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Encounters with Islamic Art LECTURE SERIES AND POSTGRADUATE DIPLOMA IN COLLECTING, COMMUNICATION & DISPLAY A year-long programme of lectures, visits and workshops
organised by IESA UK (the Institut d’Études Superieures des Arts) in partnership with Leighton House Museum and Nour Festival
www.iesa.edu/islamic islamic@iesa.edu
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CONTENTS
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ENCOUNTERS WITH ISLAMIC ART. LECTURE SERIES
Programme at a glance 3Presentation 3Course description and structure 3 Semester 1. The Aesthetics and Display of Islamic Art 4 Semester 2. The Collecting of Islamic Art in the West 5 Semester 3. Contemporary Art and its Markets 5Optional Study Trip 6Faculty 7Partner 7
POSTGRADUATE DIPLOMA/TITRE 1 IN COLLECTING, COMMUNICATION AND DISPLAY OF THE ARTS OF THE ISLAMIC WORLD
Programme at a glance 8Aims 8Course description 9 Postgraduate Diploma 9 Professional Masters/Tittre 1 9Course structure 9 Term 1. The Aesthetics and Display of Islamic Art 10 Term 2. The Collecting of Islamic Art in the West 10 Term 3. Contemporary Art and its Markets 11Assessment 11Credits and qualifications 11Application 11About IESA 12Locations 12Contact 12
Presentation
Intended for anyone with an interest in
the Arts of the Islamic world, this pro-
gramme explores the inter-relationships
between East and West from different
perspectives.
Our aim is to offer a new approach to
the understanding, appreciation and
communication of Islamic art and cul-
ture. Going beyond traditional historic
surveys, we concentrate on its underly-
ing appeal and significance through
the eyes of the collector.
Three different but complementary ap-
proaches underlie our course pro-
gramme.
LECTURE SERIES
ENCOUNTERS WITH ISLAMIC ART
Programme at a glance:• Accreditation: for pleasure • Location: London (UK)• Duration: September to June• Entry: September, January or April• Places: limited to 25 studentsudents per classWWW.IESA.EDU
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The first series of lectures concentrates
on the aesthetic qualities that charac-
terise the arts of the Islamic world, set-
ting the works of art in their cultural
context; the second traces the appeal of
the art from the Mediterranean to Euro-
pean collectors and explores the ex-
changes between East and West; finally,
the third semester is devoted to contem-
porary art in the MENA region and its
markets.
Course description and structure
The programme is presented in three
semesters over a course of one year,
from September to June. Taught over 12
weeks on Monday evenings from 6 to
8.30pm, each course consists of twenty-
two lectures, plus a one-day excursion.
Each course can be taken separately.
It is also possible to take the year-long
programme for credit at postgraduate
level. 3
SEMESTER 1 THE AESTHETICS & DISPLAY OF THE ARTS OF THE ISLAMIC WORLDThe first strand explores the aesthetics of
Islamic art, starting with the main char-
acteristics of Islamic art, namely calligra-
phy, ornament and figural representa-
tion. By using case studies from art from
different periods and areas of the Islamic
world, lectures can provide focussed
analysis of specific works of art and bring
a greater understanding to what is inte-
gral to the works and how interpretations
can differ. Our approach is not chrono-
logical but rather focusses on the essen-
tial make-up of works of art produced in
the different areas of the Middle East and
other countries of the Islamic world.
Classes begin with an introduction to un-
derstanding the aesthetics of Islamic art,
placing it in its general cultural and so-
cial context. You will then examine how
these principles are modified and adapt-
ed to the varying demands of the differ-
ent political regimes, historical changes
ENCOUNTERS WITH ISLAMIC ART
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and social, economic conditions of the
Middle East. Succeeding lectures take
key principles of Islamic art, calligraphy
and ornament applying them to archi-
tecture, ceramics, glass and metalwork,
and textiles; talks on figurative repre-
sentation in the Islamic world, Persian
and Moghul painting concentrate on
the representation of figures and space,
firstly in relation to the art of the book
and then to portrait painting in the Mid-
dle East.
The final two sessions of the course in-
troduce the relationship between the
arts of the Middle East and Europe; the
link between traditional values of Islam-
ic art and contemporary art of the re-
gion.
