Christie's forthcoming International Modern & Contemporary Art auction, taking place in Dubai at 6:30pm on April 30th, will be characterized by an outstanding selection of rare and sought-after examples by the leading Arab and Iranian artists. In assembling the Arab and Iranian works for this forthcoming sale, the growing interest in contemporary art from the region and Christie's broad reach in the wider Middle East market has attracted clients from around the world to consign more significant pieces than ever before - illustrated by their scarcity and quality. This auction follows the third sale of International Modern and Contemporary Art, staged in October 2007, which totalled $15,235,725/AED 55,915,111, establishing 62 new world records.

One of best-known Arab artists, whose work is influenced by Arabic calligraphy, is Libyan Ali Omar Ermes. Qaffon Aasif - Stormy Qaff, painted in 1983 (estimate $65,000-85,000), shows an unfamiliar way of executing the letter qaff, which in some ways resembles the old Kufic script. Unusually for the work of Ali Omar Ermes, it has stormy golden strokes around its sides. A very similar painting is in the collection of the Smithsonian Institute in Washington DC.

The Dubai International Financial Centre is holding a special exhibition of works by Ali Omar Ermes and Nja Mahadoui, presented by the Meem Gallery. The exhibition is "a celebration of the greatest Arabic artists alive today" and can be found in the Lobby of Percinct, Building 1, from 9am to 9pm. Dont miss out!

Now you can view Ali Omar Ermes' art at the Dar Al-Funoon Gallery in Kuwait . This popular exhibition will be held from the 8th until the 25th of March 2008.

The exhibition "celebrates the creativity of Middle Eastern artists by focusing on the way writing has been used in modern art." It is the first time that the British Museum has agreed to allow any of its artifacts to be exhibited in the Middle East.

The Dance of Quill and Ink. Contemporary Art of the Middle East

The exhibition at the State Hermitage Museum (Halls 28-32 by the Saltykov Entrance) has been organized by the State Hermitage Museum in association with the Triumph Gallery in Moscow, supported by Alisher Usmanov's charitable organization, Art and Sport.

The exhibition presents to the public for the first time forty works by six celebrated artists and calligraphers from the Middle East: Etel Adnan (b. 1925, Beirut, Lebanon), Maliheh Afnan (b. 1935, Haifa, Palestine), Rachid Koraichi (b. 1947, Ain el Beida, Algeria), Nja (Naja) Mahdaoui (b. 1937, Tunis, Tunisia), Ali Omar Ermes (b. 1945, Tripoli, Libya), Mohammed Ehsai (b. 1939, Qazvin, Iran). They have each taken a different creative path, received different educations, live and work in different countries, and use different artistic techniques. Their work is displayed in the largest museums around the world - Pompidou Centre in Paris, the British Museum in London, the Kuwait National Museum and others.

Calligraphy is the art of the written word and holds an honoured place in Islamic culture. Calligraphy plays a special role, intimately associated with the idea of divine revelation. According to religious tradition, the Muslim holy book, the Koran, is the Word of God, related to the Prophet Muhammad as a revelation and written in Arabic. Thanks to this, even in the very first centuries of Islam calligraphy had come to be exalted as a sacred art form.

The copying of the Koran using calligraphy was regarded as pious. The first Korans were written with the Hijazi script, later, specially for koranic texts a very strict, formal style developed which became known under the general name of kufic.

During the centuries calligraphy was further developed and refined, the best examples of calligraphic masters were copied, and new styles and schools initiated. Islamic tradition has preserved the names of many of the leading calligraphers, such as Ibn Muqlah, Ibn al-Bawwab and Yaqut al-Mustasimi.

Calligraphy penetrated the daily life of Muslims through both religious and secular manuscripts, through official documents, architectural decorations on buildings, and inscriptions on examples of applied art made from metal, ceramics, stone, glass, wood and fabric.

In the middle to end of the 19th century the artistic world of the Middle East was witness to impending changes. The appearance of new techniques, materials and traditions from the West gave rise to these. At the same time as separate masters preferred to work with their accustomed styles, others adopted western trends, merging them using their own artistic experience with the traditions of Islamic art.

