Aga Khan Museum

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Aga Khan Museum
Musée Aga Khan
Aga Khan Museum 2022.jpg
Exterior view of the Aga Khan Museum
Toronto map.png
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Location of the museum in Toronto
EstablishedSeptember 18, 2014 (2014-09-18)
Location Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Coordinates 43°43′31″N79°19′56″W / 43.72528°N 79.33222°W / 43.72528; -79.33222
Type Muslim arts and culture
Collection size1,000
DirectorDr. Ulrike Al-Khamis
Public transit access BSicon BUS1.svg  100 
BSicon BUS1.svg  34C 
BSicon TRAM.svg TTC - Line 5.svg Aga Khan Park & Museum (opening TBD)
Website www.agakhanmuseum.org

The Aga Khan Museum is a museum of Islamic art located at 77 Wynford Drive in the North York district of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. [1] The museum is dedicated to Islamic art and objects, and it houses approximately 1,200 rare objects assembled by Shah Karim al-Husayni and Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan. As an initiative of the Aga Khan Trust for Culture, an agency of the Aga Khan Development Network, the museum is dedicated to sparking wonder, curiosity, and understanding of Muslim cultures and their connection with other cultures through the arts. In addition to the Permanent Collection, the Aga Khan Museum features several temporary exhibitions each year that respond to current scholarship, emerging themes, and new artistic developments. The Museum Collection and exhibitions are complemented by educational programs and performing arts events.

Contents

History

Development and construction

The Aga Khan Foundation purchased the Bata Shoes Head Office, in preparation for the museum's construction in 2002. Bata International Centre Toronto 1965-2004.jpg
The Aga Khan Foundation purchased the Bata Shoes Head Office, in preparation for the museum's construction in 2002.

For many years the Aga Khan, spiritual leader of Shia Ismaili Muslims, was planning to build a major museum for Islamic art and artifacts that aligned with the Ismaili community's mission to offer new perspectives into Islamic civilizations by weaving together cross-cultural threads throughout history. The location in Don Mills, Toronto, Canada, was confirmed in 2002, after protests blocked a $60-million [a] offer for a site on the River Thames across from the British Houses of Parliament. [2] The Aga Khan then chose Canada as a tribute to the country's pluralism. [3]

The Aga Khan bought the former Bata Shoes Head Office, a building that was adjacent to the Ismaili Centre, which was already under construction. Designed by modernist architect John B. Parkin, the building was demolished in 2007 after it was determined to be unsuitable for the museum. The new structure was designed by Pritzker Prize winner Fumihiko Maki. It also shares the 6.8-hectare space with public gardens created by Lebanese landscape architect Vladimir Djurovic.

The foundation-laying ceremony for the project was performed by Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper and the Aga Khan on May 28, 2010. [4]

European tour

While a permanent home was being built for the collection, selected items went on tour in Europe. Exhibitions took place at the following institutions:

The exhibits received wide international acclaim. [7] [15] The exhibit conveys both Dīn and Dunya , which can be translated as 'Spirit' and 'Life'—the religious and secular aspects of life which are inextricably linked in Muslim cultures. [8] The first exhibitions were organized in two parts: The Word of God consisting of sacred texts and related objects and The Power of the Sovereign reflecting Muslim courts and their figures. More recent exhibitions have been organized as The Word of God and The Route of the Travellers showing the geographic breadth of the Islamic world.

Opening

The museum's lobby in 2022. The museum building opened to the public in 2014. Aga Khan Museum Lobby 2022.jpg
The museum's lobby in 2022. The museum building opened to the public in 2014.

The Aga Khan Museum was open to the public on September 18, 2014. [16] Michael Brand served as the museum's first director and CEO, followed by Henry Kim from 2012 to 2020. Prince Amyn Aga Khan was appointed the new chairman of the board effective May 18, 2016. The role was previously held by his brother, the Aga Khan, who still maintains a close connection to the museum as the sole Member of the Organization.

