The document is a description of the sculpture "Sweet City" by artist Gita Meh. The sculpture depicts a mosque surrounded by two tall apartment buildings, all made of nabat (Persian spun rock candy). The candy material represents the sweetness of God and faith. The evolving Islamic architecture from traditional to modern is embodied in the sculpture's adaptation of architectural forms like minarets into apartment towers.
This document provides an overview of how images created by pilgrims have depicted the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca over several centuries. It discusses the common symbols seen in these images, such as the Kaaba, Mount Arafat, transportation methods, and pilgrims' state of dress. Various examples of paintings, photographs, and online images from different eras are presented to show the consistency in how pilgrims have represented their Hajj experience visually, while also noting technological changes over time in the media used.
This document announces a painting exhibition and sale taking place in 2017. It discusses the goals of highlighting creativity and building bridges between artists around the world. The annual exhibition provides a platform for over 100 local artists to showcase their work, with over 10,000 visitors attending last year to see the variety of exhibits and support the artists. This year's exhibition aims to reach new heights and create more awareness about art while serving the local community. Interested sponsors can support the event through various sponsorship packages starting at 3000 rupees, providing exposure to over 10,000 attendees.
The document summarizes various aspects of Chinese culture, including:
1) Traditional Chinese performing arts like Peking Opera, Kun Opera, and shadow puppetry.
2) Cultural icons such as the Forbidden City, Marble Pillar, and White Horse Temple.
3) Regional delicacies like dumplings, blown sugar, and sesame seed cake.
4) Art forms like paper cutting, calligraphy, and Chinese characters.
The document discusses how imagination and reality can differ, using the examples of Hypatia and Bukit Bintang in Kuala Lumpur. In Hypatia, the traveler found that what was described to him no longer existed when he visited. Similarly, Bukit Bintang in KL is losing its original colorful essence as more development occurs and foreign workers replace local culture. As KL portrays an organized image, people remember the past vibrancy which is being replaced by repetitive new buildings that demolish heritage structures. This rapid development risks turning the city into an apocalyptic dystopia rather than the imagined utopian future, as the city loses its identity and color.
"My dove in the cleft of the rock", Statue in Tsur HadassahYa'akov Boussidan
Ya’akov Boussidan, a multi-faceted artist, is prominent in the field of painting, artistic printing and calligraphy. His works have been exhibited in many countries and may be found in private collections and museums throughout the world, among them the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, the Metropolitan in New York, and the Israel Museum in Jerusalem. Has received several awards, among them the Jesselson Prize for Judaica from the Israel Museum and an honorary prize at the Biennale in Monte Carlo.
Ya’akov Boussidan was born in Port Said, Egypt, a melting-pot of cultures and languages. As a child he emigrated with his parents to Israel and was educated in the framework of Youth Aliyah in Kibbutz Giv’at Chaim. Studied art under Prof. Joseph Schwarzmann, Rudi Lehmann and Hedwig Grossman, and went to England to further his studies at Goldsmith’s College, London, graduating with distinction.
Ramadan is the holiest month in the Islamic calendar where Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset. During Ramadan, Muslims aim to empathize with the poor by not eating during the day. The fast is broken each evening with an iftar meal shared with family and friends. Traditional Turkish iftar meals include dates, breads, dumplings and desserts. Ramadan culminates with Eid al-Fitr, where children go door-to-door receiving sweets. Ramadan is an important time for community, family, and connecting with neighbors in Istanbul.
Cambodia has won the World Tourism and Travel Awards coveted title as “World`s Best Tourist Destination” for the first time in a hotly-contested contest that saw the country pitch against former winners Greece, Italy, Spain, and France, as well as northern countries including the UK, Norway, Austria, Sweden and Switzerland.
European Journal of Tourism and Trade has created a special edition dedicated to 2017 World Tourism and Travel Awards and is proud to announce the 2017 winner for World's Leading Destination as KINGDOM OF CAMBODIA.