In the middle to the second half of the 20th century in the artistic milieu of the Arabic Middle East, a new movement developed becoming famous as lettrism or hurufiyya. As part of hurufiyya it is characteristic to use Arabic writing, letters, texts as the visual element of a composition. The predecessor of this movement was the Iraqi artist Madih Omar (1908-2005) and Shakir Hassan al- Said (1925-2004), among the first to include Arabic writing in the production of abstract art.

Since the 1960s examples of calligraphy have started to appear on the canvases of Middle Eastern artists, many of whom have been educated in the West. Calligraphy is becoming a symbol of national identity, symbolic of a return to the sources of their culture. As in the 1960s in Iran where the Sakahane movement developed, uniting artists, who derived their inspiration from their national culture, bringing into art religious Shiite symbolism, and also seeking new possibilities for using calligraphy. Leading artists of this movement are Parvis Tanavoli (b. 1937), Hossein Zenderoudi (b. 1937) and Siah Armajani (b. 1939). Mohammed Ehsai (b. 1939) continued to experiment with the calligraphy started by his fellow artists.

The exhibition curators are Rose Issa, an expert in the field of contemporary Middle Eastern art, and Daria Vasilyeva, a junior scientific researcher at the Oriental Department of the State Hermitage Museum.

The State Hermitage Museum Publishing House has prepared an illustrated booklet for the exhibition with text written by one of the curators, Daria Vasilyeva.

The conference enables us to develop topics and common reflections, which allows us to start addressing the underlying issues. Moreover, it will be a chance to invite personalities of international scale who will introduce topics such as the European Muslim identity :

Mohammad Fateh Atia, President of FEMYSO

Sajjad Karim, Member of the European Parliament for the North West of England

Ali Omar Ermes, Writer, Artist and Thinker and Chairman of the Muslim Cultural Heritage Centre, London

Alison Crabb, Deputy Head of Unit C1 - Culture Policy & Intercultural Dialogue - European Commission

Daniela Bisconti, Comedienne, Metteur en scéne & Professeur au Conservatoire Royale de Bruxelles

Farid El Asri, Seeker of the Université Catholique de Louvain (CISMOC)

The themes of the workshops and conference are :

-Culture through tradition , heritage and innovation

-Interculturalism: an opportunity for creativity?

-Plural identity and European citizenship

The conference was held at the European Parliament. Ali Omar Ermes was a speaker and dealt with the issue of plural identity and European citizenship. He was also President of the Jury for the Express your Creativity competitions held on the 4th of November.

Sacred: Discover what we share

The British Library presents the world's greatest collection of Jewish, Christian and Muslim holy books.

The rarest and most exquisite sacred books and manuscripts presented and explored, side by side, in a major UK exhibition for the first time.

Find out about this major free exhibition and events programme, then book your free ticket. You can also:

Explore sacred treasures from the British Library (66 of the 152 texts on display), plus selected loan items.

Book tickets for talks, lectures, debates, concerts and performances.

Find out about the programmes and interactives for schools.

The exhibition starts from the 27 April - 23 September 2007 at the Pearson Gallery, The British Library, London NW1 2DB

Admission is free however advance booking is strongly recommended

"A selection of paintings by Ali Omar Ermes, one of the most prominent Arab artists, is being exhibited at the Ghaf Art Gallery in Abu Dhabi. The Spanish Ambassador to the UAE, Manuel Pineiro, who was present at the opening of the exhibition, expressed his deep admiration for the artist's works, which are a combination of calligraphy, painting and poetry.

The exhibition, which opened to the public on April 22, will continue for two weeks."

Lot Title - Meem, Tha, Alif: Turaath (Heritage)

Estimate - Estimate: AED310,000-370,000 (US$85,000-100,000)

Lot Description - ALI OMAR ERMES (LIBYA, B. 1945)

Meem, Tha, Alif: Turaath (Heritage) signed and dated in Arabic (lower left) acrylic on paper mounted on canvas 98½ x 59in. (250 x 150cm.) Painted in 1993

Lot Notes - A symbol of heritage, as we inherit what we inherit to appreciate and to look after this heritage, thus enabling it to reach the next generations. The poem is by the Abbasid poet Abu Al- Taahiah, who tells us "that which really belongs to you is what you are able to spend on good causes, not what you consume and liquidate or leave behind".