In 2016, RGD InHouse Design presented the Award of Distinction to the Aga Khan Museum for the exhibition Home Ground: Contemporary Art from the Barjeel Art Foundation (July 25, 2015 – January 3, 2016). [17]

The director of collections and public programs, Dr. Ulrike Al-Khamis, began her appointment on September 1, 2017. Dr. Al-Khamis was appointed director and CEO in 2021. [18] In 2017, the Aga Khan Museum Shop also launched an online shopping platform. [19] Most items online and onsite were commissioned exclusively for the Aga Khan Museum. In many instances, the items—jewellery, books, clothing, artwork, and more—are connected to the Aga Khan Museum's temporary exhibitions as well as its Permanent Collection.

The Aga Khan Museum was recognized as one of the best museums in Toronto by Conde Nast Traveler in 2018. [20] In the same year, the Aga Khan Museum's exhibition, The World of the Fatimids, received a Global Fine Art Award in the Ancient Art (BC – 1200) category, and an honourable mention in the Global Humanity category for the 2017 exhibition, Skate Girls of Kabul. [21] In June 2018, Sri Lankan-born chef Shen Ousmand launched a new menu at the Aga Khan Museum's restaurant Diwan. [22] The McEwan Group, led by Chef Mark McEwan, has been at the helm of the museum's food services since 2016.

In 2024, Line 5 Eglinton, a new line that is part of the Toronto subway system will open an Aga Khan Park & Museum stop.

Architecture

Auditorium ceiling Aga Khan Museum Audiorium ceiling 2022.jpg
Auditorium ceiling

Designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Fumihiko Maki, the Aga Khan Museum shares a 6.8-hectare (17-acre) site with Toronto's Ismaili Centre, which was designed by Indian architect Charles Correa. The surrounding landscaped park was created by landscape architect Vladimir Djurovic and is a contemporary interpretation of the Islamic courtyard—the Charbaag.

The museum is home to galleries, exhibition spaces, classrooms, a reference library, auditorium and restaurant. It houses a permanent collection of over 1,000 objects including rare masterpieces of broad range of artistic styles and materials representing more than ten centuries of human history and geographic area.

Commissioned by the Aga Khan, the museum building and the spaces around were designed to be seen as a celebration and mysteries of light. The rectilinear building is oriented forty-five degrees to solar north where all its sides are exposed to the sun. The form has been chiseled to create a concaved angular profile that is also a natural expression of the two-level building. Clad in sandblasted white Brazilian granite, the surfaces of the building are set in motion in a constant interplay with the sun in light and deep shadows. The effect is similar to a sundial. [23]

The interior courtyard of the museum is surrounded by glass walls imprinted with a pattern reminiscent of traditional Islamic Jali screens. Aga Khan Museum Courtyard.jpg
The interior courtyard of the museum is surrounded by glass walls imprinted with a pattern reminiscent of traditional Islamic Jali screens.

Within the building, there's a fully glazed courtyard intended as a permanent peaceful sanctuary. The courtyard's glass walls are imprinted with a double-layered pattern that creates a three-dimensional effect recalling the traditional Islamic Jali screens. The light from the courtyard moves patterned shadows on the soffits, walls and floor of the grand cloister. Up above on the second level, four large openings overlook the public spaces through a cast zinc screen in the form of a contemporary Musharabiya, an Islamic bay window. Within the galleries, large aluminum paneled skylights perforated with small hexagonal openings emit soft natural light into the exhibition areas.

Collection

Works from the museum's collection are displayed in exhibits throughout the museum. Interior view - Aga Khan Museum - Toronto, Canada - DSC06599.jpg
Works from the museum's collection are displayed in exhibits throughout the museum.

