Description and components of the project
The concept of this art project is to create a spiritual experience for non-Muslims. It will be a presentation of how Muslims conduct their spiritual life and prayers. In addition, it will serve as an introduction to Islamic culture and art, to create a spiritual dialogue with other faith communities.
An interior replica of a mosque will be built to present the place of worship for Muslims. This rendition will consist of Islamic patterns and Kor'anic verses in Arabic. An interior painting of a dome will serve as the ceiling. Three windows will be designed to look like stained glass windows hung against the big windows of the gallery (see floor plan) to allow ambient light to infiltrate from the outside.
"Al Masjid" art project will be constructed in such a way that it will be easily assembled and dismantled in a short period of time and can be transferred to different locations as a traveling exhibit. The walls of the mosque will be made out of over-sized canvases. Elaborate designs, motifs and calligraphy will be created and printed on this canvas, which will consist of multiple layers to show how a typical mosque would appear from both the outside and the inside.
Shelves will be placed outside, as a shoe-rack, to indicate that one should remove their shoes before entering. Additionally, there will be a fountain outside the mosque to symbolize purity and cleansing before prayer.
The project will include multimedia production of video art and audio. A video projector will play a repeating loop of an Imam reciting a prayer. Also, a call for a prayer will be played, as well as Kor'anic readings.
Other components of this art project will be Islamic artwork hung on walls as prints, and stand-alone partitions decorated with Islamic patterns and motifs. The size of stand-alone partitions, in height, will be less than an interior doorway. The prints will average in size between 1' - 4' width and height.