Islamic art exhibition inaugurated at San Ildefonso

By Giselle Rodríguez

The Islamic art exhibition "The earthly and the divine", a selection of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art collection, was inaugurated today at San Ildefonso Museum in Mexico City.

Curated by Dr. Linda Komaroff, the exhibition includes ceramics, carpets, calligraphy, jewelry and other artworks from the 7th to the 19th. century. The 192 pieces exhibited come from Morocco, Syria, Iran, Iraq, Egypt, Spain, Turkey and Afghanistan.

As part of the cultural activities related with the exhibition, Dr.Alfonso Alfaro offered a lecture on the presence of Islamic art in Mexico's culture, while Prof. Benjamín Juárez from Boston University talked about the music of sultans and Dr. Komaroff talked about LACMA's  Islamic art collection.

A second round of lectures is scheduled for August 27. Prof. Reynier Valdés will offer a lecture on the neo-Arab architecture in Latin America and the Caribbean, Anthropologist Alejandra Gómez will talk about art as a manifestation of Islam, Dr. Hernán G. H. Taboada will talk about Islam in the Americas and Dr. Jean Meyer will talk about the Christian representations of Islam during the time of Byzantium. Pre-registration for the lectures is mandatory.

The exhibition runs until October 4.