In this issue you will also have the chance to discover news about perfume industry and main creators like Jean Pierre Grivory and Dali Haute Parfumerie creations and to travel from Siem Reap to Phnom Penh and a cruise on the Mekong all crowned with a short visit to the Nature Preserve of Danube Delta.
Suggestive improvements in navigation systemDhawal Singhal
Have you ever faced problem when navigator gave wrong directions to you and you stuck somewhere? If yes, this presentation gives an idea how the navigator performance can be evaluated and made more efficient by the service providers.
This document provides an overview of how images created by pilgrims have depicted the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca over several centuries. It discusses the common symbols seen in these images, such as the Kaaba, Mount Arafat, transportation methods, and pilgrims' state of dress. Various examples of paintings, photographs, and online images from different eras are presented to show the consistency in how pilgrims have represented their Hajj experience visually, while also noting technological changes over time in the media used.
This document announces a painting exhibition and sale taking place in 2017. It discusses the goals of highlighting creativity and building bridges between artists around the world. The annual exhibition provides a platform for over 100 local artists to showcase their work, with over 10,000 visitors attending last year to see the variety of exhibits and support the artists. This year's exhibition aims to reach new heights and create more awareness about art while serving the local community. Interested sponsors can support the event through various sponsorship packages starting at 3000 rupees, providing exposure to over 10,000 attendees.
The document summarizes various aspects of Chinese culture, including:
1) Traditional Chinese performing arts like Peking Opera, Kun Opera, and shadow puppetry.
2) Cultural icons such as the Forbidden City, Marble Pillar, and White Horse Temple.
3) Regional delicacies like dumplings, blown sugar, and sesame seed cake.
4) Art forms like paper cutting, calligraphy, and Chinese characters.
The document discusses how imagination and reality can differ, using the examples of Hypatia and Bukit Bintang in Kuala Lumpur. In Hypatia, the traveler found that what was described to him no longer existed when he visited. Similarly, Bukit Bintang in KL is losing its original colorful essence as more development occurs and foreign workers replace local culture. As KL portrays an organized image, people remember the past vibrancy which is being replaced by repetitive new buildings that demolish heritage structures. This rapid development risks turning the city into an apocalyptic dystopia rather than the imagined utopian future, as the city loses its identity and color.
"My dove in the cleft of the rock", Statue in Tsur HadassahYa'akov Boussidan
Ya’akov Boussidan, a multi-faceted artist, is prominent in the field of painting, artistic printing and calligraphy. His works have been exhibited in many countries and may be found in private collections and museums throughout the world, among them the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, the Metropolitan in New York, and the Israel Museum in Jerusalem. Has received several awards, among them the Jesselson Prize for Judaica from the Israel Museum and an honorary prize at the Biennale in Monte Carlo.
Ya’akov Boussidan was born in Port Said, Egypt, a melting-pot of cultures and languages. As a child he emigrated with his parents to Israel and was educated in the framework of Youth Aliyah in Kibbutz Giv’at Chaim. Studied art under Prof. Joseph Schwarzmann, Rudi Lehmann and Hedwig Grossman, and went to England to further his studies at Goldsmith’s College, London, graduating with distinction.
Ramadan is the holiest month in the Islamic calendar where Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset. During Ramadan, Muslims aim to empathize with the poor by not eating during the day. The fast is broken each evening with an iftar meal shared with family and friends. Traditional Turkish iftar meals include dates, breads, dumplings and desserts. Ramadan culminates with Eid al-Fitr, where children go door-to-door receiving sweets. Ramadan is an important time for community, family, and connecting with neighbors in Istanbul.
Cambodia has won the World Tourism and Travel Awards coveted title as “World`s Best Tourist Destination” for the first time in a hotly-contested contest that saw the country pitch against former winners Greece, Italy, Spain, and France, as well as northern countries including the UK, Norway, Austria, Sweden and Switzerland.
European Journal of Tourism and Trade has created a special edition dedicated to 2017 World Tourism and Travel Awards and is proud to announce the 2017 winner for World's Leading Destination as KINGDOM OF CAMBODIA.
