WRITTEN IMAGES: CONTEMPORARY CALLIGRAPHY FROM THE MIDDLE EAST, SUNDARAM TAGORE, NEW YORK Exhibition dates: November 10 - December 3, 2011
Written Images: Contemporary Calligraphy from the Middle East, curated by noted art historian Karin von Roques, explores the role of traditional Islamic calligraphy and symbols in the contemporary Middle Eastern consciousness. Arabic calligraphy in all its aesthetic and linguistic complexity is little understood in the West and often regarded as an art form belonging to the classic Islamic arts and, therefore, to the past. In fact, it plays an important role in contemporary Arab and Iranian art. For centuries, the written word has been at the center of Islamic visual culture— a legacy that persists even today.
Artists including Iraqi Hassan Massoudy, and Tunisian Nja Mahdaoui were among the first to look at writing from an entirely new perspective and reposition calligraphy in the contemporary context. They have deftly expanded its potential so it is image as well as language. For them and the other artists in this show, writing is more than the legible word; they use it as a pictorial, formal element, referencing a multitude of issues—religious, social, political and
personal. Working with different media, including paint on canvas, collage, ink on paper, gold leaf and silkscreen, these artists take traditional Arabic script and symbols as their point of departure. Qatari artist Yousef Ahmad distills Arabic letters into abstract shapes and gestural marks that sweep across dreamlike mixed-media surfaces. Syrian artist Khaled Al-Saa’i is inspired by poetry and Sufi philosophy, and paints spacious landscapes in which words float, overlap and follow their own particular rhythm. Offering a nuanced view of the culture of the Middle East, these innovative artists create complex
contemporary works that draw on the spiritual depth of ancient Islamic art. Rather than singling out Arab culture as “other,” this exhibition aims to further intercultural dialogue between the Arab world and the West. It follows on the success of Signs: Contemporary Arab Art, also curated by Karin von Roques, mounted at Sundaram Tagore New York in 2009 and Sundaram Tagore Beverly Hills in 2010. Both shows offer a view of the culture of the Islamic world apart from the usual subjects of politics and religion. Having studied and lived in the Middle East over the past decade, Karin von Roques has an intimate and unique understanding of the region and its artists. With this show, she throws into relief the wide range of work emerging from the contemporary Middle East, bringing its seminal artists to an international audience. The full roster of artists is as follows: Yousef Ahmad (Qatar), Lulwah Al-Homoud (Saudi Arabia), Khaled Al-Saa’i (Syria), Chaouki Chamoun (Lebanon), Golnaz Fathi (Iran), Hakim Ghazali (Morocco), Ali Hassan (Qatar), Rachid Koraïchi (Algeria), Nja Mahdaoui
(Tunisia), Hassan Massoudy (Iraq/France), Ahmed Mater (Saudia Arabia), Ahmad Moualla (Syria), Ahmed Moustafa (Egypt).
The Children of Gaza: Giuseppe Aquili, Jim McFarlane, Anthony Dawton and Dia AzzawiThe Gallery @ Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar
9 November – 3 December 2011
In 2010 three international photographers, Giuseppe Aquili, Jim McFarlane and Anthony Dawton, with the support of Save the Children entered Gaza. For nearly two weeks they photographed children and their families, victims of the Israeli incursion on 27 December 2008. These striking images are extraordinary: they tell of what happened to the Palestinian polulation and the damage inflicted upon them, physically and psychologically, but they also tell of a people particularly the children, bright intelligent and full of hope. The exhibition is as dramatic in its presentation as the images themselves, comprising of 21 black and white photographic art works each approx 150 x 100 cm. Included in the exhibition are also original prints from the renowned artist Dia Azzawi, inspired by the photographic images. His prints provide a vivid and colourful contrast to the imposing mono chrome images of Aquili, Dawton and McFarlane. The exhibition hopes to define the process in which art can bring understanding to seemingly intractable political conflict as well as to highlight the terrible consequences long and short term of such conflicts. Proceeds from the exhibition will benefit the Save the Children projects in Gaza particularly its outstanding work with conflict-traumatised children.
A catalog is available on request.
