Bassiouni | Carlo Bugatti | Théodore Deck | Mariano Fortuny y Madrazo | Osman Hamdi Bey | Elisabeth Jerichau-Baumann | Wassily Kandinsky | Gulsun Karamustafa | Bouchra Khalili | Paul Klee | J.& L. Lobmeyr | Henri Matisse | Gabriele Munter | Lotte Reiniger et. al.

A wide variety of works explore the relationship between Islamic art and modernism in Western Europe.
 
The art and architecture of the Islamic world strongly influenced the development of Western modernism. Re-Orientations reflects the diversity of this fascinating cultural exchange by showcasing a rich variety of works from the mid-nineteenth century to the present day, including drawings, watercolors, paintings, photographs, ceramics, textiles, videos, installations, and more.

During the nineteenth century European collectors caught in Orientalism and “Islamophilia” began to acquire Islamic art. With the advent of modernism, avant-garde artists and those working in the applied arts sought inspiration in the forms and colors of Islamic art. The catalog, which accompanies a 2023 exhibit at the Kunsthaus Zürich, delves into this historical context and more to examine the relationships between the featured works.
 
Re-Orientations showcases art by Hélène Adant, Anila Quayyum Agha, Marwan Bassiouni, Edmond Bénard, Henriette Browne, Karl Gerstner, Jean-Léon Gérôme, Ja?far ibn Najaf ?Ali, Elisabeth Jerichau-Baumann, Wassily Kandinsky, Gülsün Karamustafa, Bouchra Khalili, Paul Klee, J. & L. Lobmeyr, Henri Matisse, Gabriele Münter, Muhammad?Ali Ashraf, Muhammad Ja?far, Muhammad Yusuf, Osman Hamdi Bey, Lotte Reiniger, Charles Claude Rudhardt, and Salah al-Din, as well as historic pieces by unknown artists from Algeria, Egypt, India, Iran, Iraq, Morocco, Spain, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey, and Uzbekistan.