In this issue you will also have the chance to discover news about perfume industry and main creators like Jean Pierre Grivory and Dali Haute Parfumerie creations and to travel from Siem Reap to Phnom Penh and a cruise on the Mekong all crowned with a short visit to the Nature Preserve of Danube Delta.
Suggestive improvements in navigation systemDhawal Singhal
Have you ever faced problem when navigator gave wrong directions to you and you stuck somewhere? If yes, this presentation gives an idea how the navigator performance can be evaluated and made more efficient by the service providers.
Renewable energy comes from natural resources that regenerate over short timescales, like sunlight, wind, rain, tides, and geothermal heat. It is important because natural resources are declining with population growth. The document discusses various renewable resources like solar, wind, hydropower, biomass and nuclear power. It provides details on what they are, their advantages and how they are used to generate electricity or power mechanical processes. Renewable resources contributed 19% of global energy consumption and 22% of electricity generation in 2012-2013 according to REN21's report.
- The document discusses the career and accomplishments of an individual from 1973 to 2012. It outlines the positions they held and organizations they worked for over this period.
- It describes their roles leading several important organizations, making significant contributions in areas like education, healthcare, and economic development over many years.
- The summary highlights the individual's long and successful career serving the public across multiple sectors.
This document contains a cover letter and resume for Marilyn K Grage. She has over 13 years of experience in customer service roles, primarily as a cashier. Her objective is to obtain a position that utilizes her customer service skills. She has a history of reliability and productivity in roles at stores, medical facilities, and hotels.
This document discusses paintings by Iranian artist Gita Meh that explore the relationship between words, images, and faith. Meh's paintings combine calligraphy with representational figures to conflate the verbal and visual. The text analyzes how Meh's work comments on the prohibition against graven images in Islam by treating paintings as if they were words or speech. It describes Meh's style of lush contours inspired by Arabic script and the human form. Overall, the document examines how Meh's paintings blur distinctions between writing and painting to evoke ideas and amplify viewers' understanding of the world.
The document provides information about new restaurants, art exhibitions, and upcoming events in the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) area for the months of May and June 2010. Specifically, it summarizes the opening of Caramel Restaurant & Lounge, which brings a Las Vegas-style lounge concept to DIFC, as well as several art exhibitions showcasing works from the Middle East and South Asia on display around DIFC grounds. It also previews upcoming educational and cultural events like art talks and a charity art auction during this period.
This document provides a summary of media works by Michaelangelo Locatelli. It lists the titles of several short films, documentaries, and media projects he has worked on between 2018-2022. The titles suggest themes of love, family, spirituality, and social justice. Locatelli is dedicated to using media to spread messages of peace above war.
The 2015-2016 academic year marked a transition period for the Temple University American Marketing Association (TU-AMA) chapter as it entered its 35th year. Key accomplishments included scaling the chapter's consulting firm Cherry Consulting to involve more members and triple revenue. TU-AMA also hosted its first marketing internship and career reception with 10 employers and 96 student attendees. Throughout the year, TU-AMA focused on professional development for members through weekly speaker sessions, conferences, and joint events with other student groups.
Bullying has become a serious national problem, affecting about 1 in 3 students. While bullying used to consist of physical acts like hitting or pushing, today's technology allows bullying to also occur online, known as cyberbullying. Heavy exposure to media that glamorizes bullying can negatively impact viewers' perceptions of social reality. Many adults still view bullying as a normal part of childhood, but it has serious consequences for victims, including an increased risk of suicide. Despite growing awareness and efforts to address bullying, the rates of reported bullying have been increasing in some areas. To truly address the problem, society must work to stop tolerating and perpetuating bullying behaviors.
