Christiane Gruber The Nation of Islam, or NOI, was founded in 1930 as a politico-religious movement for Black empowerment in the United States. From 1960 onward, it intersected with other American liberation, Black Power, and civil rights movements under the auspices of Elijah Muhammad, who served as NOI leader from 1934 until his death in…
Tag: American Islamic Arts Topics
“Do-For-Self”: The Visual Culture of the Nation of Islam
“Do-For-Self”: The Visual Culture of the Nation of Islam Christiane Gruber Synopsis: The Nation of Islam (NOI) was founded in 1930 as a politico-religious movement for Black empowerment in the United States. During the 1960s and 70s, the NOI’s official newspaper, Muhammad Speaks (1960-75) included numerous essays, op-eds, and illustrations promoting the moral and salvific…
Saba Taj’s Interstellar Uber // Negotiations with God
Saba Taj’s Interstellar Uber // Negotiations with God: Queer Articulations in Contemporary Islamic Art Sascha Crasnow Synopsis: This talk introduces queer expressions in contemporary Islamic art through an analysis of Saba Taj’s multi-media kinetic sculpture Interstellar Uber // Negotiations with God. The work, which depicts al-Buraq, the human-headed steed upon which Muhammad rode during his…
Monumental Mosques in Latin America: Key Modern and Contemporary Case Studies
Monumental Mosques in Latin America: Key Modern and Contemporary Case Studies Caroline “Olivia” Wolf Synopsis: Although largely overlooked in the study of Islamic art, the architecture of purpose-built mosques and Islamic Cultural Centers in Latin America powerfully negotiate religious space and identity for diverse Muslim communities in predominantly Catholic countries. This presentation provides a brief…
George Floyd in Iran, Syria, and Afghanistan: Visual Commentaries in Islamic Lands
George Floyd in Iran, Syria, and Afghanistan: Visual Commentaries in Islamic Lands Christiane Gruber Synopsis: George Floyd was killed by an American police officer in May 2020. Although an individual who lived his own life, he became a larger visual metaphor and embodiment for discrimination and death that extended across the world, touching a nerve…