Exhibited - London, Albermarle Street, Ali Omar Ermes in Context, 2003, (illustrated in colour, p.37)

Viewing: 29 January 12:00 pm - 08:00 pm, 30 January 12:00 pm - 10:00 pm, 31 January 10:00 am - 01:00 pm, 1 February 10:00 am - 02:00 pm

Sale Contact: Shanthi Veigas - sveigas@christies.com. Tel: +971 (0)4 361 5323

Bid Department - Tel: +44 (0)20 7389 2658 Fax: +44 (0)20 7390 8870

Speaker: Dr Venetia Porter, Curator at the British Museum

Venue: 45 Crawford Place, London W1H 4LP

Date: 6.45pm - 8.30pm, Friday 15 September 2006

The recent 'Word into Art' exhibition at the British Museum was a groundbreaking display of contemporary art from the Modern Middle East and we are pleased to welcome the curator of the exhibition, Dr Venetia Porter to this week's City Circle.

This exhibition of artists from across the Middle East, from Iraq to Tunisia to Kurdistan, offered a valuable and important insight into the desires, concerns and aspirations of the contemporary Islamic world.

This was not the Middle East cast in the reductive media soundbites of moderates, extremists, secular or religious, but rather it was shown to be a complex place resonating through the sensibilities of its contemporary artists.

The 'Word into Art' exhibition shows how religion, politics, popular culture and aesthetics are inextricably intertwined in the Muslim identity of the Middle East. And perhaps this can offer the European Muslim world a form of expression through which it can also interrogate and articulate its own complex Muslim experience, in a way that a revival of traditional Islamic art cannot do.

With Venetia Porter we will be considering this, and looking at the work of the exhibition to discuss its religion, politics, identity and aesthetics and considering how this may articulate what it means to be Muslim in the Middle East today.

Dr Venetia Porter is Curator at the Department of Oriental Antiquities at the British Museum.

Tate Britain displays British art from 1500 to the present. East-West: Objects Between Cultures explores Christian-Muslim encounters and exchanges over the past five hundred years by introducing a selection of related objects into the Collection displays. Rather than impose a rigid version of this complex history, fresh connections are suggested between traditions, objects and historical contexts.

The variety of objects on display provides an insight into the relationship between societies sometimes considered distinct. This is revealed in the hybrid nature of many of these artefacts, which have been formed and transformed between cultures. Some represent mercantile goods, some document the establishment of Muslim communities in Britain, while others reflect contemporary politics. It is hoped that this project will challenge static ideas of national history, art and identity.

Objects in Room 25 (Go to Tate website for images) -

Ali Omar Ermes - Shadda 1980 (Watercolour and gold on paper - 635 x 615mm - Lent by the British Museum)

Ali Omar Ermes was born in Libya and has lived in England for the past twenty-five years. His work takes Arabic script as a subject and dramatises calligraphic forms, often creating layered meanings with additional poetic inscriptions. This piece is of the 'Shadda', a diacritic symbol used in Arabic to double letters and alter emphasis.

The verse inscription relates to social equality. Like the Tachiste works displayed in this room, 'Shadda' depicts a gesture imbued with meaning. Although some of these Tachiste works are reminiscent of calligraphy, Arabic script is given spiritual significance in Ermes' work, as a written expression of Qur'anic revelation.

http://www.tate.org.uk/britain/exhibitions/eastwest/default.shtm

IslamExpo is a non-profit organisation based in the United Kingdom dedicated to enhancing understanding of Islam in Britain and building bridges between the Muslim world and the West.

Throughout the four days of IslamExpo there will lectures and seminars on art, literature, science, architecture, technology, theology and politics. The topics range from The Contribution of Muslims to Gardens and Agriculture to Ethical Foundations of Islamic Environmentalism, from Al-Andalus: When East & West lived side by side to Nutrition Science from the Quran, from Social justice in Islam to Prospects of Democratic Change in the Middle East, from Muslim Youth Between National Identity and the Ummah, to British Muslims and Participation in Politics.

IslamExpo is a four day event being held at Alexandra Palace (London) between the 6th and the 9th of July 2006. It will consist of a series of exhibitions and a diverse programme of lectures, seminars, workshops, panels, debates, live shows, films, and fun days. The event will be attended by faith leaders, government and political figures, and a host of celebrities from the worlds of knowledge, art and sport.