From Islamophobia to Mosquephobia How to Design a Mosque in the West?Ali Alraouf
This document summarizes a presentation on designing mosques in the West given by Ali A. Alraouf. It discusses the rise of Islamophobia and how this has led to mosquephobia, or fear of mosques. It examines case studies of innovative mosque designs that have helped overcome this fear by making mosques more open, transparent and engaging for communities. Key principles discussed include designing mosques as public community spaces rather than just ritual places, revisiting sacred geometry to promote spiritual contemplation, and creating openness to encourage visitation and understanding between religious groups. The goal is to transform community members into mosque advocates rather than promoters of mosquephobia.
Mosques are the heart of the Islamic life. They are used to perform the regular prayers, and they are used for events during Islam’s holiest month Ramadan. They are also used as centers for education and information.
https://carpetabudhabi.ae/mosque-carpets/
Phone : 0566009626, 056 777 2414, 050 678 7340
Email: info@carpetabudhabi.ae
The document provides information about Islam and Qatari culture. It discusses FANAR, the Qatar Islamic Cultural Centre, which aims to present Islam as a way of life to people globally. The centre uses the metaphor of a lighthouse to guide people to peace and comfort. The document then summarizes the key beliefs and pillars of Islam, including the oneness of God, belief in prophets including Muhammad, and the five pillars of faith: declaration of faith, prayer, obligatory charity, fasting, and pilgrimage to Mecca. It seeks to clear misconceptions and build bridges between communities through understanding Islam.
1) Cultural influences are reflected in architectural designs. For example, famous buildings in different civilizations, such as the Parthenon in Greece and the Egyptian pyramids, reflect key aspects of those cultures like the importance of democracy and an authoritarian rule, respectively.
2) Religion also influences architecture through sacred structures designed for worship and through principles that guide lifestyle. For example, the House of Wisdom library incorporated values of the Islamic Golden Age like education and cultural sharing.
3) A city's culture can also be shaped by its architecture when new designs are built for specific functions. For instance, the construction of casinos and hotels in Las Vegas transformed its culture from a small town into a major entertainment hub.
Renewable energy comes from natural resources that regenerate over short timescales, like sunlight, wind, rain, tides, and geothermal heat. It is important because natural resources are declining with population growth. The document discusses various renewable resources like solar, wind, hydropower, biomass and nuclear power. It provides details on what they are, their advantages and how they are used to generate electricity or power mechanical processes. Renewable resources contributed 19% of global energy consumption and 22% of electricity generation in 2012-2013 according to REN21's report.
- The document discusses the career and accomplishments of an individual from 1973 to 2012. It outlines the positions they held and organizations they worked for over this period.
- It describes their roles leading several important organizations, making significant contributions in areas like education, healthcare, and economic development over many years.
- The summary highlights the individual's long and successful career serving the public across multiple sectors.
This document contains a cover letter and resume for Marilyn K Grage. She has over 13 years of experience in customer service roles, primarily as a cashier. Her objective is to obtain a position that utilizes her customer service skills. She has a history of reliability and productivity in roles at stores, medical facilities, and hotels.
This document discusses paintings by Iranian artist Gita Meh that explore the relationship between words, images, and faith. Meh's paintings combine calligraphy with representational figures to conflate the verbal and visual. The text analyzes how Meh's work comments on the prohibition against graven images in Islam by treating paintings as if they were words or speech. It describes Meh's style of lush contours inspired by Arabic script and the human form. Overall, the document examines how Meh's paintings blur distinctions between writing and painting to evoke ideas and amplify viewers' understanding of the world.
The document provides information about new restaurants, art exhibitions, and upcoming events in the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) area for the months of May and June 2010. Specifically, it summarizes the opening of Caramel Restaurant & Lounge, which brings a Las Vegas-style lounge concept to DIFC, as well as several art exhibitions showcasing works from the Middle East and South Asia on display around DIFC grounds. It also previews upcoming educational and cultural events like art talks and a charity art auction during this period.
This document provides a summary of media works by Michaelangelo Locatelli. It lists the titles of several short films, documentaries, and media projects he has worked on between 2018-2022. The titles suggest themes of love, family, spirituality, and social justice. Locatelli is dedicated to using media to spread messages of peace above war.
