Islam in Europe

Sam Fogg is pleased to announce a symposium to coincide with the publication of our catalogue and the opening of our exhibition ‘Islam in Europe’, which runs from 3 November to 1 December 2023.

The exhibition marks Sam Fogg’s first attempt at displaying and publishing European and Islamic artworks side by side. ‘Islam in Europe’ traces the artistic links between the Islamic world and Europe through a rich corpus of precious artworks that illustrate the entanglement of the two regions and cultures. The group of objects dates from the early 9th century through to the 17th century, and is connected by an important thread: each artwork illustrates the ongoing assimilation of Islamic art, technology and intellectual culture into European contexts.

In conjunction with the exhibition, this symposium explores a range of scholarly topics related to the themes presented in ‘Islam in Europe’, from the appearance of Islamic objects in early medieval European contexts to the afterlife of Islamic art in Spain; the transcultural currents connecting early modern Italy with the Islamic world; and the import market for Anatolian rugs in Europe during the Renaissance.

Schedule:

15:00 Early modern Italy and the Islamic world

Federica Gigante | Research Associate, Khalili Research Centre, Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, University of Oxford

15:30 Islamic rock crystal chessmen in European church treasuries

Deborah Freeman Fahid | Independent scholar and former assistant curator and head of publications at The al-Sabah Collection, Dar al-Athar al-Islamiyyah, Kuwait

16:00 Q&A

16:15 The Mudéjar style in Spain: another chapter of Orientalism in the creation of national styles

Susana Calvo Capilla | Professor at the Department of the History of Art at the Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM)

16:45 ‘Lotto’ Carpets Reconsidered: The Böhler ‘Doria and Centurione’ Arabesque Carpets

Michael Franses | Independent scholar, Chairman of Hali Publications and formerly the owner of The Textile Gallery, London

17:15 Q&A

Please register for in-person attendance on this page. The symposium will also be live-streamed. The link will be provided here.

Following the symposium, all attendees are invited to our gallery at 15D Clifford St, W1S 4JZ for a private view of the exhibition, which will be accompanied by drinks.