Jan 27

Jan 27 Alidade and Memory of Becoming

As I scrolled through a friend’s stories from the Islamic Arts Biennale in Jeddah, two works of art stopped me in my tracks: Alidade (2025) by Mehdi Moutashar and Arcangelo Sassolino’s installation, Memory of becoming.

Moutasha’s structure is one of those rare works that pulls you into its orbit, demanding contemplation, even through the lens of a smartphone screen. Alidade (2025) is an awe-inspiring walkable construction that draws inspiration from the universal astrolabe, an ancient instrument that translates the cosmos into a navigational tool for humans. While the astrolabe was originally conceived by the Greeks, it was the ingenuity of Islamic polymaths that refined it into a powerful device for traversing vast landscapes and seas—all while orienting travelers toward Makkah. Moutashar’s work reimagines this historical artifact, distilling its essence into a poetic exploration of space, time, and direction.

At 2.25 meters high and spanning an impressive 11.5 meters in diameter, the installation invites viewers to physically and metaphorically navigate its geometric forms. The folds, angles, and fragmented lines embedded within the piece echo the astrolabe's function: connecting the human experience to the celestial and the infinite. For Moutashar, the astrolabe becomes more than a tool; it is a philosophical compass, urging us to ponder our place within the universe. Moutashar’s artistic lineage—rooted in the geometrical abstraction of both Western modernism and Islamic aesthetics—makes him uniquely suited to this task. Born in Hilla, Iraq, in 1943, near the storied ruins of Babylon, Moutashar’s journey spans continents and artistic traditions. From Baghdad’s Academy of Fine Arts to Paris’s École Nationale des Beaux-Arts, his work has always navigated the confluence of tradition and innovation.

Invited by Muhannad Shono, Arcangelo Sassolino is the only Italian artist to create a site-specific work for the Islamic Arts Biennale. Shono and Sassolino met during 59th International Art Exhibition in Venice, where Shono represented Saudi Arabia Pavilion and Sassolino the Malta Pavilion. Sassolino has meticulously conceived this work to reflect the unique spirits of the Biennale, which seeks to explore and celebrate the intersections of art, culture, and spirituality. The use of industrial oil as a primary medium draws a direct connection to the region's profound history with oil while symbolizing the adaptability and enduring spirit of local culture, which has evolved and thrived over centuries. The rotating disk embodies the cyclical nature of time and existence, a central theme in Islamic philosophy and cosmology. Positioned within the sacred and reflective ambiance of the Biennale, this kinetic piece invites viewers to ponder life's transience and the ever-changing nature of our reality.

The Islamic Arts Biennale, organized by the Diriyah Biennale Foundation, serves as a fitting stage for Moutashar’s creation. Under the vision of H.H. Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan Al Saud, the Biennale aims to be a platform for cultural exchange, showcasing the richness of Islamic art and its contemporary evolution. This year’s edition features an expanded roster of works and institutions, offering a truly global perspective on Islamic art. Loans from institutions such as the Louvre, the Victoria and Albert Museum, and the Museum of Islamic Art in Doha underscore the Biennale’s stature as a cultural nexus.These works remind me that art, at its best, can orient us—toward beauty, history, and the boundless possibilities of human creativity. For those lucky enough to walk its pathways in Jeddah, I can only imagine the awe it must inspire.