Lectures are complemented by an all
day visit in the 6th week to the Ash-
molean Museum to explore the display
and collections of the new galleries.
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SEMESTER 2: THE COLLECTING OF ISLAMIC ART IN THE WESTThe second strand focuses on European
encounters with the Middle East and the
history of collecting of Islamic art in the
West, starting with the Middle Ages and
continuing through to the end of the 19th
century.
The rich tradition of artistic and scientific
exchanges in early Modern Europe had a
profound effect on European thought and
taste. Collecting formed part of the way
in which Europeans attempted to put this
knowledge into tangible form. By the
eighteenth century, there was less interest
in collecting authentic Eastern object and
more into creating European fantasies of
the exotic. In reaction to this, during the
nineteenth century the Middle East be-
came a destination for artists and writers
trying to find alternative and more ro-
mantic subjects. French conquests in
North Africa opened up new countries
and the English and Germans followed
ENCOUNTERS WITH ISLAMIC ART
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soon after. The final sessions thus con-
centrate on the nineteenth century,
when European artists and architects
ploughed North Africa and the Middle
East for inspiration and collectors ac-
quired important carpets, glass, ceram-
ics and metalwork both privately and in
Western museums.
SEMESTER 3: CONTEMPORARY ART AND ITS MARKETS The final strand covers Contemporary
Art in the MENA, its markets, geography
and distribution. This module focuses on
the modern history of intricate cultural
interconnections between the East and
the West, the emergence of the contem-
porary art scene, and the renaissance
of art patronage in these vast and any-
thing but homogenous regions.
The strand will explore the explosion of
the art market centred mainly around
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Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha, tracing the
historical development, and mapping the
current state of the art scene, with its tra-
ditional centres like Cairo and Beirut and
the recent additions mentioned above.
Further topic is the rise of new collectors,
active both locally and internationally,
and the way these collectors have
changed the outlook of the art market
globally.
Equally, students will learn about the
surge of Western interest towards modern
and contemporary art in the MENA in the
recent decade, and the implications that
this interest has induced. What are col-
lecting and exhibiting practices of the
major museums and institutions, as well
as private organisations in the West, and
what do these initiatives signal within the
broader cultural and socio-political
realms, are all subjects to be discussed.
The course will also present the variety of
practices by Arab and Iranian artists fo-
ciusing on the geo-political contexts of
ENCOUNTERS WITH ISLAMIC ART
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their production, the expectations im-
posed by the Western institutions, cura-
tors, scholars and audience, and the ar-
tistic response to those expectations.
Final topic is the rise of new ambitious
projects, such as Saadiyat Island, the
museums in Doha, and numerous other
private and state initiatives, and what
do these inittiatives signify for the local
audiences on one hand, and on the oth-
er, what role do they play within the
globalised art world today.
OPTIONAL STUDY TRIPIn addition to the main programme, you
have an opportunity to take part in a
week-long study trip to Dubai and Doha
in March to coincide with Art Dubai, a
leading art fair in the Middle East, Glob-
al Art Forum, and other events taking
place alongside Dubai Art Week.
(Please note, the price of the trip is not inlcuded in the
course fees)
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FacultyThe lectures are given by a range of ex-
perts in Islamic art and culture and Con-
temporary Art of the MENA region, art his-
t o r i a n s , m u s e u m c u r a t o r s a n d
professionals in the art world working in
collaboration with IESA’s tutorial staff. The
programme course is under the direction
of Adriana Turpin, Academic director of
IESA /University of Warwick MA pro-
grammes in History of Collecting and
Contemporary Art Market.
The course tutors inlcude: Dr Rebecca
Bridgman (Curator at Birmingham Muse-
ums), Dr Anthony Downey (Programme
Director of the MA in Contemporary Art at
Sotheby’s Institute, editor of Ibraaz), Ed-
ward Gibbs (Head of Middle East and In-
dia department at Sotheby’s), Dr Valerie
Gonzalez (author of ‘Beauty and Islam:
Aesthetics in Islamic Art and Architec-
ture’), Rose Issa (curator, writer and pro-
ducer), Vali Mahlouji (independent cura-
tor), Nat Muller (independent curator &
ENCOUNTERS WITH ISLAMIC ART
Image copyright © Leighton House Museum
critic), Venetia Porter (Curator at the Brit-
ish Museum), Janet Rady (Contemporary
Middle Eastern Art specialist), Daniel
Robbins (Senior Curator at Leighton
House Museum), Stephen Stapleton (art-
ist, founder of Edge of Arabia), Mer-
cedes Volait (Institut national d’histoire
de l’art (INHA), and others.