The Aga Khan Museum is dedicated to the acquisition, preservation, display and interpretation of artifacts relating to the intellectual, cultural, artistic and religious traditions of Muslim communities, past and present. Artifacts include ceramics, metalwork, and paintings covering all periods of Islamic history. Manuscripts in the collection include the earliest known copy of Avicenna's Qanun fi'l-Tibb ("The Canon of Medicine") dated 1052. [8]

The museum will become a repository of historical materials related to the Ismaili community and house research programs related to each one of the aspects of its institutional mission. It will also provide a space for permanent exchanges between the Islamic and the Western worlds on educational, cultural and socio-economic issues.[ citation needed ]

The collection, which comprises some 1,000 objects, [24] includes several superb examples of Qur'an manuscripts that demonstrate the variety of script, media and decorative styles that evolved in the Muslim world. Among them, an eighth century North African folio demonstrates the earliest style of Kufic script written on parchment. A page from the well-known Blue Qur'an provides an example of gold kufic script on indigo-dyed parchment. The Blue Qur'an is considered one of the most extraordinary Qur'an manuscripts ever created; its origins are 9th-tenth century North African, and it was likely created for the Fatimid caliphs ruling from Qayrawan. [8]

Located on the main floor of the museum, the Bellerive Room displays a selection from the ceramics collection of the late Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan and Princess Catherine Aga Khan. [25] The room is a recreation of the "La Chambre Persane," or "Persian Salon," in their home, Château de Bellerive in Geneva, Switzerland, where part of the collection was originally on display. There are approximately 60 ceramic objects on view in the Bellerive room. They date from the early Islamic periods through to the 17th century. Their styles reflect the innovative technological and aesthetic contributions of Islamic potters through the ages, which were often in dialogue with influences from as far afield as China and Europe.

Selected temporary exhibitions

The exhibition titled 'Don't Ask Me Where I'm From' is in partnership with Fondazione Imago Mundi. [26] [27] The project channels the experiences of artists who are first, second, and third-generation immigrants–a growing body of people raised in a culture other than their parents–in a series of several works exploring cross-cultural artistic realities. [28]

The exhibition titled 'Sanctuary' showcases immigrants' experience using rugs as a medium to share narratives to demonstrate stories, histories, place, and purpose. The exhibition comprises the work of thirty-six artists from twenty-two countries creating rug designs. The designs were woven into the rugs by artisans in Lahore, using traditional techniques to create each piece of art. Artists of this exhibition include Ai Wei Wei. [29]

The exhibition titled ’50 Years of Migration' commemorates over 50 years of immigration of Shi’a Imami Ismaili Muslims to Canada, the people for which His Highness the Aga Khan serves as spiritual leader. The travelling exhibition integrates family photographs, first-hand accounts, historical documents, and personal interviews that "showcase the courage and resilience of the countless Ismaili Muslims who fled their homelands in search of refuge." With stories of Canadian Ismailis from Uganda, Afghanistan, Syria, Tajikistan, India, Pakistan and elsewhere, it is presented by the Aga Khan Council for Canada in collaboration with award-winning Canadian artist Aquil Virani.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sadruddin Aga Khan</span> UN High Commissioner for Refugees (1933–2003)

Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan was a French-born statesman and activist who served as United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees from 1966 to 1977, during which he reoriented the agency's focus beyond Europe and prepared it for an explosion of complex refugee issues. He was also a proponent of greater collaboration between non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and UN agencies. The Prince's interest in ecological issues led him to establish the Bellerive Foundation in the late 1970s, and he was a knowledgeable and respected collector of Islamic art.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aga Khan IV</span> 49th Imam of the Ismaili (born 1936)

Prince Karim Al-Husseini, known as the Aga Khan IV since the death of his grandfather in 1957, is the 49th and current imam of Nizari Isma'ilis. He has held the position of Imam and the title of Aga Khan since 11 July 1957 when, at the age of 20, he succeeded his grandfather, Aga Khan III. The Aga Khan claims direct lineal descent from the Islamic prophet Muhammad through Muhammad's cousin and son-in-law, Ali, who is considered an Imam by Nizari Isma'ilis, and Ali's wife Fatima, Muhammad's daughter from his first marriage. Aga Khan IV is also known by the religious title Mawlānā Hazar Imam by his Isma'ili followers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nizari Isma'ilism</span> Non-Twelver branch of Shia Islam

