[Oct 19, 2024] Accidents, Mistakes, and Other Stories: Developing Narratives in Islamic Art History
Date: October 19, 2024
Time: 2:00 PM
Location: Aga Khan Museum, Nanji Family Foundation Auditorium, 77 Wynford Drive, Toronto, ON M3C 1K1
Published in 2022, Made for the Eye of One Who Sees: Canadian Contributions to the Study of Islamic Art and Archaeology was the first volume of essays to highlight the research of scholars, curators, and creative artists working in Canada. The first part of this talk briefly surveys the history of collecting and scholarship in Canada from the late nineteenth century to the present day. This survey allows for an evaluation of the extent to which Canadian researchers and curators are influencing the international study and appreciation of Islamic art and architecture. The second part of the talk considers the question of narrative, and how this tool can be used in academic and museum settings to explain the ways in which Islamic buildings, objects, and paintings communicated with their original audiences. Using a selection of items, some drawn from the collections of the Aga Khan Museum and Royal Ontario Museum, I explore the ways in which narratives can be generated from the examination of the material, aesthetic and symbolic qualities of art. Objects can also preserve evidence of mistakes, changes of mind, and unexpected events, providing us with valuable glimpses into the lives of past makers and consumers.
Biography
Marcus Milwright is British Academy Global Professor in the Department of History of Art, University of York and Professor of Islamic Art and Archaeology at the University of Victoria, Canada. His research focuses on the art and archaeology of the Islamic Middle East, labour and craft practices in the urban environment, cross-cultural contacts in the Medieval Mediterranean, and the history of medicine. He is involved in archaeological and architectural projects in Jordan, Syria and Greece and has created the Crafts of Syria, Crafts of Iraq, and Talking about Art websites. His books include The Dome of the Rock and its Umayyad Mosaic Inscriptions (Edinburgh UP, 2016) Islamic Arts and Crafts: An Anthology (Edinburgh UP, 2017); The Queen of Sheba’s Gift: A History of the True Balsam of Matarea (Edinburgh UP, 2021); A Story of Islamic Art (Routledge, 2023); and the co-edited volume (with Evanthia Baboula), Made for the Eye of One Who Sees: Canadian Contributions to the Study of Islamic Art and Archaeology (McGill/Queens University Press, 2022).