Inscription as Art in the World of Islam 7-9 Dhu al-Hijjah 1416/25-27 April 1996 Hofstra University, Hofstra Cultural Center Long Island, New York

Abstract

During April 1996, the Hofstra Cultural Center organized an international
interdisciplinary conference that focused upon the role of inscription
in Islamic art. The conference included diverse areas of inquiry. For
instance, it accepted a paper that addressed the usage of Arabic script as
inscription in different parts of the world and provided an opportunity to listen
to papers that considered inscription as an icon as well as its context,
function, and comparative features. In addition, the coordinators organized
an exhibition of the works of several artists who were invited specifically
to talk about their works. This exhibition started with the opening of the
conference and continued into May. On display was a unique blend of traditional
and modem uses of Arabic calligraphy--objects from the seventh
century as well as those produced via contemporary technology.
Habibeh Rahim, who is attached to Hofstra University's department of
philosophy, and Alexej Ugrinsky of the Cultural Center, were the conference
director and coordinator, respectively. The former initiated the idea
and, with a committee of individuals, hosted the conference and exhibited
a selection of Islamic art. This exhibition was supported further by permanent
displays in New York City at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the
Brooklyn Museum, the Pierpont Morgan Library, and the New York Public
Library.
The conference opened with prayers from each of the major religious
traditions and two brief addresses by Habibeh Rahim and David
Christman, the dean of New College and current director of Hofstra
Museum. The first session, chaired by Sheila Blair (Harvard Univeristy),
consisted of the following scholars and presentations: Valerie Gonzalez
(Ecole d'Architecture Provence-Mediterrainee Centre Habitat et
Developpement, Marseille, France), "The Significant Esthetic System of
Inscriptions in Muslim Art"; Peter Daniels (University of Chicago),
"Graphic-Esthetic Convergence in the Evolution of Scripts: A First
Essay"; Solange Ory (Universite de Provence at Aix-Marseille, France),
"Arabic Inscriptions and Unity of the Decoration"; Sussane Babarie (New
York University), "The 'Aesthetics' of Safavid Epigraphy: An
Interpretation"; Ali al-Bidah (Dar al-Athar al-Islamiyah), "Aesthetic and
Practical Aspects of a Hexagonal Emerald in Dar al-Athar al-Islamiyah";
and Howard Federspiel (McGill University, Canada), "Arabic Script on ...