Nizari Isma'ilism are the largest segment of the Ismaili Muslims, who are the second-largest branch of Shia Islam after the Twelvers. Nizari teachings emphasize independent reasoning or ijtihad; pluralism—the acceptance of racial, ethnic, cultural and inter-religious differences; and social justice. Nizaris, along with Twelvers, adhere to the Jaʽfari school of jurisprudence. The Aga Khan, currently Aga Khan IV, is the spiritual leader and Imam of the Nizaris. The global seat of the Ismaili Imamate is in Lisbon, Portugal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aga Khan Award for Architecture</span> Architecture prize

The Aga Khan Award for Architecture (AKAA) is an architectural prize established by Aga Khan IV in 1977. It aims to identify and reward architectural concepts that successfully address the needs and aspirations of Muslim societies in the fields of contemporary design, social housing, community development and improvement, restoration, reuse and area conservation, as well as landscape design and improvement of the environment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jama'at Khana</span> Term used by some Muslim communities for a place of gathering

Jamatkhana or Jamat Khana is an amalgamation derived from the Arabic word jama‘a (gathering) and the Persian word khana. It is a term used by some Muslim communities around the world, particularly sufi ones, to a place of gathering. Among some communities of Muslims, the term is often used interchangeably with the Arabic word musallah. The Nizārī Ismā'īlī community uses the term Jama'at Khana to denote their places of worship.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Institute of Ismaili Studies</span> Research institute in London

The Institute of Ismaili Studies (IIS) is a research institute in London, United Kingdom. It aims to promote the study of Muslim cultures and societies, both historical and contemporary, in order to foster a greater understanding of their relationships with other societies and faiths. It also functions as a gathering point for the Ismaili community as it endeavors to understand its own history and thought, including the often neglected fields of esoteric Islam and Shi'ism.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Khoja</span> Nizari Ismaili Shia Islamic community in India

The Khoja are a caste of Muslims mainly members of the Nizari Ismaʿiliyyah sect of Islam with a minority of followers of Sunni Islam originating the western Indian subcontinent, and converted to Islam from Hinduism by the 14th century by the Persian pīr Saḍr-al-Dīn.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aga Khan Development Network</span> Network of development agencies founded by the Aga Khan

The Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) is a network of private, non-denominational development agencies founded by the Aga Khan, with the primary focus of improving the quality of life in different regions of Asia and Africa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sakıp Sabancı Museum</span> University museum of art, calligraphy and archaeology in Emirgan, Istanbul

The Sabancı University Sakıp Sabancı Museum is a private fine arts museum in Istanbul, Turkey, dedicated to calligraphic art, religious and state documents, as well as paintings of the Ottoman era. The museum was founded by Sakıp Sabancı, and was opened in June 2002. Aside from permanent exhibitions, the museum also hosts national and foreign temporary exhibitions and, hosts cultural events on the weekends.

The Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC) is an agency of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN), a family of institutions created by Aga Khan IV with distinct but complementary mandates to improve the welfare and prospects of people in the developing world, particularly in Asia and Africa. It focuses on the revitalization of communities in the Muslim world—physical, social, cultural, and economic. The AKTC was founded in 1988 and is registered in Geneva, Switzerland, as a private non-denominational philanthropic foundation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Delegation of the Ismaili Imamat, Ottawa</span>

The Delegation of the Ismaili Imamat in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada is representational office of the Ismaili Imamat in Canada and includes the headquarters of the Aga Khan Foundation Canada. It is located between the Embassy of Saudi Arabia and the Lester B. Pearson Building on Sussex Drive. It was opened in 2008.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Idris Khan</span> British artist (born 1978)

Idris Khan OBE is a British artist based in London.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ismaili Centre, Toronto</span> Mosque in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

The Ismaili Centre, Toronto is a Shia Ismaili Jama'at Khana and community centre, located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Completed in 2010, it is the sixth Ismaili Centre in the world. Situated in a park that it shares with the Aga Khan Museum adjacent to the Don Valley Parkway in North York, the Centre represents the permanent presence of the Ismaili Muslim community.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ismaili Centre, London</span> Religious and cultural center for Ismailis

The Ismaili Centre, London, is one of six Ismaili Centres worldwide. Established in South Kensington in 1979, it is a religious, social and cultural meeting place for the Ismaili Muslim community, the first so designed in the Western world.

