New Exhibition Marking the Aga Khan Museum’s 10th Anniversary Illuminates the Omnipresence and Impact of Light
2024年7月2日 - 9:01PM
ビジネスワイヤ(英語)
Light: Visionary Perspectives will take
visitors on an immersive exploration of the centrality of light and
its significance as a unifying symbol for the world
Marking the Aga Khan Museum’s 10th anniversary, Light: Visionary
Perspectives, the Museum’s newest major exhibition opening on July
13, 2024, will explore light’s multifaceted impact. Featuring
contemporary installations by prominent international and Canadian
artists, including Anila Quayyum Agha, Tannis Nielsen, Olafur
Eliasson, Kimsooja, and Anish Kapoor, the exhibition delves into
how light shapes history and continues to influence our
perceptions, emotions, and understanding of the world. These
installations illustrate various physical properties and symbolisms
of light, showcasing the unseen force’s universal ability to unite
individuals, inspire empathy, and highlight the significance of
diversity.
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Anila Quayyum Agha, A Thousand Silent
Moments (Rain Forest), 2024 at Aga Khan Museum's Light: Visionary
Perspectives exhibition opening on July 13, 2024. Laser-cut
resin-coated aluminum, light bulb. Lacquered steel and LED bulbs.
Commissioned by the Aga Khan Museum with the support of Partners in
Art. Photography credit: Aly Manji.
Extending beyond the galleries, Light: Visionary Perspectives
will also explore how light interacts with the building’s
architecture and design. In a letter to Pritzker Prize-winning
architect Fumihiko Maki, His Highness the Aga Khan highlighted the
ephemeral yet essential qualities of light, setting the tone for
the building’s design inspiration. From the stunning granite
exterior to the shadows cast by the mashrabiya pattern on the
Courtyard’s surrounding glass, the omnipresence of light is felt
and seen even on the gloomiest days. The notion of light was built
into the Museum, serving as a metaphor for the pluralistic unity
that flows through its exhibitions, performing arts programs, and
educational offerings.
“As we celebrate our 10th anniversary of fostering intercultural
connections, we were inspired by the original concept for our
spectacular Museum building and foundational ethos,” says Dr.
Ulrike Al-Khamis, Director and CEO of the Aga Khan Museum. “Over
the past decade, we have consistently looked to the arts to provide
light and enlightenment, with the aim to contribute to more
inclusive, pluralistic communities. Light, in all of its
manifestations, is a powerful metaphor for the positive change that
we are aiming to drive in everything we do at our Museum. This
exhibition reminds us of light’s power over darkness and the
crucial role of creativity in showing us new, hopeful horizons. At
the same time, this exhibition reflects our ongoing mission and
vision, serving as a luminous reminder that art has the unrivalled
power to shine a light on all that we share, bringing us together
in peace and hope.”
From mesmerizing mirrored sculptures that offer moments of
self-reflection, to the Opticae Thesaurus — a significant
16th-century Latin translation of an 11th-century text on optics —
the exhibition, displayed throughout the Museum’s spaces and
galleries, offers a captivating glimpse into the contemporary and
historical impact of light. Co-curated by the Museum’s Associate
Curator Bita Pourvash and Special Projects Curator Marianne Fenton,
the installations and historical works explore all realms of light
— the light of eye, mind, and heart.
“Light is one of the oldest most meaningful and profound symbols
across diverse cultures and faiths worldwide. As a universally
experienced phenomenon, it has forged bonds between people, past
and present,” says Pourvash. “The installations and objects in the
exhibition explore our shared humanity, encouraging us to
experience light through the perspectives of these artists who have
captured its emotional, spiritual, and physical presentations,”
adds Fenton.
Highlights from the exhibition include:
- To Breathe — Artist Kimsooja’s kaleidoscopic installation makes
the invisible visible through the use of a special film applied to
the Museum’s Courtyard glass. As time and weather change, an array
of rainbow colours float across the Atrium, embodying the concept
of pluralism. This installation is a beautiful reminder that,
despite our differences, we are all essential elements of a unified
whole.
- mazinbii’igan / a creation — Through the striking visual dance
of electromagnetic energies and a compelling narration of an
Anishinaabe creation story, Tannis Nielsen’s looped video
installation allows for many beginnings and endings to exist
simultaneously. This cyclical format binds parallel dimensions
together in an abstract layering of time and story.
- A Thousand Silent Moments (Rain Forest) — Inspired by objects
in the Museum Collections, Anila Quayyum Agha’s installation
emphasizes harmony amid seemingly conflicting elements. Visitors
are invited to contemplate the ways in which they shape each other
and the environment around them by being immersed in an interplay
of light and shadow.
- Opticae Thesaurus — The Latin translation of Kitab Al-Manazir
(Book of Optics), highlights the transmission of knowledge from the
Islamic world to the Western world in the Middle Ages. The original
text by 10th-century Iraqi scholar and mathematician Ibn al-Haytham
showcases the revolutionary contributions of Muslim scientists to
our understanding of vision and optics, which lay the foundation
for many of the ideas explored in the contemporary installations
within the exhibition.
Light: Visionary Perspectives will be on display in the
Temporary Exhibitions Gallery, Museum Collections Gallery, and
Atrium from July 13, 2024, to March 17, 2025.
Signature Sponsor: Orbital Technologies Inc. Presenting Sponsor:
Sunray Group Supporting Sponsors: Lizna & Farhan Kabani, Moyez
& Farida Khimji, and Texas Jasmine Government Partners: Toronto
Arts Council, Ontario Arts Council, and the Government of
Ontario
To Breathe by Kimsooja is presented through the generous support
of the Faris D. Virani Fund for the Living Arts.
A Thousand Silent Moments (Rain Forest) 2024 by Anila Quayyum
Agha is commissioned with the support of Partners in Art.
About the Aga Khan Museum The Aga Khan Museum in Toronto,
Canada, has been established and developed by the Aga Khan Trust
for Culture (AKTC), which is an agency of the Aga Khan Development
Network (AKDN). Through permanent and temporary exhibitions,
educational activities and performing arts, the Museum’s mission is
to spark wonder, curiosity, and understanding of Muslim cultures
and their connection with other cultures through the arts. Designed
by architect Fumihiko Maki, the Museum shares a 6.8-hectare site
with Toronto’s Ismaili Centre, which was designed by architect
Charles Correa. The surrounding landscaped park was designed by
landscape architect Vladimir Djurovic.
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