Thursday October 4, 2012 7pm
Gallery / Exhibit
artgallery@acadiau.ca
(902) 585-1373
Come and join us for the Opening Reception and Curatorial Talk by Natalia Nekrassova in conjunction with the exhibit Portable Mosques: The Sacred Space of the Prayer Rug. The event takes place at the Acadia University Art Gallery at 7:00 pm.
Portable Mosques: The Sacred Space of the Prayer Rug
curated by Natalia Nekrassova
October 4 - November 29, 2012
An important element of worship within the Islamic world, the prayer rug is a powerful expression of world view, integrating local aesthetics and materials as well as textile practices shared across centuries and generations of weavers. Drawing on the Textile Museum of Canada’s significant collection of carpets and rugs, Portable Mosques: The Sacred Space of the Prayer Rug features 30 prayer rugs created during the early 19th and early 20th centuries.
As part of daily life within Muslim cultures, the prayer rug is used several times a day, offering a clean and sanctified space in both material and representational form. Each has intricate and powerful symbolic meaning, enacting a transcendent space isolated from the profane world in which to concentrate in prayer. Connecting the individual to the realm of the sacred, the prayer rug’s design embodies architectural details – niches and arches that represent directional points to orient the worshipper towards Mecca. Through this symbolism, the prayer rug functions in effect as a portable mosque, fusing personal with collective experiences as well as physical and sacred spaces.
The exhibition is organized and circulated by the Textile Museum of Canada. Presented with support from Citizenship & Immigration Canada.
artgallery@acadiau.ca
(902) 585-1373
Come and join us for the Opening Reception and Curatorial Talk by Natalia Nekrassova in conjunction with the exhibit Portable Mosques: The Sacred Space of the Prayer Rug. The event takes place at the Acadia University Art Gallery at 7:00 pm.
Portable Mosques: The Sacred Space of the Prayer Rug
curated by Natalia Nekrassova
October 4 - November 29, 2012
An important element of worship within the Islamic world, the prayer rug is a powerful expression of world view, integrating local aesthetics and materials as well as textile practices shared across centuries and generations of weavers. Drawing on the Textile Museum of Canada’s significant collection of carpets and rugs, Portable Mosques: The Sacred Space of the Prayer Rug features 30 prayer rugs created during the early 19th and early 20th centuries.
As part of daily life within Muslim cultures, the prayer rug is used several times a day, offering a clean and sanctified space in both material and representational form. Each has intricate and powerful symbolic meaning, enacting a transcendent space isolated from the profane world in which to concentrate in prayer. Connecting the individual to the realm of the sacred, the prayer rug’s design embodies architectural details – niches and arches that represent directional points to orient the worshipper towards Mecca. Through this symbolism, the prayer rug functions in effect as a portable mosque, fusing personal with collective experiences as well as physical and sacred spaces.
The exhibition is organized and circulated by the Textile Museum of Canada. Presented with support from Citizenship & Immigration Canada.
Pricing & Tickets
Pricing: Free
10 Highland Avenue
Wolfville, Nova Scotia
artgallery@acadiau.ca
902-585-1373
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