Throughout the four days of IslamExpo there will lectures and seminars on art, literature, science, architecture, technology, theology and politics. The topics range from The Contribution of Muslims to Gardens and Agriculture to Ethical Foundations of Islamic Environmentalism, from Al-Andalus: When East & West lived side by side to Nutrition Science from the Quran, from Social justice in Islam to Prospects of Democratic Change in the Middle East, from Muslim Youth Between National Identity and the Ummah, to British Muslims and Participation in Politics.

Ali Omar Ermes will be participating in this great event, one that is not to be missed!

For more information go to: IslamExpo website

It will profile artists, musicians, fashion, theatre and personalities who are pushing the boundaries beyond the norm.

The event will have broad appeal reaching people of all faiths and backgrounds.

The show will be followed by an exquisite three course gala dinner and charity auction; a truly enjoyable and worthwhile evening in aid of the Asian Earthquake victims Inshallah.

Invited guests, artists and performers include Imran Khan (Former Cricket Captain), Dr Maleeha Lodhi (Pakistan's High Commissioner), Hilary Benn MP, Sheikh Ibrahim Yahya, Ali Omar Ermes , Yusuf Islam (Cat Stevens), Peter Sanders, Khaleel Muhammad, Forever Haqqani, Luqman Ali (Khayaal Theatre Company), Afaaf Fashion House and an Art exhibition (Hassen Rasool, Aerosol Arabic, Jamil Arts).

Ali Omar Ermes' artwork prints will be auctioned on the night to help raise funds for the victims of the tragic Asian earthquake.

The event will take place at:

The Ballroom, Grosvenor House Hotel, Park Lane, Mayfair.

The evening starts at 6:30pm to 10pm on Tuesday 13th December 2005

Ticket Prices are as follows:

A @ £100 per person B @ £75 per person C @ £50 per person

For more information, please visit Imagine Beyond.

This event will be "the biggest of its kind in the history of Europe" and is open for both Muslims and non-Muslims with a projected audience of 15,000 people.

The Global Peace and Unity Event will be taking everyone to a journey of enriching spirtuality and extra ordinary family entertainment.

There will be inspirational talks, nasheed artists performing, a stunning Islamic exhibition, a variety of delicious foods, amusements for kids and a spectacular firework display in the evening.

The Imam Al Kaaba will lead all prayers on the day.

This non-partisan event aims to promote and highlight the need for global peace and unity amongst Britain's varied and distinct communities.

Present will be the Akwan Team representing the internationally renowed artist Ali Omar Ermes, Inshallah, with a large informative stand, talking to people, answering questions and giving out Ali Omar Ermes Artwork Brochures to interested participants.

There will be examples of Ali Omar Ermes' artwork in the form of artwork prints and several catalogues displaying more of his work.

If you missed your opportunity to learn more about Ali Omar Ermes, his art, ideas and work at the Celebrate Eid 2005 events, then visit us at the Global Peace and Unity Event this Sunday on the 4th of Dec!

Tickets cost £12.00 for adults and £6.00 for children under 12; children under 5 enter free.

Venue: ExCel, Docklands, London, E16 1XL

Start time: 09:00 - End time: 21:00

The event will be touring the UK, starting from Bradford on the 5th November, then Manchester on the 6th, the 10th will be in Cardiff, the 11th is in Edinburgh, London is on the 12th and finally Birmingham on the 13th.

The Akwan Team will be present with a stand, talking to people, answering questions and finally entering participants in a competition where you could win a Ali Omar Ermes Artwork Print !!. They will be participating on the 10th in Cardiff, in London on the 12th and finally in Birmingham on the 13th Inshallah.

From the beginnings, these congresses have had important international participation: experts from 43 different countries took part in the VII Conference last year.

These Conferences "European Culture" are of multidisciplinary character and aim to be a forum for dialogue and encounter of the highest scientific order. The Congress is open to every scientific and artistic field, as we wish to see "Culture" in its widest significance. Therefore, "European Culture" refers both to shared characteristics and diversity.

In this edition we have chosen the subject: "Europe: Encounters and Frontiers", two elements which have been in European culture today and always.