PartnerLeighton House Now a museum in Kens-
ington, the house was built to Leighton’s
precise requirements, who turned it into
a ‘private palace of art’. It features the
extraordinary Arab Hall with its golden
dome, intricate mosaics and walls lined
with beautiful Islamic tiles, as well as a
fascinating collection of paintings and
sculpture by Leighton and his contem-
poraries. Many of the most prominent
figures of the Victorian age were enter-
tained in this room; including Queen
Victoria herself who called on Leighton
in 1859.7
Aims
Taking the Encounters with the Arts of
the Islamic World as a foundation, our
programme develops students’ under-
standing of the issues involved in the col-
lecting and display of Islamic Art
through weekly workshops and museum
visits.
POSTGRADUATE DIPLOMA/PROFESSIONAL MASTERS (TITRE 1) IN THE COLLECTING, COMMUNICATION AND DISPLAY OF THE ARTS OF THE ISLAMIC WORLD
Programme at a glance:• Accreditation: Postgraduate Diploma (60 ECTS credits) or Professional Masters (Titre 1) offered by IESA and validated by the French Ministry of Education and Culture)• Location: London (UK)• Duration: September to May• Entry dates: September or January• Places: limited to 10 students per class
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Our course is aimed at students who
may already be working but who want
to learn more about this subject either
for their own interest or in order to de-
velop their careers. A core element of
both the postgraduate diploma and the
professional masters is the communica-
tion of Islamic art, through the display
of objects as well as through channels
of information, thus making it a suitable
training for anyone interested in work-
ing in either the commercial or museum
field. The programme is grounded on
the students’ independent study, devel-
oped through presentations in the
weekly workshops and discussions in
museum visits, leading to a final piece
of assessed research.
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Course descriptionFor those who wish to take the postgrad-uate diploma, the final assessed piece of
work is a 10,000-word dissertation on any
aspect of the course covered during the
year from the collecting of the arts of the
Islamic world to their display. The disser-
tation can thus take the student into are-
as of historical research or contemporary
museum and gallery exhibition display
and marketing.
The professional masters (Titre 1) is
aimed at students who have already had
some work experience and wish to devel-
op more specialised, practical knowl-
edge of exhibition display and manage-
ment; marketing and communication.
This is assessed by the creation of a pro-
fessional project, which is then written up
and examined.
The course can be taken part-time over
two years to allow students in work the
possibility of completing written assign-
ments and the final project over the sec-
ond year. Students who opt to take the
course part-time would participate in the
research seminars in the second year
COLLECTING, COMMUNICATION AND DISPLAY
and complete written assignments and
the dissertation of project during the
second year.
Course structure
Whether you take the postgraduate di-
ploma or the professional masters (a
French titre 1) you follow the same
course curriculum throughout the year.
This consists of 2 ½ hours of lectures on
Monday evenings followed by Saturday
morning studies, which take the form
classroom seminars alternating with
museum visits. The seminars cover art
historical topics for part of each semes-
ter and then take the form of more pro-
fessional workshops on communication
and display. Students are expected to
present their research and discuss spe-
cific questions and case studies at each
session.
Museum visits concentrate on the crea-
tion, history and display of specific
works of art. During these visits, you will
also consider the display of the museum
collection and how various forms of
communication are used to effect differ
different methods of viewing and appre-
ciating of the objects.
Both groups write two essays each se-
mester. At the end of the year, the post-
graduate diploma students complete a
10,000 word thesis while those taking the
professional masters complete and ef-
fect an independent project. To get the
titre one, you will also need to attend a
formal viva based on this project.
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Each semester students have tutorials on
methodology and the processes of re-
search and essay writing. Throughout the
year research workshops build up stu-
dents’ skills in effective means of setting
up, creating and putting a project into ef-
fect.
