A slew of activities celebrating the beauty of the ancient art of Arabic calligraphy will take place at the Waqif Art Centre starting tonight as the Doha Arabic Calligraphy Biennale 2010 opens.
Held under the patronage of the Emir, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, the event is being organised as one of the highlights of the year-long festival of 2010 Doha Capital of Arab Culture.
During the course of the event organised by the Ministry of Culture, Arts and Heritage, a month-long calligraphic exhibition will run together with a set of activities that promote calligraphy, considered the most venerated of Islamic arts.
The activities include lectures and workshops in subjects ranging from typography design, calligraphy tools and paper making to calligraphy in contemporary art and the history of Arabic calligraphy among others. Experts on the art invited to conduct the lectures and workshops include Dalia Islam, Huda Abi Fares, Dr Abdul Ghani Al Ani and Rachida Al Dimassi, who hails from Tunisia.
Specially revered among Islamic art forms, Arabic calligraphy is undergoing a renaissance through efforts of individuals and groups toward enhancing the appreciation of people at present of the art form which originated in the distant past.
It is worth noting that Qatar has launched a pioneering effort to revive calligraphy with the recent announcement of the establishment of the first-of-its-kind calligraphic institute which will offer a certified course in calligraphy. The month-long event is another proof of Qatar’s commitment to promoting the age-old art which resonates not only with religious import but aesthetic sense as well.
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