The 2015-2016 academic year marked a transition period for the Temple University American Marketing Association (TU-AMA) chapter as it entered its 35th year. Key accomplishments included scaling the chapter's consulting firm Cherry Consulting to involve more members and triple revenue. TU-AMA also hosted its first marketing internship and career reception with 10 employers and 96 student attendees. Throughout the year, TU-AMA focused on professional development for members through weekly speaker sessions, conferences, and joint events with other student groups.
Bullying has become a serious national problem, affecting about 1 in 3 students. While bullying used to consist of physical acts like hitting or pushing, today's technology allows bullying to also occur online, known as cyberbullying. Heavy exposure to media that glamorizes bullying can negatively impact viewers' perceptions of social reality. Many adults still view bullying as a normal part of childhood, but it has serious consequences for victims, including an increased risk of suicide. Despite growing awareness and efforts to address bullying, the rates of reported bullying have been increasing in some areas. To truly address the problem, society must work to stop tolerating and perpetuating bullying behaviors.
From Islamophobia to Mosquephobia How to Design a Mosque in the West?Ali Alraouf
This document summarizes a presentation on designing mosques in the West given by Ali A. Alraouf. It discusses the rise of Islamophobia and how this has led to mosquephobia, or fear of mosques. It examines case studies of innovative mosque designs that have helped overcome this fear by making mosques more open, transparent and engaging for communities. Key principles discussed include designing mosques as public community spaces rather than just ritual places, revisiting sacred geometry to promote spiritual contemplation, and creating openness to encourage visitation and understanding between religious groups. The goal is to transform community members into mosque advocates rather than promoters of mosquephobia.
Mosques are the heart of the Islamic life. They are used to perform the regular prayers, and they are used for events during Islam’s holiest month Ramadan. They are also used as centers for education and information.
https://carpetabudhabi.ae/mosque-carpets/
Phone : 0566009626, 056 777 2414, 050 678 7340
Email: info@carpetabudhabi.ae
The document provides information about Islam and Qatari culture. It discusses FANAR, the Qatar Islamic Cultural Centre, which aims to present Islam as a way of life to people globally. The centre uses the metaphor of a lighthouse to guide people to peace and comfort. The document then summarizes the key beliefs and pillars of Islam, including the oneness of God, belief in prophets including Muhammad, and the five pillars of faith: declaration of faith, prayer, obligatory charity, fasting, and pilgrimage to Mecca. It seeks to clear misconceptions and build bridges between communities through understanding Islam.
1) Cultural influences are reflected in architectural designs. For example, famous buildings in different civilizations, such as the Parthenon in Greece and the Egyptian pyramids, reflect key aspects of those cultures like the importance of democracy and an authoritarian rule, respectively.
2) Religion also influences architecture through sacred structures designed for worship and through principles that guide lifestyle. For example, the House of Wisdom library incorporated values of the Islamic Golden Age like education and cultural sharing.
3) A city's culture can also be shaped by its architecture when new designs are built for specific functions. For instance, the construction of casinos and hotels in Las Vegas transformed its culture from a small town into a major entertainment hub.
From Islamophobia to Mosquephobia The Predicament of Urbanism, Multicultural...Ali Alraouf
Prof. Alraouf's Contribution in:
The First World Assembly of Islamic Cities 31 Aug–1 Sep, 2013. Iran.
From Islamophobia to Mosquephobia
The Predicament of Urbanism, Multiculturalism and Islam.
Ali A. Alraouf, Ph.D.