Mr Ali Omar Ermes was invited to give a paper on this vast subject and chose the title "Multi Cultural Europe - The Muslim Perspective"

Here is an abstract of what was discussed in the paper:

Europe today is a very complicated society where the old, the new, the religious and the non-religious, all are part of this multi-faceted society, the multi Christian, the multi Jewish, the multi Muslim the multi agnostic and the multi atheist. All this goes with the multi ethnic, the multi cultural bringing about a rich entity and multi identity. Europe now is an arena of all these entities and a theatre, all showing what they are all about and that makes Europe great, as that made Spain once upon a time (the Andalus) great. I hope Spain will gain from this and again be able to give such a leading role to Europe, as it was then.

This paper cannot take on all these big issues, but it will try to shine some light on the European multi culturism from an European Muslims perspective.

Why Muslims are vital to Europe as Europe is important to Muslims. Do Muslims have home ownership in Europe, if not, why not?

And even this is a very big issue to discuss and in such occasions of 20-30 minutes slots, the best we can hope for is a glance at this theatre at work.

For more information, please visit:

http://www.unav.es/cee/viiicongre.html

Jinass is an exhibition by the international artist Ali Omar Ermes. It is being held at Christie's of 8 King Street, London, SW1 6QT and is being organised by Art Advisory Associates. The event is supported by The Kanoo Group and is in partnership with Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, Arab British Chamber of Commerce and Cavendish White.

An auction is to be held for some of Ali Omar Ermes's works by Christie's on the 19th July 2005 in aid of the following charities: Barakat, Al Madad Foundation and MAIC (Medical Aid for Iraqi Children).

Venue: Christie's 8 King Street, St James's, London SW1 6QT.

Date: 16-21st July 2005.

Exhibition Open: Saturday and Sunday 12 noon - 4pm, Monday - Thursday 11am - 5pm.

A unique, stunning and enthralling museum-style exhibition which is superbly arranged in the vibrant and dynamic setting of the Muslim Cultural Heritage Centre and offers a complete fun and learning experience about Islam, the faith and its dynamic and rich history.

Observe beautiful and symmetrical Islamic artwork and calligraphy; glittering poster displays, magnificent multimedia presentations, exclusive, exceptional and extraordinary Islamic artefacts.

All these eye-catching wonders arranged together with the distinctive scenes, sounds and aromas of the world of Islam to create a breath-taking, highly enjoyable and entertaining day out for people of all ages.

Exhibition Islam is a project dedicated to promoting a greater understanding of Islam by setting up professional museum style exhibitions for free public viewing.

Our highly successful and unique exhibitions have been attended by tens of thousands of people and numerous organisations including many museums. All have praised the high quality and professional standard of the events.

This fantastic exhibition combines:

- Stunning artwork and Arabic calligraphy

- Dazzling poster displays

- Beautiful multimedia presentations

- Unique, breathtaking and rarely seen Islamic antiques

Dates:

Sat 11th of June to Thursday 16th of June 2005

Opening Times:

10am to 7pm (Monday 13th - opening time will be 12pm to 7pm)

Address:

Muslim Cultural Heritage Centre

244 Acklam Road

London

W10 5YG

Contact:

Abdesalam Aarab

(MCHC - Exhibition Project Manager)

Tel: 0208 9641496

Email: abdesalam.aarab@MCHC.org.uk

Or

Imtiaz Alam

(Exhibition Islam - Project Manager)

Mobile: 07956 509725

Email: imtiaz@exhibitionislam.com

Web: www.exhibitionislam.com

Exhibition Details:

Full details are available at our website: http://www.exhibitionislam.com

Background

The Muslim community in Britain today is very complex and diverse. New immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers from Europe, Africa and the Middle East are adding to its richness and complexity. This intricacy also brings with it a whole array of cultural expressions and traditions in music, dance, story telling, literature and fine arts.

In Britain writers and artists of Muslim origin such as Tariq Ali, Hanif Kureshi, Yusuf Islam, Nahid Siddiqui and Rashid Araeen have challenged artistic boundaries and as a result cultural values and art forms are broadening.

The relationship between arts, especially performing arts and Islam has often been uneasy and large sections of Muslim communities experience exclusion both because of the potential contradiction between values of Islamic faith and the capricious nature of the arts industry.

