The Three Cultures Foundation continues with its Al-Andalus Chair and delves into religious architecture
In January 2021, the Three Cultures Foundation resumed its acclaimed Al-Andalus Chair with a series of six lectures dedicated to learning about and analysing the artistic production of Andalusia.
The fascination for Islamic art and, within this sphere, for the artistic production of Al-Andalus - despite having been subject, as is the case with other creative trends, to the ups and downs of fashion over the centuries - continues to be vigorously alive today.
Proof of this is the frequent organisation of monographic exhibitions focusing on the subject by the world's most prestigious cultural institutions. In recent years alone, we can cite the exhibitions 'Inspired by the East. How the Islamic world influenced Western art' at the British Museum; 'Palace & Mosque: Islamic Art from the Victoria and Albert Museum'; the permanent exhibition of Islamic art at the Louvre inaugurated in 2012 or the recent 'Metal Arts in Al-Andalus' at the National Archaeological Museum of Spain.
However, in our country, the knowledge and dissemination of studies on the artistic heritage of Al-Andalus and its transcendence has not had the impetus that our historical past would lead one to believe, with some areas being little explored and their study being limited in most cases to university academic institutions.
The series 'The Arts of Islamic Spain. Legacy, transcendence', aims to bring to a wide audience both the variety and richness of Andalusian heritage and its relevance over the centuries, as well as the latest discoveries and debates on the subject. The series is aimed at a general audience, as well as a more specialised public, in order to serve as an introduction to a little-known field or as a starting point for more in-depth study.
The third session of the series, entitled 'Religious Architecture', will take place on Thursday 25 March at 19:30. The conference will be given by Carmen González Gutiérrez, PhD in Archaeology and postdoctoral researcher at the University of Cordoba.
The lecture can be followed live at the headquarters of the Three Cultures Foundation, Facebook and YouTube profiles. To attend, prior registration is required through the website of the Foundation.
Those attending at least five sessions will receive a certificate from the Three Cultures of the Mediterranean Foundation, as well as a publication on Andalusian art. The series will take place between January and June 2021.
April: Decorative arts. Susana Gómez Martínez
May: Metal arts. Sergio Vidal Álvarez
June: Mudejar art and architecture. María Elena Díez Jorge
The aim of this project, created by the Fundación Tres Culturas del Mediterráneo in 2009, is to contribute to the dissemination of the history of Al-Andalus, its legacy and the impact of its socio-cultural, architectural and artistic heritage up to the present day. Cátedra Al-Andalus is articulated around a series of conferences, specialised talks and other cultural activities on a monthly basis. Beyond its undeniable contribution to medicine, agriculture or philosophy, Al-Andalus has given rise to an imaginary that has served as a reference or inspiration throughout the centuries, from 19th century romantic writers to 20th century Arab intellectuals, including historiographic production in contemporary Spain and literature of all periods.
The specialist Eric Calderwood has defined Al-Andalus as "a powerful conceptual tool that allows us to reflect on historical and cultural problems. For that reason, Al-Andalus has proved immensely productive for writers, scholars, artists and politicians around the world". It is perhaps for this reason that controversy over different aspects of Andalusian history and its significance continues to rage today, sometimes even splashed across the media, as historians continue to uncover new aspects of this vast and fascinating period in the history of Spain and Europe, which has had a global impact.
The Al-Andalus Chair aims to serve as a place for specialists, experts and the general public to meet, debate and reflect on everything related to this field of study and its repercussions up to contemporary times, presenting the most recent research, discoveries and controversies on the subject, through a rigorous and accessible approach. Myth, model, chimera, paradise... Al-Andalus and its multiple interpretations constitute an inexhaustible field of research, debate and discovery that the Three Cultures Foundation brings to the public through this Chair.