Europe and Islamic art in the spotlight in Zurich

The Kunsthaus deserves the gold award for the title of exhibition thanks to «Re-Orientations», on view until July 16. A contemporary and enlightening, if confusing, look at the influence of European art on Islamic art and vice versa, since 1851.

Islamic art is a concept that is not self-evident. It encompasses all works created by people who lived in countries traditionally governed by Islam, from the 7th century to the present day. The term thus encompasses every form of art from countries, materials, and styles that are entirely different from one another. The Kunsthaus therefore tackles a challenging subject—one that is vast in scope—with more than 170 drawings, paintings, watercolors, photographs, ceramics, textiles, videos, and installations, most of which come from European collections.

The museum takes the first World’s Fair—the one held in London in 1851—as its starting point. It was at this