Conference Format

The conference will take place over two days. Day one will be dedicated to debating issues with a wide range of speakers and Day two offers a range of masterclasses with art professionals. Both days also include opportunities to watch performances from Kali Theatre and Tara Arts.

Thursday 4th November - Day One

Isabel Carlisle - Director, Festival of Muslim Cultures UK 2006 will Chair the conference.

Our keynote speakers include:

Tariq Ali - Writer, journalist and filmaker

Iqbal Sacranie - The Muslim Council of Britain

Ali Omar Ermes - Internationally renowned visual artist

Nahid Siddiqui - Kathak dancer

Luqman Ali - Director, Khayaal Theatre

Rukhsana Ahmed - Playwright

Tony Panayiotou - Director of Diversity, Arts Council England

This forum will consider the impact of Islamic arts and explore the following:

1. The Muslim Heritage: The Muslim contribution to British and world arts

2. Practice: The differing experiences of individuals of Islamic faith who are working within the contemporary arts.

3. Values: The barriers that may exist to inhibit followers of Islam from pursuing a career within the contemporary arts.

4. Ways Forward: Policies and opportunities needed to support access and development for Muslims into arts

Friday 5th November - Day Two

Day two offers a range of workshops and master classes with art professionals:

Jatinder Verma will lead a workshop on devising a play for the stage. The workshop will take as its starting point an extract from the prize-winning novel by Vikram Chandra ('Red Earth & Falling Rain').

Jaydev Mistry will lead a workshop in Electronic Music & Media and will cover how to use Cubase & Sampling, Creative Sequencing & composition and Soundscaping & composition for theatre. The workshop will explore the relationship between theatre and music and its importance.

Nahid Siddiqui will offer the chance to learn and understand more about the arts of Kathak dance: The history of this epic art, the stories, music and rhythmic syllables, or boles, footwork and wowing pirouettes which create the exciting narratives in dance and movement

Luqman Ali of Khayaal Theatre will facilitate a group seminar for artists and professionals working with Islamic arts and/or Muslim communities.

David Edgar will run a workshop on playwriting

Iqbal Khan will run a workshop on acting

Experience Ramadhan

Ramadhan is a special month of the year, a time for inner reflection, devotion to God and self-control. During the month of Ramadhan, Muslims fast from dawn to sunset every day. Accordingly, arrangements are in place for Salah (prayers) throughout the day, Sahour (making fast) and Iftari (breakfast) for Muslim brothers or sisters as well as other delegates who wish to take this opportunity to experience Ramadhan. This conference provides an important opportunity to share the etiquettes and spirit of Ramadhan with non-Muslim colleagues and through this experience seeks to promote better understanding, access and opportunities for the development of Islamic arts in Britain.

Festival of Muslim Cultures UK 2006

As Britain celebrates the Festival of Muslim Cultures in 2006 it is hoped that this conference and its recommendations will provide a lead for future debates and strategies for more inclusive arts and energise fuller participation and programmes for celebrations in 2006.

Islam and Arts Conference - Oldham Coliseum Theatre, Fairbottom St, Oldham, OL1 3SW

The Calligraphy Center at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina hosts the conference on 'Towards Better Arabic Calligraphy,' 20-22 July 2004. The conference will discuss four main panels:

- Calligraphy schools: rights and responsibilities

- The role of the Ministry of Education in solving the 'bad hand-writing' problem

- Using the computer to develop better handwriting.

- The role of the family and women's education in solving the problem.

'Towards Better Arabic Calligraphy' will also present a study on establishing a friends association for professional and amateurs in the field of Arabic calligraphy. Participants will include professors from the faculties of Arts and Fine Arts.