TERM ONE: THE AESTHETICIS & DISPLAY OF THE ARTS OF THE ISLAMIC WORLDSeminars and workshops led by the
course tutors support and develop the
theme of the semester by taking the ques-
tion of how communication about the
work of art is achieved, firstly by under-
standing the various meanings intrinsic
in any object and secondly, how to inter-
pret and communicate those meanings.
Issues raised in the lecture series are tak-
en further through case studies. Thus the
first workshops concentrate on specific is-
sues related to the aesthetic and cultural
values intrinsic to Islamic Art; they are fol-
lowed by sessions on different types of
display in museums historically and to-
day.
Museum visits held on alternate weeks to
the workshops take the students to exam-
ine the object in its display and to explore
the varying ways in which works of art in
museums are displayed. Sessions concen-
trate on such issues as labelling, back-
ground information, curatorial practice,
interpretation and engagement.
TERM TWO: THE COLLECTING OF ISLAMIC ART IN THE WESTThe focus of the second semester is on
COLLECTING, COMMUNICATION AND DISPLAY
methods of communication. Taught pri-
marily through workshops, sessions cov-
er the theoretical underpinnings of com-
munication strategies, from identifying
the demands of different audiences to
understanding the perception and re-
ception of works of art.
As this semester’s teaching concentrates
on issues of Western encounters with the
countries of the Mediteranean and the
Middle East, so the workshops raise is-
sues of interpretation within different
cultural backgrounds.
Theoretical approaches are then tested
against practice. Students learn how to
develop different strategies for muse-
ums, collections, temporary displays
and exhibitions. Attention is given to the
mounting of exhibitions and how to re-
late display to the needs of interpreta-
tion. Paralleling the study of collecting,
the object is now seen in the context of
the collection as a whole so that atten-
tion is given to the interpretation of the
entire body of the collection, museum or
exhibition.
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TERM THREE: CONTEMPORARY ART AND ITS MARKETSThe final semester concentrates on un-
derstanding contemporary art of the Is-
lamic worlds and new methods of com-
munication and marketing. The first
workshops consider the relationship be-
tween historic and contemporary art of
the Middle East, the historical and cultur-
al circumstances which have shaped
contemporary art in the region, and the
complications of terminology to be used
today.
Workshops on understanding audiences
and best practices in reaching out to
them are combined with further analysis
of the contemporary art world both in the
West and in the MENA region. Sessions
concentrate on bringing in and engag-
ing new audiences, the interpretation
and display of new forms of art, and
working with artists. Teaching thus main-
ly supports the research students are do-
ing for their dissertations and final pro-
jects.
AssessmentEach module is assessed through presen-
tations in workshops and museum visits.
COLLECTING, COMMUNICATION AND DISPLAY
At the end of each semester students are
expected to submit a 5000-word essay.
From June students work on the final
dissertation or project, which is to be
submitted at the end of November
Credits and QualificationsStudents applying for the postgraduate
diploma must have completed three
years of undergraduate study and
achieved a 3.5 average.
Students applying for the Professional
Master (Titre 1) must have studied either
at postgraduate level for one year,
achieving the equivalent of a postgrad-
uate diploma or Master one or have 3
years of experience working.
ApplicationTo apply for the postgraduate study pro-
gramme, please return the application
form with the following documents to
Marie Cambefort
m.cambefort@iesa.edu:
• CV
• University Diploma or other qualifica-
tion
• University Transcript
• 2 letters of reference (one should be
academic)
Fees-Postgraduate Diploma/Titre one: £6,000
-Lecture serries: £2,400
Please note that in the fees are included
all the entry fees to museums and trans-
ports outside London.
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Locations in LondonInstitute of Historical Research
Senate House,
Malet St,
London WC1E 7HU
Leighton House Museum
12 Holland Park Road
London W14 8LZ
Contactiesa.edu/islamic
islamic@iesa.edu
About IESAIESA offers cutting-edge programmes in
Paris and London, forming knowledgea-
ble, well-rounded and open-minded
graduates with a finger on the pulse of
the art market.
Our two MA courses are set in two centres
of the art world - Paris and London. Vali-
dated by the University of Warwick, they
combine the study of art market practice
and study of art history, not be found in
any other single programme. Intensely
taught by an outstanding team of dedi-
cated teachers our students gain top aca-
demic and research skills, contacts and
experience in the art world.
Image copyright © IESA
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COLLECTING, COMMUNICATION AND DISPLAY
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