Sotheby's Specialist Mai Eldib on Her Highlights from the Islamic Arts Biennale

Basmah Felemban Wave Catcher (2023)

The scale of this piece was super powerful. What I really liked about this work was that you hear the melody of the waves, like she’s trying to absorb it. For me, the sound of the waves is like second nature, it’s something I hear all the time. So, it is sort of a commission for the foundation. The work reflects that openness and natural peace.

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Igshaan Adams Salat al-Jama’ah (Congregational Prayer) (2023)

This is an interpretation of traditional prayer mats. Adams is a South African artist and acquired 52 mats from friends and family in Cape Town. So, for me, aside from the aesthetic value of the works, I found it interesting, as a contemporary take on a very traditional concept, making it new and charged with political meaning.

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Wael Shawky In the Sound of the Muzdalifah (2023)

Wael Shawky staged a performance piece at the opening, a group of men calling out a trance-like warrior chant. In a row, clapping and chanting, they made very guttural sounds, and it was sort of mesmeric. I don’t know how he managed to train them like that it - he is an amazing storyteller.

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Joe Namy Adhan (The Call)

Joe Namy’s installation is very melodious, very meditative. It’s an immersive installation, the universal power of hearing this call to prayer at any time.

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Sultan Bin Fahad Holy Land (2023)

A large installation of mixed-media and found objects. Bin Fahad works a lot with memorabilia and found objects, he celebrates souvenirs sold to pilgrims in Mecca and Medina, like water bottles. These humble items have been transformed into precious keepsakes of a unique experience of Hajj.

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