Prof. of Architecture and Urbanism
Head of Research and Development –QNMP, Qatar.
alialraouf@gmail.com
Mosques are the heart of the Islamic life. They are used to perform the regular prayers, and they are used for events during Islam’s holiest month Ramadan. They are also used as centers for education and information.
https://carpetabudhabi.ae/mosque-carpets/
Phone : 0566009626, 056 777 2414, 050 678 7340
Email: info@carpetabudhabi.ae
Impasto painting is a technique that has been embraced by artists for centuries, celebrated for its ability to infuse depth, texture, and emotion into a two-dimensional canvas. Derived from the Italian word “impastare,” which means “to paste” or “to mix,” impasto painting involves applying thick layers of paint to create a textured and three-dimensional effect. This technique has been employed by numerous famous artists, including Vincent van Gogh, who used it to convey his turbulent emotions and create some of his most iconic works.
prayer is the soul of Islam no one can become a complete Muslim without saying a prayer and following exact timetables of daily five time http://prayerintime.com/prayer-times-in-cairo-egypt/
Cairo, the vibrant capital of Egypt, is deeply rooted in its cultural and religious traditions. One significant aspect of daily life in Cairo is the observance of prayer times. As a predominantly Muslim city, the call to prayer, or Adhan, resounds from numerous mosques, marking five sacred moments throughout the day. The faithful pause from their daily activities to engage in Salah, the ritual prayer.
2. Sweet
City
In
the
name
of
God
who
created
the
sweet-‐taste
and
gave
it
life.
This
world
is
created
out
of
Love.
Made
out
of
sweetness
of
God.
Sweetness
is
the
way
home
to
Allah.
He
did
not
want
it
any
other
way.
The
inner
and
outer
space
is
a
sweet
taste
Allah
created
for
us.
TransliteraCon
from
Rumi
by:
Gita
Meh
Born
in
Tehran,
Iran
in
1963,
she
lives
and
works
in
Dubai,
UAE
In
1979
the
Islamic
RevoluCon
marked
for
me
the
beginning
of
a
new
avant-‐garde
forms
of
visual
expression
in
Iran.
It
was
in
1983
during
Iran
Iraq
war
that
my
parents
had
to
migrate
to
the
West,
where
I
conCnued
to
study
and
pursuit
art.
My
ongoing
body
of
work
deconstructs
my
Middle
Eastern
and
Western
cultures
as
I
reconstruct
and
reinforce
the
best
of
both
tradiCons.
My
work
promotes
mulCculturalism
by
using
visual
and
wriTen
languages
as
tools
to
form
a
space
of
human
interacCon
and
cultural
integraCon.
I
draw
from
my
personal
history
and
its
implicaCons
in
modern
Middle
Eastern
society
to
reconstruct
the
noCon
of
Islamic/Middle
Eastern
art
through
conceptual
art.
I
examine
how
idenCty
is
shaped
by
differences
in
language,
gender,
ethnicity
and
culture,
desire,
exile,
solitude
and
freedom.
I
allow
each
spectator
to
re-‐create
his
or
her
own
experience
of
my
created
cross-‐cultural
spaces.
My
art
adds
a
new
substance
to
mulCculturalism,
giving
advancement
to
the
nearing
of
cultural
differences
between
East
and
the
West.
My
work
introduces
a
dialog
that
criCques
the
human
form,
human
word
and
the
human
home.
My
art
speaks
about
distribuCons
of
cultures.
I
take
the
iniCaCve
using
my
cross-‐cultural
resources
to
achieve
a
broader
form
of
integraCon.
My
work
creates
visual
thinking.
I
understand
my
iniCal
impulse
to
form
and
word.
I
work
on
diverse
canvases
of
textural
material.
Female
bodies
transfigure
from
nude
to
veiled
into
Alphabeta.
Woman’s
removed
body
hair
becomes
surrounding
walls.
Onions
become
an
abundance
of
nourishing
breasts.
GliTer
is
brushed
as
if
paint.
Scanner
becomes
my
digital
camera.
Sugar
becomes
a
projecCon
screen
as
images
melt.
Hand
painted
fountain
Cles
become
architectural
facades.
Persian
carpets
become
my
white
canvas.
Painted
laptops
convert
to
flying
carpets.
Koranic
verse
becomes
running
horses.
Fresh
apples
become
painCngs
and
hang
from
the
ceiling
Cll
they
disintegrate
in
Cme.
