The 2023 Islamic Arts Biennale is taking place in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia and the contemporary design practice Studio Bound has debuted its thoughtful and minimalist installation called 'City as a Mosque.' The piece seeks to start a dialogue about the "formal and informal places of worship in the city of Makkah – also known as Mecca," making the argument that "all of Mecca can be considered a mosque." Research for this installation took Studio Bound eight years to complete. The piece features 14 sandstone slabs, each of which is a representation of a mosque in Makkah and "milled with a 1:1 scale pattern of a prayer carpet." A circular platform surrounds the stones for viewing purposes.
The Islamic Arts Biennale is running from January 23rd until April 23rd, 2023.
Image Credit: Ali Karimi
What's Driving This Trend
- Mosque-inspired Installations
- Art installations that draw inspiration from mosques and Islamic architecture.
- Minimalist Design
- Utilizing minimalist design elements to create installations that speak to larger cultural ideas and themes.
- Alternative Religious Spaces
- Examining the idea of alternative or non-traditional places of worship and what constitutes a sacred space.
Who This Affects Most
- Art & Design
- Opportunities for artists and designers to create thought-provoking pieces that explore cultural and religious themes through large installation works.
- Architectural Design
- Innovations in architectural design that draw inspiration from religious and cultural themes and challenge traditional notions of space and place.
- Religious Tourism
- Developing new forms of religious tourism that engage with cultural, artistic, and architectural experiences beyond traditional sites of worship.
