Yannick Lintz Gives an Open Lecture About Islamic Art at Galeri Salihara
It is very common to see a clergyman giving sermon about Islam after prayers or during special holiday occasion, but it is rare to see an expert from Europe explaining about Islam and art. That was what we witnessed during an open lecture with Yannick Lintz at Galeri Salihara when she explained about Islam and art. Lintz is a Director of Islamic Art Department at Louvre Museum, Paris. Her concern about spreading knowledge about Islamic art stemmed from her observation of the visitors at Louvre Museum. Upon being asked whether they understand or know about Islamic art that they just saw, most of them shake their heads. Lintz sees this as an urgent circumstance and she feels obliged to give a lecture to as many people about Islam and art. Islam has a distinctive style of art and it was influenced by many things. During her lecture, she classified Islamic art into three categories namely Figured Art, Islamic art based on it region and global view and lastly Islamic art influenced by religion.
She pointed out the art in the forms of ceramic, sculpture, pottery, and many more in some Islamic countries in Central Asia, Middle East and Europe. Yannick Lintz also show how region and surrounding culture could affect the Islamic art it produces and how religion also plays a part. Christianity or Buddhism influenced the art and vice versa. The guest lecture that took place at Black Box theater at Galeri Salihara was packed with scholars, experts, and public who wanted to know more about Islamic art from the point of view of European scholar. Sadly the lecture did not feel comprehensive enough to satisfy one’s curious mind as it failed to touch the subject of Islamic art in a non-Muslim country or from areas outside Middle East, Europe, or Central Asia. Nonetheless, the material was very intriguing and it incited discussion among the spectators. Yannick Lintz herself said that Indonesia was her first destination for the lecture and this country could become the central for Islamic art studies. She will continue to spread the knowledge about Islam and Art in other Asia Pacific countries for the next few months.
