Ahmed Moustafa

Rome, Pontificia Universitas Gregoriana; Sarajevo, The National Gallery; Barcelona, Museu Diocesà, Where the Two Oceans Meet, 1997-1998

Condition: This work is in very good condition.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

inscription:

Qur'an, surah al-baqarah (II), verse 255 (ayat al-kursi)

"God – there is no deity save Him, the Ever-Living, the Self-subsistent Fount of All Being. Neither slumber overtakes Him, nor sleep. His is all that is in the heavens and that is on earth. Who is there that could intercede with Him, unless it be by His leave? He knows all that lies before men and all that is hidden from them, whereas they cannot attain to aught of His knowledge save that which He wills. His eternal power overspreads the heavens and the earth, and their upholding wearies Him not. And He alone is truly exalted, tremendous."

The above cited Qur'anic verse is the source of inspiration for this composition. The vision of absolute power and dominion to which the words give expression is as though condensed into the image of a giant black cube placed into the interior of another cube imbued with light. The text of the verse is displayed on the walls of the   luminous cube and figures in gold-lettered ribbons three times on the sides of the black cube.

The binary oppositions to which the text gives expression – heaven and earth, what is perceptible to man and what is hidden from him – are visually echoed by a series of binary oppositions within the composition, most notably the contrast between the alignment of the exterior and the interior cubes. Particularly striking in this respect is the sharp edge of the latter which divides the composition right down the middle. It faces the viewer head-on with such challenge that the entire black cube appears about to spring into motion in order to penetrate both heart and mind.

The words which straddle this crucial edge in threefold repetition are ma bayna aydihim, translated in the rendering cited above as 'all that lies before men'. The Arabic phrase, however, is an idiom which literally translated means 'that which is between their hands'. Seen in combination with this wording, the cutting edge of the cube comes to symbolise 'between-ness' as such - the dividing line which marks all dualities and oppositions and renders them, and with it the visible world as such, perceptible to man. Behind that edge are the four sides of the black cube which remain hidden from view, suggestive of an invisible expanse encompassed by the divine presence which – as the verse affirms – alone overcomes division.

Originally produced in oil and water colour, the composition was woven into a tapestry by the Pinton company of weavers which was founded in 1767. The best among the heirs of a tradition of high quality, with its unrivalled reputation, Pinton is and has been for quite some time the major tapestry-maker in Aubusson (in fact Felletin, its sister-town). Through the quality of its productions and through its connections with major artists it has played a leading role in the rebirth of modern tapestry. Notably, it was entrusted with the weaving of the largest tapestry in the world, designed by Graham Sutherland and commissioned for the Cathedral of Coventry. Several of Ahmed Moustafa's compositions were woven into tapestries by Pinton, notably the Trilogy of the Arab Horse (1981) which was commissioned by the Ministry of Public Works of the State of Qatar for the conference centre of the Doha Sheraton. Among the artists who had tapestries woven at Pinton studios are Arp, Bazaine, Calder, Le Corbusier, Sonia Delauny, Dufy, Picard le Doux, Fernand Leger, Lurcat, Ubac, Vasarely and Zadkine.

Dr. Stefan Sperl

Senior Lecturer in Arabic
School of Oriental and African Studies
London