THIS December, the Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia (IAMM) in Kuala Lumpur will have completed 10 solid years as a leading cultural beacon.
In fact, it is described “without question” as “one of the leading art institutions of South-East Asia”, according to Amin Jaffer, the international director of Asian art at the venerable Christie’s auction house, London. Jaffer curated an exhibition at the IAMM in 2007.
The Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia has a square, modernist look on the outside but is full of details reflecting Islamic culture inside.
“Its excellence is manifested at many levels, from its impressive building, its world-class conservation studios and library, the collection itself, and the quality of its display and interpretation,” he explains via e-mail.
“It has also developed an active profile as an educator and disseminator of knowledge at a local and international level.”
The IAMM has had an ambitious aim right from the start.
“We wanted to display the broadest selection of Islamic art,” says Syed Mohd Albukhary, the museum’s director.
The inventory of artefacts has quadrupled in the past 10 years, from 500 to almost 2,400 now.
While more conventional Islamic architecture would have domes protruding outside, at the IAMM they hover gracefully over the galleries Lucien de Guise says the inside.
But the process of building a collection has not been easy, he explains. Not only because of the limited number of genuine artefacts available but also because, as awareness grows, there is ever more intense competition for them.
“Different parts of the Islamic world are buying back their heritage. The Middle East in particular has seen a phenomenal growth of interest, which has been translated into spectacular new museums in the Gulf region, with more ambitious projects planned,” says Syed Mohd.
East Asian Islam
However, the IAMM has carved out its own niche.
Lucien de Guise
“Our geographical location has resulted in extra attention being given to works from Asia, especially the Malay world and China. It comes as a surprise to some visitors, who are more accustomed to seeing art from the Islamic heartlands (of the Middle East), to find works which show the true diversity of the Islamic world.”
Lucien de Guise, who began working at the museum as head of publications five years ago and who is now the curator, highlights the Chinese Muslim art here, including splendid Arabic calligraphy done almost like an Oriental watercolour.
“We already have a gallery dedicated to Islamic India and we are proud to show how important the Mughals were to the development of Islamic art. However, China’s Muslims are less well known. We have found that exposing their art has also helped all communities in Malaysia to see that Islam is not just about the Middle East.”
Apart from the three special galleries here dedicated to the Malay world, India and China, exhibits are also arranged thematically under: Quran and manuscripts, architecture, jewellery, textiles, arms and armour, coins and seals, metalwork, ceramics and woodwork.
Among the more than 2,000 artefacts the museum has is this gorgeous, gem-set 18th century Indian sword. – From ‘The Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia Vol II’
The breadth of artefacts range from sumptuously decorated books and miniature paintings to Turkish flintlock rifles, dazzling huqqah waterpipes and colour-splashed vases. And sometimes, the most exquisite surprises are in the “ordinary” household objects such as pen boxes and rosewater sprinklers.
Architectural awe
And then, there is the very location and building itself. Carved into a hillside in KL’s Lake Gardens and surrounded by lush greenery, the square, modernist building may not look very “Islamic” from the outside.
Once inside, however, one immediately appreciates how the generous glass panels allow a natural connection to be made with the wind-rustled trees and dappled sunlight outside.
The museum collects everyday items too – like this beautiful 12th century bronze Iranian oil lamp – in its efforts to preserve ancient Islamic culture. – From ‘The Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia Vol II’
And then, one comes to the famous “inverted domes”, created by Uzbek and Iranian craftsmen. While other more conventional Islamic architecture would have the domes protruding outside, at the IAMM they hover gracefully over the galleries.
Syed Mohd, who visualised the design, is proud that the building promotes a “feeling of airiness and space” with a “sense of serenity and harmony heightened by the inverted domes”.
De Guise adds, “Most of all, it’s the setting that makes the museum unique for me.
“No matter what time of day it is, you can feel the presence of nature as you wander around. Blue skies or grey, there is always the sense of being close to the elements, and the objects can look quite different according to the light. It’s a calming experience.”
Overseas overtures
Apart from the permanent collections, the IAMM has had an impressive array of special exhibitions over the years. A partial list includes:
·Zarabi, a stunning showcase of carpets from Kuwait (1999).
·The evolution of Islamic and European dressing (2000, with the Stibbert Museum of Florence).
·Exquisitely decorated Persian marriage certificates (2001, with the Iranian National Archives).
·Six Centuries of Islamic Art in China (2001).
·Tents of the Islamic World (2003, with the Hamburg Museum of Ethnography).
·Textiles of the Malay World (2003, with the National Museum, New Delhi).
·Gardens of the Islamic World (2003).
·Mightier Than the Sword: Arabic Calligraphy (2004, with the British Museum).
·The Message and the Monsoon, referring to how the monsoon brought Islam to South-East Asia (2005).
·Masterpieces of Persian Calligraphy (2006).
·Abrbandi: Ikats of Central Asia (2006).
·Spice Journeys (2007, looking at the link between the spice trade and Islam).
·Merdeka 50 (2007, featuring 67 artists’ views on Malaysia’s independence).
·Women in Islam (2008).
De Guise says that, in terms of visitor numbers, the top exhibition was that on Swords of the Prophet and his Companions (2002, featuring replica artefacts).
“Any exhibition that has a close association with the Prophet Muhammad is certain to draw huge crowds, and this one had queues down the street,” he recalls.
