Exhibitions
Index / Activities / Exhibitions / Kitab al-Filaha (The Book of Agriculture) and the Alpujarras, by Tariq Dajani
Kitab al-Filaha (The Book of Agriculture) and the Alpujarras, by Tariq Dajani
From June 19, 2019 until October 18, 2019Mondays through Fridays, 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and from 4:30 to 8:00 p.m. Summer schedule (From July 1 through September 13): From 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Closed on weekends and holidays.
CORDOBA
Closed on Sundays, Saturdays, and from 1 to august 31
Casa Árabe exhibition hall number 2 (at Calle Samuel de los Santos Gener, 9).
Mondays through Fridays, 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and from 4:30 to 8:00 p.m. Summer schedule (From July 1 through September 13): From 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Closed on weekends and holidays.
Free entry until the event’s capacity is reached.
Casa Árabe is exhibiting a series of photo engravings, along with two
hand-bound books, all works by artist Tariq Dajani, in Cordoba.
The project combines a variety of subjects and was initially inspired by a trip for personal discovery and exploration in the Alpujarra Mountains of Granada, where Dajani lived from 2012 to 2016.
The Muslim civilization of Al-Andalus, which lasted for more than half a millennium, is known for its wonderful monuments and scholarly works in science, medicine and philosophy, but it is less known for its achievements in agriculture and livestock farming, which are the basis of food production and sustainability in any society. Dajani’s interest led him to discover that the Muslims had compiled several books on these subjects. The most famous of these was the Kitab al-Filaha (The Book of Agriculture), which consisted of more than a thousand pages of text and drawings, and became the most thorough treatise on the topic in its era. It was also translated into Spanish.
Dajani felt obligated to explore this subject from a visual perspective, through photographs, and not based solely on documentary sources, with an artistic interpretation that would let the imagination and feelings run free. He was attracted to the idea of creating abstract images, still-lifes and changing landscapes. The still-life paintings by Spanish masters (Cotán, Velázquez, Zurbarán and Goya), with their staged presentation of objects, their use of shadows and light, and relatively simple compositions, inspired his photographic approach, along with the landscape photography of José Ortiz-Echagüe.
The prints we can see in the exhibition were produced in the form of photo engravings. The images, along with the additional materials, including an essay, an abstract history and some of the original citations in Arabic written in the ancient Arabic style of the times, were combined into two hand-bound books, to create a limited edition in in English and Spanish.
Exhibition information sheet
Tariq Dajani
Born in England, Dajani grew up in both the Middle East and Europe, which helped him gain an understanding of and appreciation for different cultures and traditions. His passion for creative expression led him to a career in photography. He worked in London, Stockholm and Dubai, where he formed a distinctive style filled with truth and emotion. His work is contemporary, yet he is a purist at heart, who shows intellectual depth and classical realism. He has held many exhibitions in Europe and the Middle East, and has had two books published to date. Tariq Dajani currently resides in Galicia, Spain.
The Muslim civilization of Al-Andalus, which lasted for more than half a millennium, is known for its wonderful monuments and scholarly works in science, medicine and philosophy, but it is less known for its achievements in agriculture and livestock farming, which are the basis of food production and sustainability in any society. Dajani’s interest led him to discover that the Muslims had compiled several books on these subjects. The most famous of these was the Kitab al-Filaha (The Book of Agriculture), which consisted of more than a thousand pages of text and drawings, and became the most thorough treatise on the topic in its era. It was also translated into Spanish.
Dajani felt obligated to explore this subject from a visual perspective, through photographs, and not based solely on documentary sources, with an artistic interpretation that would let the imagination and feelings run free. He was attracted to the idea of creating abstract images, still-lifes and changing landscapes. The still-life paintings by Spanish masters (Cotán, Velázquez, Zurbarán and Goya), with their staged presentation of objects, their use of shadows and light, and relatively simple compositions, inspired his photographic approach, along with the landscape photography of José Ortiz-Echagüe.
The prints we can see in the exhibition were produced in the form of photo engravings. The images, along with the additional materials, including an essay, an abstract history and some of the original citations in Arabic written in the ancient Arabic style of the times, were combined into two hand-bound books, to create a limited edition in in English and Spanish.
As part of the exhibition’s opening event, to be held on June 19 at 7:30 p.m., we will be holding a talk given by the author, at which he will speak to us about his creative process, and about the Kitab al-Filaha,compiled in the twelfth century by Ibn al-’Awwam, who was from Seville. The conference will be given in English, with simultaneous translation
Exhibition information sheet
Tariq Dajani
Born in England, Dajani grew up in both the Middle East and Europe, which helped him gain an understanding of and appreciation for different cultures and traditions. His passion for creative expression led him to a career in photography. He worked in London, Stockholm and Dubai, where he formed a distinctive style filled with truth and emotion. His work is contemporary, yet he is a purist at heart, who shows intellectual depth and classical realism. He has held many exhibitions in Europe and the Middle East, and has had two books published to date. Tariq Dajani currently resides in Galicia, Spain.