I
fire
clay
homes
to
build
my
own
ciCes.
And
food
becomes
digesCble
art.
As
I
express
my
visual
vocabulary
in
a
desire
to
point
dot
by
dot
to
contemporary
Islam
and
the
wild
West
in
this
present.
3.
4. Sweet
City
200
cm
height
200
cm
width
124
cm
mosque
15. Gita
Meh:
Sweet
City
Sweet
City
is
a
sculpther
that
consists
of
a
main
building,
the
mosque,
where
Muslims
go
for
worship,
and
two
tall
high-‐rises,
where
people
reside.
The
towers
are
aTached
to
each
side
of
the
mosque,
in
place
of
the
minarets
from
which
the
muezzin
calls
the
people
to
prayer.
Sweet
City
is
made
of
nabat,
or
spun
rock
candy.
Nabat
to
Iranians
is
the
grape-‐like
bouquet
of
translucent
shapes
crystallized
around
a
twine,
having
the
look
and
feel
of
hard
candy.
Nabat
results
from
the
process
of
crystallizing
sugar
with
a
touch
of
saffron
used
for
flavoring,
perfuming
and
coloring
the
sugar
to
a
bright
orange-‐yellow
color.
Islam
is
constantly
in
a
process
of
modernizaCon
and
adapCon.
That
ability
to
adapt
and
update
is
embodied
in
the
evoluCon
of
Islamic
architecture.
Islam
changes
from
one
architecture
to
another,
but
does
not
change
from
one
God
to
another.
Sweet
City
is
the
study
of
the
source
of
“Sweet
God,”
Allah.
This
installaCon
depicts
how
Islam
is
even
now
in
the
rapid
process
of
modernizaCon,
and
how
this
process
progresses
towards
forming
and
meaning
the
sweetness
that
God
promises.
This
sculpther
represents
the
evoluCon
of
Islam
and
its
contemporary
ciCes
with
their
contrasCng
landscape
of
mosques
and
high-‐rises,
poinCng
ulCmately
to
the
ownership
of
land
not
by
people
but
by
God.
In
the
end,
the
mosque,
with
its
visual
and
religious
funcCon,
becomes
the
only
architectural
presence
that
inherently
disCnguishes
the
Islamic
city
and
its
lived
culture
from
Western
ciCes.
The
process
of
nabat
becomes
the
analyCcal
symbol
direcCng
us
even
beyond
the
Islamic
city,
toward
a
parCcular
aim
of
Islam.
Using
nabat
to
“build”
a
mosque
embodies
change
and
points
to
future
development
towards
the
promised
paradise
on
earth.
Nabat
in
this
context
is
the
visible
embodiment
of
evoluCon
according
to
Islam.
The
use
of
nabat
here
is
as
a
cultural
symbol
with
a
historical
foundaCon,
comprising
a
ritual
that
represents
the
Quranic
promise.
In
Sweet
City
you
see
inside
from
outside
and
outside
from
inside.
In
the
mosque
structure
the
two
minarets
have
become
two
high-‐rises.
The
structure
becomes
what
Muslim
ciCes
are
becoming:
contemporary.
The
minarets,
aher
all,
sCll
call
people
to
the
sweetness
Allah
has
planned
for
us,
even
as
they
take
on
the
look
and
funcCon
of
our
age.
People
go
home
to
rest
in
such
high-‐rises;
their
souls
go
to
the
mosque
to
rest.
Here,
both
resCng
places
are
envisioned
as
made
out
of
sugar
–
nabat
–
in
order
to
embody
the
sweetness
into
which
Allah
calls
us,
body
and
soul.
These
are
the
minarets
of
new
Islamic
civilizaCon.
At
the
heart
of
rapidly
modernizing
Muslim
ciCes
Sweet
City
finds
a
sweet
Islam
also
in
the
process
of
modernizaCon,
a
21st-‐century
Islam
bringing
together
the
sweetness
of
all
civilizaCons
from
West
to
East.
