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278681
Thu, 03/21/2013 - 10:18
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https://www.oananews.org//node/278681
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Maraya Art Centre officially launches Maraya Art Park

Sharjah, March 21. 2013 (WAM) - Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, Chairperson of the Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq), yesterday inaugurated the Maraya Art Park - an initiative by the Maraya Art Centre - which will include a number of outstanding activities and artworks.
Maraya Art Park is a project that acts as a platform for regional and international outdoor art projects and will consist of a number of venues located at major focal points in Sharjah, including two sections at Al Majaz Waterfront. The first is the Sculpture Park, which was launched yesterday and which showcases projects from local and international artists, designers and architects, while the second is the Children's Art Park, which aims to introduce children to the world of art through sculptures, interactive games, and educational activities.
During the inauguration an outstanding interactive sculpture entitled The Hierarchy of Being, created by international, New York based Iraqi-American artist and NYU professor Wafaa Bilal, was revealed.
The Hierarchy of Being, curated by Sara Raza, explores visual culture through the lens of pioneering Islamic sciences and examines how these ideas have impacted current thinking. This mobile sculpture stands 5 meters tall and includes a dome with a diameter of 10.5 meters. It has 17 windows, 15 of which serve as a mechanical IRIS while the remaining two are pinholes which allow light to enter.
Propelled by the artist's longstanding interest into the work of two influential Iraqi scientists from the Golden Age of Islam, Ibn Al-Haytham and Al-Jazari, Bilal takes inspiration from their achievements into the study of optics and engineering. Re-appropriating these ideas within his own artistic practice, which exists at the cusp of photography, (re) Imaging and new media technologies, Bilal has created a sculpture based on Ibn Al-Haytham's discovery of the first camera and Al-Jazari's rotary methods to produce kinetic motion. The result is a memorable immersive experience that re-creates the function of a pinhole camera to create a camera obscura effect.
The unveiling of The Hierarchy of Being marks Bilal's first solo exhibition and public art installation in the UAE. Commenting on this milestone, the artist said: "My project at the Maraya Art Park is significant in both the regional and cultural context.
The Hierarchy of Being is ultimately a celebration of the achievements of two Arab Muslim scientists, Ibn Al-Haytham and Al-Jazari, who were both active during the peak of the Golden Age and this project synthesises their advances in the fields of optics and kinetic motion while bringing my own photographic and technological practice into the work." Working closely with a bespoke team of professionals, including Maraya Art Centre's Manager Giuseppe Moscatello and architects Alexander Turner and James Crawford in addition to Bilal's project curator Sara Raza, Maraya's London-based associate curator. Accompanying Bilal's project, Maraya's Art Park will host a series of open air events and public programmes in collaboration with local schools and universities in the UAE to explore the work of the artist and his influences. – Emirates News Agency, WAM