National Museum in HeratOn 16 October 2011, the National Museum in Herat celebrated its reopening as the first of the four provincial museums in Afghanistan to reopen to the public. Since 2008, the team from the Museum of
Islamic Art (National Museums in Berlin) have been working under the supervision of Dr. Ute Franke there together with the Berlin department of the German Archaeological Institute in documenting and restoring the collections, as well as preparing for their display in the new rooms. Read more...
http://www.smb.museum/smb/news/details.php?objID=35774&lang=en"From Medina to the Jordanian border: Photographs by Ursula Schulz-Dornburg," Museum für Islamische Kunst, BerlinAnticipating the exhibition "Roads to Arabia - archaeological treasures from Saudi Arabia", the museum presents photographs from the Hedjaz by the artist Ursula Schulz Dornburg. The pictures show desert landscapes, strangely inhabited by silty rails, empty stations and rusty railroad engines: vague reminiscences of the legendary Hejaz railway, which was inaugurated by the Ottoman Empire in 1900-08 officially to improve the difficult pilgrimage to the holy sites of Mecca and Medina but above all to better integrate and control the distant Arabian provinces.
The Graphics of Revolution and War: Iranian Poster ArtsOctober 15-December 18, 2011
IU Art Museum Special Exhibitions Gallery
This exhibition showcases Iranian posters of the Islamic Revolution (1979) and the Iran-Iraq War (1980-88). During this time, posters served as visual mechanisms through which a young and unsteady nation struggled to define and defend itself. The posters include representations of street demonstrations, the return of Ayatollah Khomeini, and the exile of the shah from Iran. They also sport vitriolic anti-American and anti-Iraqi messages, and depict men, women, and children fighting and dying in war in order to secure salvation according to a Shi'i Muslim worldview. As such, the posters highlight how nationalism, religion, martyrdom, and the demonization of the 'other' were key factors in promoting the revolution and war during the 1980s in Iran. Scheduled during the Themester on war and peace, the timely exhibition "The Graphics of Revolution and War: Iranian Poster Arts" provides a framework for understanding how image-making and visual culture act as tools of persuasion in revolution and war in the contemporary Islamic world. The exhibition comprises 44 posters on loan from the Special Collections Research Center of The University of Chicago. The exhibition is guest curated by Professor Christiane Gruber, University of Michigan, and her graduate student Elizabeth Rauh. The organizing curator is Judy Stubbs, the Pamela Buell Curator of Asian Art at the Indiana University Art Museum.
Art in Iraq Today Book Launch--Co-published by Skira Editore and Meem Gallery Meem Gallery is pleased to present the final part of five exhibitions displaying contemporary Iraqi art. Curated by Dia Al-Azzawi, Art in Iraq Today: Part IV will exhibit the recent work of Ali Jabbar, Halim Al-Karim and Mahmoud Obaidi. The exhibition, and its supporting catalogue, is dedicated to the memory of Jabra. Ibrahim Jabra and his seminal essays on modern Iraqi art, titled 'Art in Iraq Today.' For more information visit the website:
http://www.meemartgallery.com/index.php?id=exhibitions&Year=2011Owen Jones and the Alhambra: Islamic Design, Discovery and VisionWe have pleasure in announcing the opening of the exhibition 'Owen Jones and the Alhambra: Islamic Design, Discovery and Vision', at the Museo de Bellas Artes, Alhambra, Granada. This exhibition has been organised by the Victoria and Albert Museum, featuring objects drawn largely from our collections, but also incorporating objects from the Alhambra and other collections in Granada. The exhibition celebrates the life and work of the British designer, Owen Jones (1809-1874), author of Plans, Elevations, Sections and Details of the Alhambra (1836-45) and The Grammar of Ornament (1856). Jones's first visit to the Alhambra in 1834 transformed his approach to architecture and polychromy, and inspired him to formulate certain principles of design which he put into practice throughout his career. His work on the Great Exhibition, the Alhambra Court at the Crystal Palace at Sydenham, and his association with the South Kensington Museum in its early years also made the Alhambra one of the best-known Islamic monuments in 19th-century Britain. This exhibition sees Jones 'returning' to the Alhambra for the first time since 1837. The exhibition runs until 28 February 2012. For more information see:
http://www.alhambra -patronato.es/index.php/Exposicion/719+M521abf32e08/0/?&cHash=a4a77ca6eaA book -
Owen Jones y la Alhambra - published by the Patronato de la Alhambra y Generalife, accompanies the exhibition. It features essays in both Spanish and English by Juan Calatrava, Mariam Rosser-Owen, Abraham Thomas and Remi Labrusse.
