In the Islamic world, calligraphy is the main medium of visual aesthetic expression and is both\u00a0transcultural and transdisciplinary. It is transcultural, because the various calligraphic styles\u00a0have been influenced by different cultural contexts, although there is also a certain continuity,\u00a0especially as regards religious calligraphy. And it is transdisciplinary because it concerns not\u00a0only the strictly religious dimension, but also the visual arts and poetry. In this workshop,\u00a0addressed to Ca\u2019 Foscari students of Arabic and all visual arts enthusiasts, the Fondazione\u00a0Cini Centre for Comparative Studies of Civilisations and Spiritualities aims to explore the\u00a0complexity and beauty of Islamic calligraphy.<\/p>\n
Ida Zilio-Grandi (Ca\u2019 Foscari University) will\u00a0provide the historical and theoretical background to calligraphy in the Islamic world, linking\u00a0up theological and philological aspects. Andrea Brigaglia (Cape Town University) will discuss\u00a0calligraphy in Sub-Saharan Africa, especially in Nigeria, one of the richest but little known\u00a0historical and artistic contexts. For the occasion, the Fondazione Cini will commission a handwritten\u00a0Koran from the Nigerian calligrapher Ka\u2019ana Umar. The art of Nigerian calligraphy\u00a0has been the subject of violent attacks by the Boko Haram jihadist movement, responsible for\u00a0the deaths of thousands of innocent people. These victims have not only been the members of\u00a0non-Muslim religions but also of traditional Islam, such as religious leaders and the Sufi confraternities.
\nKa\u2019ana Umar had to flee to save his life, but he continues his work as a refugee in\u00a0exile. And, lastly, Aymon Kreil (Ghent University) will focus on his anthropological research\u00a0into calligraphy in contemporary Egypt.<\/p>\n
The workshop will be led by Sadik Haddari, a Moroccan artist, well-versed in classical forms\u00a0of calligraphy, but also capable of blending various styles, to produce writing verging on the\u00a0languages of figurative art. Sadik Haddari will explain the basic notions of calligraphy and help\u00a0members of the audience to try their own hand (sheets and ink will be provided). The event\u00a0will end with a performance by the artist.<\/p>\n