“A personal favourite of mine is Neither East Nor West (2007), a collaboration with the Victoria and Albert Museum in London (curated by Jaffer). It featured some atmospheric old photos and revealed much about attitudes to race and status a century ago,” he remembers.
(Neither East Nor West – The Lafayette Collection: Asia in the Age of Monochrome was reviewed in An era on the cusp, captured; Arts; StarMag; on April 1, 2007.)
Earlier this year, this writer wrote a story on the exhibition called Divine Inspiration: Seven Principles of Islamic Architecture (Divine architecture, Arts, StarMag, Jan 25), and saw first-hand how splendid flowery arabesques on wooden doors and magnificent muqarnas (geometric ceiling patterns) are said to resemble rhythmic, almost hypnotic, chanting, as an architectural example of the principle of Dhikr, the remembrance of God.
Syed Mohd recalls that the IAMM has sent exhibitions to museums as close as Singapore (the Asian Civilisations Museum) and as distant as Egypt (the Alexandria Library).
“In July, there will be an exhibition of our Central Asian ikat (woven cloth) at the Art Gallery of New South Wales in Sydney. It’s always exciting to see our collections being enjoyed by different audiences,” he says.
“Likewise, we have brought in material from the British Museum, the Victoria and Albert Museum and others. We will be staging an exhibition of the greatest collection of Mughal jewellery, which was assembled in Kuwait. These are stunning pieces – and we really hope there will be no anecdotes of disasters to relate about this exhibition!”
A stand-out feature of the Divine Inspiration exhibition were the “biomorphic” (life-like) technical drawings that deconstructed convoluted Islamic decorations into more basic elements of geometry, thus illustrating the underlying structural symmetry of Islamic art.
These drawings were done by Britain’s Prince’s School of Traditional Arts (PSTA), founded by none other than Prince Charles himself, who has a strong interest in Islamic arts.
The link between the IAMM and the PSTA is one that Syed Mohd is keen to highlight.
“We are always looking to the future. Important relationships that we have been building on include the PSTA. This is an exceptional organisation with aims that work neatly with ours.
“While we are committed to preserving the past, the PSTA artists ensure a future for Islamic and other traditional arts.”
Beyond exhibitions
Beneath the impressive end products, there’s lots of cultural infrastructure. Syed Mohd also points out the IAMM’s other lesser known highlights, namely the conservation centre and scholar’s library.
“Both of these have taken many years of planning, but the results have put our museum in a special category,” he says.
The library has over 10,000 books and manuscripts, including several rare and out-of-print editions, and serves the needs of researchers and scholars.
“This fits in with the plan to become a centre of learning,” notes Syed Mohd.
Haji Mohd Razali, deputy head of the museum’s conservation department, who has been working at the museum since 2000, recalls, “We got help from the Victoria and Albert Museum of London to set up our lab. We have lots of things to conserve; textiles, wood, ceramics and paper,” as he shows me how old manuscripts are first kept in plastic bags to deprive the insects inside of oxygen.
“We can’t simply spray chemicals as it might spoil this ancient paper,” he explains.
Syed Mohd underlines that training is important to the IAMM – and that “It has been very rewarding to see the staff fulfilling their potential”.
Marida Alias, assistant manager of the graphics and photography department, is another staff member who has grown up with the museum.
“I started 10 years ago as an ordinary graphic designer. It’s been an interesting journey, taking care of things ranging from the exhibits’ captions (or labels) and the galleries’ colour coordination right up to producing souvenir books and T-shirts for our museum shop.”
The IAMM also has an education department. Since 1999, some 300 people have graduated from a course not only about different kinds of Arabic calligraphy but also how to apply them onto ceramics and canvas.
And since 2003, there have been more fun-filled “Be Inspired” programmes, for instance, where younger visitors can learn how to create their own works based on the colour of Turkish Iznik tiles. Newer programmes explain Islam’s role in astronomy, as the museum has many relevant artefacts such as cosmic treatises and astrolabes.
And last but certainly not least is the museum’s Middle Eastern restaurant, which is marinated in sunlight and garnished with glittering glass.
“It gets really crowded during the fasting month here,” says De Guise.
It’s been a rewarding 10-year journey for the IAMM.
Jaffer of Christie’s comments, “It requires foresight and courage to start a museum from scratch. Over the past decade, the museum has developed a strong role within Malaysia as well as an international profile thanks to its exhibitions, its high-quality publications, and its lecture programme.
“Each year sees the museum grow in stature as it forms significant international partnerships and enhances its collection with strategic acquisitions.”
However, there is room for improvement. De Guise points out that visitor figures vary a lot.
“They can be several thousand a week or somewhat less during a season like Ramadhan. Public visibility would be a big help as only a small section of the community is aware of the museum. If this could change, the place would feel a bit more animated.”
Nevertheless, he adds that the mission of IAMM isn’t really to bring in huge numbers. “It’s more to help those who do visit to understand Islamic culture. It would be reassuring to have swarming crowds but the habit of going to museums isn’t fully ingrained in Malaysian life yet. We see plenty of tourists, although many are in this country for the natural wonders rather than the art.”
And Syed Mohd feels that his vision for the museum has still not been really fulfilled after 10 years.
“We need to acquire more artefacts. The museum has not been collecting for centuries, unlike some other institutions around the world, but we can try to catch up.”
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