Osman Hamdi Bey and the Americans: Archaeology, Diplomacy, Art15 October 2011 - 8 January 2012
For the last quarter of the year, Suna and İnan Kıraç Foundation. Pera Museum is cherishing Osman Hamdi Bey. Organized in collaboration
with the Pera Museum and the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, Osman Hamdi Bey and the Americans:
Archaeology, Diplomacy, Art exhibition, focuses on the first excavations American archaeologists conducted in Ottoman lands -Assos and Nippur- and the diplomatic relations between the two countries. The exhibition is curated by Prof. Renata Holod and Prof. Robert Ousterhout from the University of Pennsylvania and showcases a rich selection of paintings by Osman Hamdi Bey, archaeological photographs and drawings from the 19th century, letters, travel journals, and archaeological artifacts displayed for the first time. This unique selection is on loan from the University of Pennsylvania, İstanbul Archaeological Museums, İstanbul Museum of Painting and Sculpture, Fine Arts Museum Boston, and private collections. Apart from his lesser-known paintings, two unknown works of Osman Hamdi Bey discovered at the Penn Museum will be introduced to art lovers.
Geography of Photography - Frühe Fotografie in islamischen Ländern: The Indigenous Lens, Zürich, 29.09. - 15.12.2011Öffentliche Vortragsreihe: Dr. Carlo Fleischmann-Vorträge zur Fotografie, Kunsthistorisches Institut der Universität Zürich, Herbstsemester 2011 Ort: Universität Zürich, Gebäude des Rechtswissenschaftlichen
Instituts, Rämistr. 74, CH-8001 Zürich Raum: RAI-H-041 Information:
http://www.khist.uzh.ch/Ritter/Events.htmlKontakt:
admin@khist.uzh.chNoor-an-Nisa (Light of Femininity).Noor-an-Nisa (Light of Femininity) is produced by choreographer and dancer Kristina Koutsoudas, who has combined live dance, music, song, poetry and stories to present traditional arts and culture as well as scenes of women and spirituality in Near Eastern, Middle Eastern and North African cultures. Using 10 dancers and a small classical Arab music ensemble from Syria, Lebanon and Jordan, she draws from Arabic and Persian musical and literary traditions to “portray the intensely spiritual and devoted side of Arabic cultures,” she says. The Rothko Chapel, Houston, 7:00 p.m. December 2 through December 3.
Cai Guo-Qiang: Saraab.Cai Guo-Qiang: Saraab includes more than 50 works by one of the most influential international contemporary artists in his first solo exhibition in the Middle East. The exhibition demonstrates the emotional breadth of Cai’s work, from the intimate to the spectacular, and is inspired by the multilayered history of the artist’s hometown of Quanzhou, China. Saraab (“mirage”) illuminates the long-standing but little-known relationship between China and the Arab world dating back to the ancient maritime Silk Roads. Featuring the artist’s characteristic use of symbols and stories about local history and transnational movements, the exhibition explores the historic and contemporary iconography of the Arabian Gulf and its seafaring culture, as well as the Islamic history of Quanzhou. Works on view also address the ambiguity of Qatar and China’s relationship, as well as Cai’s own creative development. A millennial and symbolic journey, Saraab questions whether there is something illusory or unobtainable about the process of cultural, temporal and geographic translation. Since his youth, Cai had been curious about the traces of Islamic influence in his hometown, including the grand Ashab Mosque and cemeteries with countless Arabic-inscribed tombstones. Quanzhou was a significant maritime port on the ancient Silk Road and a trade hub for silk, porcelain, tea and spices. The city also hosted some of the earliest Muslim missionaries, now buried in the city’s Holy Mausoleum. Saraab offers Cai’s perspective on the complex web of conceptual and material connections between China and the Arab world, of dynamics between historic localities marked as much by the passage of ideas and lived experience as by material trade. Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art, Doha, Qatar December 2 through May 26.
Amulet in Spirit: Contemporary Yemeni Jewelry by Suad Raja.Amulet in Spirit: Contemporary Yemeni Jewelry by Suad Raja is a collection of Yemen-inspired contemporary silver jewelry. Jerusalem Fund Gallery, Washington, D.C. through December 6.