In Nizari Isma'ili doctrine imamate is a concept which defines the political, religious and spiritual dimensions of authority concerning Islamic leadership over the nation of believers. The primary function of the Imamate is to establish an institution between an Imam who is present and living in the world and his following whereby each are granted rights and responsibilities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aga Khan Park</span> Public garden

The Aga Khan Park is a landscaped garden that covers the space between and around the Ismaili Centre and the Aga Khan Museum, located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, built by Aga Khan IV and formally inaugurated by Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne on 25 May 2015. The park is built on traditional Persian and Mughal style of architecture. The park was designed by the Beirut-based landscape architect Vladimir Djurovic. Prior to finalizing his designs, Djurovic visited multiple gardens around the world, such as the Tomb of Humayun in New Delhi, India. He settled down upon a more "what you feel and smell and hear" vibe in attempt to maintain harmony amongst spirit, art, and nature.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ismaili Centre, Vancouver</span> Ismaili center in British Columbia, Canada

The Ismaili Centre, Vancouver is an Ismaili Jama'at Khana, located in the Vancouver suburb of Burnaby, in British Columbia, Canada. Completed in 1985, it is one of six Ismaili Centres worldwide. and was the first purpose-built jamatkhana and Ismaili centre in North America. The centre has been the subject of sustained, dedicated academic analysis, and presented as a case study of modern Islamic architecture in the West.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barjeel Art Foundation</span> Organization and museum for Fine Art in the United Arab Emirates

Barjeel Art Foundation is a non-profit arts organisation based in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates. The foundation was established in 2010 by Emirati commentator Sultan Sooud Al Qassemi to manage and exhibit his personal art collection. There are over 1,000 pieces of modern and contemporary art in the foundation's art collection. The organisation primarily focuses on artwork produced by Arab artists worldwide and includes paintings, sculptures and installations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aquil Virani</span> Canadian artist

Aquil Virani is a Canadian artist, who was born in British Columbia and is currently based in Toronto. He is best known for his community-engaged art projects that explore social issues and often combine public participation and figurative portraiture. His work includes painting, graphic design, illustration, filmmaking, writing and participatory art events.

<i>This Being Human</i> Muslim art and culture podcast

This Being Human is an interview podcast hosted by Abdul-Rehman Malik that focuses on Muslim art and culture. The podcast was created by the Aga Khan Museum and produced by Antica Productions.