Ali Omar Ermes will be speaking about the importance of the Arabic Language"

The theme of the British Society for Middle Eastern Studies (BRISMES) 2004 annual conference, hosted by the London Middle East Institute at SOAS, is intended to provide an intellectual structure that can interest, challenge and accommodate all relevant disciplines. The Middle East has experienced domination, both from within and without, a condition that has impacted, but not determined, modes of expression, whether political, economic, linguistic, artistic, or culturally more generally. Such expression is of intrinsic interest and, in many instances, has been intended to contribute to liberation, whether politically, socially, religiously, or personally. The struggle for liberation at these various levels is itself a principal historical and contemporary dynamic of the region. Panels and papers were thus invited that addressed these three concepts, independently or in relation to one another. The conference is sponsored by BP, Rolls Royce and BG Group, with support from MENAS and I.B.Tauris Publishers. (Text taken from LMEI website)

Panels will include the following topics: Politics, history, economics and international relations of specific countries or sub-regions; Democratisation; Legal systems and human rights; Middle East resources: underlying fundamentals and global processes - denial and security; Demography; Media and communications; Material culture; Islamic art and architecture; Urbanism; Languages; Literature; Religion; The state of Middle Eastern Studies in the UK.

Ali Omar Ermes will (inshalah) be giving a speech on the 'Arab Media in Britain' on Wednesday morning, the 7th July 2004.

The Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia (IAMM) and the British Museum are organising Mightier Than The Sword - Arabic Script: Beauty and Meaning from 22 April - 20 July 2004. A touring exhibition from the British Museum that has previously exhibited in Melbourne, Australia in March 2003. This exhibition will showcase the development of Arabic script and highlight the importance of script in Islamic culture.

Mightier Than The Sword ushers in the elegance and vitality of different scripts through showcasing masterpieces of hand written Qurans, lustrous tiles, inlaid metal objects, woven fabrics and engraved precious stones.

Exhibiting nearly 200 art objects, this exhibition will be the first joint-project between Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia and the British Museum in London.

The exhibition is sponsored by British Council, HSBC Bank Malaysia Berhad, RWE Power International and Malaysia Airlines.

In a spirit of mutual respect and co-operation, Symbols of Harmony: Art from the Islamic World was born and a selective process bringing together a rich and diverse artistic creativity by nine distinguished artists from the Islamic world ensued. The exhibition includes artists from Iraq: Saadi Dawood, Maysaloun Faraj and Rashad Selim; Jordan: Rima Farah and Wijdan; Libya: Ali Omar Ermes; Pakistan: Rasheed Butt; Palestine: Fadwa Bizzari and Syria: Khairat al-Saleh, working in a range of styles and media including painting, graphics, sculpture and ceramics.

In a world where multi-cultural co-existence is increasingly the norm, it is with regret that divisions within this so-called global village seem to be deepening. This, in my view, is largely due to ignorance. As an artist, a woman and a Moslem, I do believe that art can make a difference. In fostering cultural and educational dialogue between East and West, 'us' and the 'other', we are able to expand our horizons and enrich our humanity, ultimately paving the way for a more harmonious and peaceful future.

Maysaloun Faraj

'Ali Omar Ermes - In Context'

Sponsored by Merrill Lynch Global Private Client Group

At 47 Albemarle Street, London, W1S 3FE

Merrill Lynch sponsors the exhibition. This is one of the first occasions a major sponsor of the Arts has undertaken such a move in relation to sponsoring a commercial exhibition. With Merrill Lynch's strong positioning within the Middle Eastern market and with the global recognition Ali Omar Ermes holds as an artist, a suitable partnership was found.

This exhibition, drawn largely from the magnificent collection of the British Museum, London, includes a wide range of inscribed objects in a variety of different materials - ceramics, metalwork, stone, paper and textiles - from the heartlands of Islam to South East Asia.

In collaboration with the Altajir World of Islam Trust, Melbourne University's Ian Potter Museum of Art will be the venue to host this visiting collection, offering a rare insight into Islamic high culture. The exhibition will be supported by an education program, public lectures and exhibits from the university's own significant Koranic holdings.

Time 10:30-17:00

Where: Stevenson Lecture Theatre, The British Museum

£20, BM Friends £18, concessions £15

This Conference is a collaboration between The British Museum and the MA Curating Contemporary Design course of the Faculty of Art, Design and Music, Kingston University, organised jointly by Kingston University and the Design Museum.

It will consider the British Museum's mission for collecting the modern and will reflect more broadly on collecting now, including issues of globalisation, identity and the responsibilties of museum collectors. Keynote speakers are Frances Carey, Deputy Keeper of Prints and Drawings at the British Museum and Tanya Harrod, design historian.