Ayman Baalbaki: Beirut Again and Again.Ayman Baalbaki: Beirut Again and Again posits that little has truly changed in “peacetime” Beirut: No problems have been resolved, no politicians called to account, no militias disarmed. Baalbaki expresses his theme in layers of paint on canvas and in colorful floral textiles that give life to his depiction of bombed buildings, bullet-ridden façades, piles of rubble and snipers’ towers. Though his works pay tribute to his country’s traumatic recent history, they also reveal stirrings of hope. Rose Issa Projects, London through December 9.
Riffs.Riffs features recent work by Moroccan artist Yto Barrada, whose photographs, films, installations, sculptures and editorial work refer to the socio-political situation of her hometown in Tangier, Morocco. The title of the exhibit refers simultaneously to the musical term and to the Cinéma Rif, home of the Tangier Cinémathèque, which the artist directs, as well as to the nearby Rif mountains, a stronghold of anti-colonial insurgency in Morocco. “I’ve always been attentive to what lies beneath the surface of public behavior,” says Barrada. “In public, the oppressed accept their domination, but they always question their domination offstage.” Wiels, Brussels through December 12.
Weaving the Threads of Livelihood: The Aesthetic and Embodied Knowledge of Berber WeaversWeaving the Threads of Livelihood: The Aesthetic and Embodied Knowledge of Berber Weavers centers on a special 19th-century cloak, an akhnif, unique to Morocco, which inspired Berber weavers of the Sirwa region to produce a new type of carpet in the 1990’s, and variants since. Many of these richly colored, densely embellished and painstakingly crafted carpets are displayed, demonstrating the ongoing dynamism and creativity of Sirwa weavers, who draw on and continuously update their rich weaving tradition to produce a great variety of textiles for the international market. Visitors can watch as Sirwa weavers demonstrate their technical skills on equipment especially brought from Morocco, and can try their own hand at weaving, handling spindles, cards and beating combs, yarns and weaving samples. An international conference on Moroccan textiles is planned in conjunction with the exhibition. Brunei Gallery, SOAS, London through December 17.
Treasures of the BodleianTreasures of the Bodleian features a selection of the rarest, most important and most evocative items from the Bodleian Libraries’ nine-million-volume collections, from ancient papyri through medieval oriental manuscripts to 20th-century printed books and ephemera. Highlights include the oldest surviving manuscript of the Elements of Euclid, 888 ce, re-edited in the fourth century by Theon of Alexandria; an illustrated 14th-century manuscript of Marco Polo’s Travels; a letter from a petulant Egyptian schoolboy named Theon, written in the second or third century, complaining to his father for leaving him behind; and a leaf from the birch-bark Bakhshali manuscript containing the first evidence of the concept of zero.
Bodleian Libraries, Oxford, England through December 23.
Roads of Arabia: Archaeological Treasures from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (3).The study of archeological remains only really began in Saudi Arabia in the 1970’s, yet brought—and is still bringing—a wealth of unsuspected treasures to light: temples, palaces adorned with frescoes, monumental sculpture, silver dishes and precious jewelry left in tombs. The exhibition, organized as a series of points along trade and pilgrimage routes, focuses on the region’s rich history as a major center of commercial and cultural exchange, provides both chronological and geographical information about the discoveries made during recent excavations and emphasizes the important role played by this region as a trading center during the past 6000 years. More than 300 works—sculptures, ceramics, jewelry, frescoes—are on display, dating from antiquity to the beginning of the modern period; the majority have never before been exhibited. Pergamon Museum, Berlin January 1 through April 30.
Second Lives: The Age-Old Art of Recycling TextilesThe Age-Old Art of Recycling Textiles highlights the ways people in various cultures have ingeniously repurposed worn but precious fabrics to create beautiful new textile forms. Examples include a rare sutra cover made from a 15th-century Chinese rank badge, a large patchwork hanging from Central Asia stitched together from small scraps of silk ikat and a pictorial kantha from India embroidered with threads recycled from old saris.
Textile Museum, Washington, D.C. through January 8.