Dubai,
for
instance,
is
an
Islamic
meeCng
place
for
all
cultures,
where
Islam
sees
the
purpose
of
life
in
sweetness
of
acCon
towards
others
–
construcCve
Islam
constructed
in
search
of
the
sweetness
of
Islam.
UlCmately,
Sweet
City
is
the
next
step,
toward
heaven
itself,
where
life
and
God
become
one.
16.
17. CURATORIAL
STATEMENT
Peter
Frank:
Sweet
City
Sweet
City
is
a
sculpther
conceived
and
fabricated
by
Gita
Meh,
an
arCst
currently
living
in
Dubai
who
was
born
and
raised
in
Teheran
and
has
lived,
studied
and
worked
in
several
European
countries
and
the
United
States.
Meh
works
in
a
variety
of
media,
from
painCng
to
installaCon,
sculpther
to
poetry,
photography
to
performance;
in
her
aTempt
to
touch
all
aspects
of
sensaCon
and
intellect
in
her
viewers,
she
has
ohen
involved
herself
with
food
preparaCon
and
ritual,
thus
engaging
taste,
smell,
and
touch
as
well
as
sound
and
sight.
Sweet
City
follows
in
this
vein.
In
Sweet
City
Meh
draws
from
her
Muslim
heritage
to
envision
Islam
at
once
as
a
modern
–
modernized
and
modernizing
–
force
and
as
a
transcendent
enCty,
an
evoluCon
towards
a
goal
and
the
goal
itself.
By
fabricaCng
a
mosque
out
of
spun
sugar
–
the
nabat
prized
especially
by
Iranians
–
Meh
establishes
a
readily
comprehendable
metaphor
based
on
the
trope
of
spiritual
sweetness.
The
tacClity
as
well
as
aroma
of
the
nabat
are
immediate
and
unavoidable,
speaking
to
atavisCc
levels
of
our
awareness.
The
sculpture
is
more
than
a
mere
sculptural
object
or
spaCal
construcCon;
even
without
tasCng
it,
Sweet
City
is
a
sensual
experience.
By
replacing
the
mosque’s
tradiConal
minarets
with
residenCal
skyscrapers
of
the
kind
that
now
dot
so
many
large
ciCes
throughout
Islam,
Meh
establishes
another
easily
read,
but
this
Cme
not
easily
comprehended,
metaphor
–
one
that,
in
the
wake
of
post-‐modernist
cynicism
and
anC-‐modernist
retrenchment,
effecCvely
reclaims
the
teleological,
even
utopian,
drive
of
Modernism
for
Islam
(which
in
its
heyday
was
the
world’s
modernizing
force)
without
a
change
in
tenet.
(As
Meh
writes,
“Islam
changes
from
one
architecture
to
another,
but
does
not
change
from
one
God
to
another.”)
She
regards
the
vigorous
urbanizing
of
centers
such
as
Dubai
as
a
signal
that
Islam
is,
among
other
things,
a
contemporary
discourse,
a
context
for
improving
the
quality
of
daily
life
materially
as
well
as
spiritually.
UlCmately,
Meh’s
conflaCon
of
the
contemporary
and
the
Cmeless,
the
material
and
the
transcendent,
represents
the
conflaCon
of
the
material
and
the
spiritual
and
asserts
the
possibility
of
a
paradise
that
does
not
so
much
contrast
with
quoCdian
misery
as
grow
out
of
the
more
limited
but
sCll
sweet
pleasure
of
the
everyday.
The
present
is
not
enough,
Meh
infers,
but
through
both
devoCon
(the
mosque)
and
responsivity
to
ordinary
pleasures
(the
nabat)
the
path
to
paradise
can
be
discerned.
Each
of
the
high-‐rises
stands
at
2
meters
high
on
each
side
of
the
mosque.
The
mosque
structure
stands
at
1.24
meters
high,
has
an
arched
entranceway
cresCng
at
65cm
and
a
diameter
of
1
meters.