Sunday, January 23, 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm – Rivers of Paradise: Water in Islamic Culture and Architecture, Online
Context Learning’s January 23 conversation focuses on water and its multiple roles in Arab-Islamic culture. Its prismatic nature allows a transversal intersection of art, architecture, landscape, technology, science, literature, jurisprudence, or religion. Within the context of Arab-Islamic civilization and the framework of the heritage and legacy of al-Andalus (the medieval Islamic Iberian Peninsula), this seminar will examine the dialogical relations between water and the architectonic space.
Flowing water has always been a critical component of Islamic ceremony and architectural design, filled with inspirational symbolism and practical use. Within its functional role, it reminds us of the arid lands of the Arab-Islamic world. The gentle ebb and flow of water also convey aesthetic, decorative, and symbolic ideals–which will define and model the Islamic architectonic space and transform its world. Paradise Gardens are just one of the most visible examples of that close relationship. Water models and changes how we live and understand the world around us, becoming a crucial element in the design, construction, and enjoyment of space.
Led by an expert on Architecture and Art History, Tiago Miranda Neiva, this interactive seminar will explore the multiple roles of Water in Islamic Culture, the main concepts of Islamic architecture, and finally, the impact of those water references on contemporary Islamic architecture. Designed to inform curiosity as well as future travels, participants will come away with a better understanding of Islamic architecture and the use of water to maintain, transform, or modify its forms, contents, and meanings.
Tiago Miranda Neiva was born and raised in Lisbon. He studied architecture in Rome and worked later in distinct offices in Portugal and Spain. For several years he was Professor of Arts and Art History, having a Master’s degree in Teaching of Visual Arts. He is currently working towards a PhD focused on the Art and Architecture of al-Andalus: the confluence between the Arab, Jewish and Christian medieval world. In recent years he has been working as a tour guide in his hometown, seeking to show and reveal its most intimate secrets through an authentic and passionate local vision. $36.50. The lecture will take place online and a recorded version will be available for a week following that date should you miss all or part of the presentation. Register at www.contextlearning.com