Dream and Reality: Modern and Contemporary Women Artists from TurkeyModern and Contemporary Women Artists from Turkey. The works of some 75 artists offer a new perspective on the social and cultural history of Turkey, and in doing so, aim to open a dialogue concerning women artists and female identity in Turkish art. Avoiding an overly simple presention of the artists as individual parts of a gender-focused selection, the curators have brought them together through the originality and diversity of their work. The title comes from the 1891 romance novel Dream and Reality, authored jointly by Fatma Aliye and Ahmet Midhat. As a two-part book, the first part (Dream) was written by Aliye, and the second (Reality) by Midhat. Taking this as a point of departure, the exhibition investigates how female artists turn their dreams into reality. In addition to the exhibition, there will be panels, symposia and workshops, and Istanbul Modern Cinema will show a film program presenting the most acclaimed and awarded films of the year by women directors. Istanbul Modern through January 8.
Wonder of the Age: Master Painters of India, 1100–1900Wonder of the Age: Master Painters of India, 1100–1900 presents some 220 works selected according to identifiable hands and named artists, and dispels the notion of anonymity in Indian art. The high points of artistic innovation in the history of Indian painting are demonstrated through works by 40 of the greatest Indian painters, some of them identified for the first time, each represented by five or six seminal works. Indian paintings have traditionally been classified according to regional styles or dynastic periods, with an emphasis on subject matter and narrative content. Recent scholarship, however, has begun to securely link innovations in style with specific artists and their lineages. Together with a careful study of artist's inscriptions and scribal colophons, it is now possible to construct a more precise chronology of the development of Indian painting. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York through January 8
ParergonParergon is a series of sculptural works presented by Babak Golkar comprising objects that resemble interrupted or deformed frames. As the frames are not closed, the viewer is able to view the cross-sections and explore the distinctive forms that they represent: identifiable architectural silhouettes of such well-known structures as Hagia Sophia and the Dome of the Rock. The works center on iconic architectures from eastern cultures that have shifted in context throughout history. The Third Line, Dubai, UAE through January 12
Gifts of the Sultan: The Arts of Giving at the Islamic CourtsGifts of the Sultan: The Arts of Giving at the Islamic Courts is a pan-Islamic exhibition spanning the eighth through 19th centuries and including more than 240 works of art from three continents: carpets, costumes and textiles, jewelry and other objects of precious metals, miniature paintings and other arts of the book, mosque furnishings and arms and armor. It also includes a small contemporary component: new work by three artists with roots in the Islamic world who have been commissioned to interpret the theme of the exhibition. Gifts of the Sultan introduces viewers to Islamic art and culture with objects of undisputed quality and appeal, viewed through the universal lens of gift giving—a practice that proliferated at the great Islamic courts not only for diplomatic and political purposes but also as expressions of piety, often associated with the construction or enhancement of religious monuments. Museum of Fine Arts Houston through January 15
Mysticism: Yearning for the AbsoluteMysticism: Yearning for the Absolute uses specific examples to illuminate the various manifestations of mysticism in Europe, Persia, India and East Asia. Museum Rietberg, Zurich through January 15
Roads of Arabia: Archaeological Treasures From the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (2)Roads of Arabia: Archaeological Treasures From the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The study of archeological remains only really began in Saudi Arabia in the 1970’s, yet brought—and is still bringing—a wealth of unsuspected treasures to light: temples, palaces adorned with frescoes, monumental sculpture, silver dishes and precious jewelry left in tombs. The exhibition, organized as a series of points along trade and pilgrimage routes, focuses on the region’s rich history as a major center of commercial and cultural exchange, provides both chronological and geographical information about the discoveries made during recent excavations and emphasizes the important role played by this region as a trading center during the past 6000 years. More than 300 works—sculptures, ceramics, jewelry, frescoes—are on display, dating from antiquity to the beginning of the modern period, the majority never before exhibited. Pergamon Museum, Berlin January 26 through April 29.
Hajj: Journey to the Heart of IslamHajj: Journey to the Heart of Islam is a major exhibition that brings to life the history and personal spiritual significance of the sacred rituals that have remained unchanged since the Prophet Muhammad’s time in the seventh century of our era. One of the five pillars of Islam, hajj, or pilgrimage to Makkah, is central to Muslim belief: Every Muslim must make the journey at least once in a lifetime if able. With extensive displays of beautiful objects, including historical and contemporary art, textiles and manuscripts, the show also examines the travel logistics involved over history, and how the wider operation of the hajj has changed over time. The British Museum, London January 26 through April 12.