References

  1. ↑ "New Aga Khan Museum To Showcase Cultural Contributions of Muslim Civilisations". Artlyst. Retrieved August 20, 2014.
  2. ↑ "Aga Khan's museum thwarted by real-estate fight" . Retrieved April 24, 2020.
  3. ↑ "Aga Khan Museum will prove to be of historic significance: Siddiqui | The Star". thestar.com. Retrieved April 8, 2019.
  4. ↑ "Mawlana Hazar Imam is awarded Honorary Canadian Citizenship as he is joined by Prime Minister for Foundation Ceremony in Toronto". TheIsmaili.org. May 28, 2010. Archived from the original on June 1, 2010. Retrieved May 30, 2010.
  5. ↑ "Sacred Art and Music of the Muslim World in Parma, Italy" (Press release). Aga Khan Development Network. March 30, 2007. Archived from the original on April 19, 2007. Retrieved April 8, 2007.
  6. ↑ "Splendori a Corte". Archived from the original on May 24, 2007.
  7. 1 2 Renzetti, Elizabeth (July 11, 2007). "A stunning debut for Toronto-bound Treasures of Islam". The Globe and Mail. Archived from the original on August 24, 2007. Retrieved December 2, 2007.
  8. 1 2 3 4 Spirit & Life: Masterpieces of Islamic Art from the Aga Khan Museum Collection. Switzerland: The Aga Khan Trust for Culture. 2007. ISBN   978-2-940212-02-6.
  9. ↑ "Masterpieces of Islamic Art from the Aga Khan Museum". Louvre. Archived from the original on December 10, 2007. Retrieved December 2, 2007.
  10. ↑ "The Path of Princes: Masterpieces from the Aga Khan Museum Collection". Museu Calouste Gulbenkian. Archived from the original on March 19, 2008. Retrieved March 12, 2008.
  11. ↑ "Catorce siglos de arte islámico". masdearte.com. Retrieved March 31, 2010.
  12. ↑ "Treasures of the Aga Khan Museum, Masterpieces of Islamic Art Exhibition". Martin-Gropius-Bau. Archived from the original on February 18, 2010. Retrieved March 31, 2010.
  13. ↑ "Treasures of the Aga Khan Museum: Arts of the Book and Calligraphy". MSakıp Sabancı Museum. Archived from the original on January 23, 2011. Retrieved March 7, 2011.
  14. ↑ "Architecture in Islamic art: treasures of the collection of Aga Khan". The Hermitage. Archived from the original on May 14, 2011. Retrieved March 7, 2011.
  15. ↑ "Islamic treasures go on show in Italy". Middle East Online. March 24, 2007. Archived from the original on June 12, 2011. Retrieved December 2, 2007.
  16. ↑ "Aga Khan Museum to open Sept. 18". thestar.com. September 8, 2014. Retrieved May 9, 2021.
  17. ↑ "Award of Distinction: Aga Khan Museum – 'Home Ground' Contemporary Art from the Barjeel Art Foundation | RGD". www.rgd.ca. Retrieved April 17, 2019.
  18. ↑ CEO Announcement
  19. ↑ "Modern-Day Gifts from the Silk Route are a Click Away" (PDF).
  20. ↑ Ramani, Sandra. "10 Best Museums in Toronto". Condé Nast Traveler. Retrieved April 8, 2019.
  21. ↑ "2018 Award Winners and Honorable Mentions ‹ Global Fine Art Awards". Archived from the original on April 22, 2019. Retrieved April 8, 2019.
  22. ↑ Karamat, Amber (August 14, 2018). "Opinion | Aga Khan Museum welcomes Sri Lankan-born chef to Diwan Restaurant". Toronto.com. Retrieved April 8, 2019.
  23. ↑ "The Aga Khan Museum / Maki and Associates". ArchDaily. July 30, 2018. Retrieved April 8, 2019.
  24. ↑ Mehnaz Thawer (May 20, 2010). "Aga Khan Museum Collection reflects pluralism of the Muslim world and shared human heritage". TheIsmaili.org. Archived from the original on May 24, 2010. Retrieved May 24, 2010.
  25. ↑ "International Day of Islamic Art: Five must-see collections around the world". The National. Retrieved December 31, 2020.
  26. ↑ Janjuha-Jivraj, Shaheena. "Italian Billionaire Luciano Benetton And The Aga Khan Museum Partner To Create Cultural Dialogues". Forbes. Retrieved December 7, 2019.
  27. ↑ Fox, Angelica (March 2, 2020). "Aga Khan Museum exhibitions delve into human migration". Toronto.com. Retrieved March 3, 2020.
  28. ↑ "Aga Khan Museum celebrates the creativity and artistic contributions of newcomers with a season focused on stories of immigration". www.abc-7.com. Retrieved February 28, 2020.
  29. ↑ Janjuha-Jivraj, Shaheena. "Re-Imaging Art In The Pandemic – The Aga Khan Museum Provides Sanctuary Virtually". Forbes. Retrieved August 5, 2020.

Notes

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