Oman’s National Museum participates in ‘Al-madar’ exhibition in Saudi Arabia

The National Museum is participating with a number of archaeological artifacts in the ‘Al-madar’ exhibition, the first Biennial of Islamic Arts of its kind in the world, which is being held at the Hajj Terminal at the King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah from January 23 to April 23, with the participation of 12 institutions from all over the world.

The opening ceremony on Monday was patronaged by H H Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Mohammad bin Farhan al Saud, Minister of Culture and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Diriyah Biennale Foundation, with the participation of H H Sayyid Faisal bin Turki al Said, the Sultanate of Oman’s Ambassador accredited to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and its permanent representative to the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, and Jamal bin Hassan al Moosawi, Secretary-general of the National Museum.

Moosawi said, “This is the first participation of the National Museum in the sisterly Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, as the selected collections shed light on the concept of beauty in Oman, which remained faithful to the Islamic origins and the identity of the country alike, as it raises the value of authentic beauty. It celebrates purity, simplicity and avoidance of affectation.”

“The National Museum is honoured to celebrate the art of the Islamic world by participating in the ‘Al-madar’ exhibition, which is held in the first Biennale of what is known as Islamic art in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It is reflected in the selected works with their designs that appear simple at first glance, but reflect the experience of unity and interdependence, and highlight the importance of contemplation and attention to the smallest details,” he added.

Aya al Bakri, CEO of the Diriyah Biennial Foundation, said, “This event, the first of its kind, aims to highlight and enrich Islamic cultural heritage throughout the ages. It was achieved by the first Biennale of Contemporary Art in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which concluded in 2022.

“Our mission at the Diriyah Biennale Foundation is to enrich the cultural and artistic exchange between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, as it is a center for the Islamic world, and artistic communities around the world, and to celebrate the many facets of the arts, so we are very happy to seize the opportunity to introduce the world to Islamic arts through the works of Ashraf It has a group of pioneers of the artistic community in the Kingdom, as well as cooperation with a number of distinguished success partners from around the world to create an upscale dialogue based on cooperation and cultural exchange between Saudi Arabia and the countries of the world in light of a thriving and diverse artistic climate,” she added.

The corner of the National Museum at the Biennale includes a selection of archaeological artifacts that embody the duality of harmony and contrast in the manifestations of Omani culture, which reflects a wonderful balance between simplicity and decoration.

One section includes samples of utensils from the archaeological site of ‘Hamasa’ in Buraimi governorate, in black and white colours, dating back to the 9th century, carved stone tablet from Al Hijrah mosque, which dates back to the Yarubi Dynasty and is nearly four centuries old, and a tomb stone from the Dhofar governorate dating back to 1696-1697.

Throughout Oman’s various regions, Arabic script was artistically unconfined by established calligraphic traditions. The calligrapher or engraver focused instead on understanding the nature of the material used, whether parchment, metal, stone, or wood. Calligraphic conventions were viewed as of particular significance, the importance rather being placed on filling, or creating, empty spaces, through which process information or beauty was reflected. In the objects presented here, the beauty in the void is expressed through the emptying of the pen box’s inkwell onto blank pages, creating a Qur’anic manuscript.