The Three Cultures Foundation's Chair al-Andalus continues with the series 'The Arts of Islamic Spain'

In January 2021, the Three Cultures Foundation resumes its acclaimed Cátedra al-Ándalus programme with a series of six lectures dedicated to learning about and analysing the artistic production of Al-Andalus.

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 fields, 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, current affairs' aims to bring the variety and richness of Andalusian heritage and its relevance over the centuries, as well as the latest discoveries and debates on the subject, to a wide audience. 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 a more in-depth study.

The May session of this special series will focus on the decorative arts and will be given by Susana Gómez Martínez, lecturer at the University of Évora and researcher at the Campo Arqueológico de Mértola.

The lecture can be followed live at the Three Cultures Foundation headquarters and on the Facebook profiles and YouTube channel. 

Those attending at least five sessions will receive a certificate of attendance from the Three Cultures Foundation of the Mediterranean, as well as a publication on Andalusian art.

The series takes place between the months of January and June 2021.

Calendar of sessions:

June: 'Mudéjar art and architecture'. María Elena Díez Jorge

About the Al-Andalus Chair 

The aim of this project, created by the Three Cultures Foundation of the Mediterranean 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 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 the romantic writers of the 19th century, to the Arab intellectuals of the early 20th century, through the historiographical production of contemporary Spain or the 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 Cátedra Al-Andalus 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 Tres Culturas brings to the public through this Chair.