Emirati Expressions
Emirati Expressions showcases works by Emirati artists that revolve around the theme of national identity. The photographs on show, produced in workshops led by photographer Stephen Shore, capture moments, places, people, sounds and images that reflect the essence of Emirati expression. Manarat Al-Saadiyat, Abu Dhabi through January 29.
Abu Hamid al-Ghazali (1058–1111): Celebrating 900 Years.Abu Hamid al-Ghazali (1058–1111): Celebrating 900 Years honors one of the most significant Islamic thinkers and authors. Al-Ghazali, born in Tus (modern-day Iran), was a prolific writer particularly on philosophy, theology and law; his influence extended to some of the great western philosophers and even to the present day. The exhibition includes manuscripts, rare books and lithographs, as well as work by al-Ghazali’s critics and scholars who were influenced by him. McLennan Library, McGill University, Montreal through January 31.
Vaults of Heaven: Visions of Byzantium.Vaults of Heaven: Visions of Byzantium offers a glimpse into the complex and vivid world of the Byzantine Empire through large-scale contemporary photographs byTurkish photographer Ahmet Ertug. The images highlight culturally significant unesco heritage sites in present-day Turkey, with a focus on the Karanlik, Tokali and Meryemana churches in the dramatic Cappadocian region of central Anatolia. Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, Philadelphia through February 12.
Of Gods and Mortals: Traditional Art from India.In India, art is an integral part of daily life. The importance of paintings, sculpture, textiles and other art forms comprises two basic categories, one related to religious practices and the other to the expression of prestige and social position. This new installation of works from the Museum’s collection features some 28 pieces, principally representing the 1800’s to the present. Peabody Essex Museum, Salem, Massachusetts through March 1.
Love and Devotion: From Persia and BeyondLove and Devotion: From Persia and Beyond features more than 60 rare Persian, Mughal Indian and Ottoman Turkish illustrated manuscripts from the 13th to the 18th century as well as related editions of European literature, travel books and maps. These works come from one of the richest periods in the history of the book and shed light on the artistic and literary culture of Persia, showcasing classic Persian tales and revealing the extent to which Persian language and culture influenced neighboring empires, as well as parallels in the work of European writers dating back to Shakespeare, Chaucer and Dante. Visitors will see works by such writers as Nizami, Jami, Firdausi, Rumi and Hafiz, as well as the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam and The 1001 Nights. A conference on “Persian Cultural Crossroads” will be held April 12–14. State Library of Victoria, Melbourne, Australia March 9 through July 1.
Zaha Hadid: Form in Motion.Form in Motion marks the first exhibition in the US to feature the renowned British-Iraqi architect’s product designs in a setting of her own creation. Widely regarded as one of the most innovative architects of the 21st century, Hadid was the first woman to receive the renowned Pritzker Architecture Prize. Using complex, fluid geometries and cutting-edge digital design and fabrication technologies, she has advanced the language of contemporary architecture and design. For this exhibition, she has created an all-encompassing environment to display examples of the furniture, objects and footwear she has designed in recent years. Philadelphia Museum of Art through March 25.
Central Nigeria Unmasked: Arts of the Benue River Valley
Central Nigeria Unmasked: Arts of the Benue River Valley reviews the arts produced in the Benue River Valley, source of some of the most abstract, dramatic and inventive sculpture in sub-Saharan Africa. The exhibition includes more than 150 objects used in a range of ritual contexts, with genres as varied and complex as the region itself—figurative wood sculptures, masks, figurative ceramic vessels, and elaborate bronze and iron regalia—and explores the history of central Nigeria through the dynamic interrelationships of its peoples and their arts. National Museum of African Art, Washington, D.C. September 14 through March 4.
1001 Inventions: Discover the Muslim Heritage in Our World
1001 Inventions: Discover the Muslim Heritage in Our World traces the story of 1000 years of science from the Muslim world dating from the seventh century onward, looking at the social, scientific and technological achievements that originated in the Muslim cultural sphere. It features more than 60 exhibits, interactive displays and dramatization showing that many modern inventions, spanning fields such as engineering, medicine and design, can trace their roots back to men and women of different faiths and cultures who lived in Muslim civilizations. California Science Center, Los Angeles through December 31.