Programme titles include:

'Elective Affinities: Collecting the modern world for the British Museum'

'What makes an icon? The Bauhaus tea-infuser'

'Modernity and tradition in the Contemporary Art of the Middle East: Leila Shawa and other Artists' - This talk takes place at 12:30 am, and will take a look at the work of Leila Shawa and other Artists such as Ali Omar Ermes and Khusraw Hasan Zade. It will focus on the question of what connects and what seperates their work from the traditions and conventions of pre-modern 'Islamic Art'.

'Money or messge? Banknotes and Identity in Eastern Europe'

Striking Tents: Central Asia felts from Kyrgyzstan

Images of War

Collecting for whom?

"This exhibition features the work of six contemporary African artists and explores the important histories of migration and the negotiations of artistic, cultural, personal, and group identities among African artists who make up the growing and significant diaspora of practicing artists now living in Europe and America. Whatever the reason for relocating, they are renewing and redefining traditions and understanding of African artistry. Featured artists include: Kwesi Owusu-Ankomah, Ghana; Ouattara Watts, Cote d'Ivoire; Bright Bimpong, Ghana; Amir I.M. Nour, Sudan; Osi Audu, Nigeria; and Ali Omar Ermes, Libya."

The Smithsonian Museum

The main aim of this exhibition was to encourage, through art, a climate of understanding in the relationships among people.

"The Islamic Cultural Centre in Madrid, has put at the disposal of this artistic expression its Exhibition Hall for this international encounter among artists from a variety of nationalities, beliefs and styles, where getting over natural differences and with a determined commitment to the cause of Peace, join their efforts and show everyone that co-existence among different cultures and peoples, and among their different artistic expressions, is possible if there is an authentic wish for dialogue."

Guests included His Excellency Mohsen Bilal, Syrian Embassador in Madrid and Ms. Pilar Molina, representative of the Regional government of Aragón in Madrid.

As an act of solidarity, 20% of the artworks sold will be donated to the International Red Cross and the Red Half Moon for their humanitarian aid campaigns.

Inmaculada Arricivita, Curator.

This event was Faith UK's Annual Dinner which was attended by the Malaysian Prime Minister, Dato' Seri Dr. Mahathir Mohamad and Datin Seri Dr. Siti Hasmah, as chief guests at the Sulemaniya Mosque Conference Hall. The Prime Minister's speech was on "Multi-Faith Collaboration in the creation of a civil society, Malaysian experience". The event concluded with Ali Omar Ermes presenting one of his excellent artworks to the Prime Minister.

"Spanning the divide between word and form, these artists celebrate the beauty of poetry, religious texts, philosophy, and even words without literal meaning, by embracing styles from the lavishly intricate to the borders of abstraction. Their works articulate a distillation of thought, word and form into pure expression: the outward gestures of profound revelation.

The exhibition includes works by: Rasheed Butt (Pakistan); Ali Omar Ermes (Libya); Maysaloun Faraj (Iraq); Tajamul Hussain (British, origin Pakistan); Nja Mahdaoui (Tunisia); Hassan Massoudy (Iraq); Samir Sayegh (Lebanon); Laila Shawa (Palestine) and Wijdan (Jordan).

The event provided an opportunity to explore the contribution and needs of "invisible" minority ethnic communities within the life of the Capital. The two communities that were focused on were the situation and experience of the Arab and Irish communities whose historical absence in data collection has lead to their "invisibility" at policy level.

The exhibition was held at The Prince's Foundation and organised by The Edward Johnston Foundation in association with the Ditchling Museum, with Ali Omar Ermes' artwork featuring in this exhibition. It includes "work by twenty of today's most innovative lettering artists. It stretches the boundaries of calligraphy today in ways which are both visually stunning and immensely thought-provoking."

The Edward Johnston Foundation.

As part of the events linked to 'Islam UK' the BBC's Islam Season, and hosted by the Council for the Advancement of Arab-British Understanding (CAABU) and the Centre for Near and Middle East Studies (SOAS), Arab artist Ali Omar Ermes presented a slide show entitled 'A Glimpse of Islamic Heritage'.

The slide show consisted of around 150 photographs, taken over the last 30 years by Ali Omar Ermes himself, each one showing an example of the vast heritage and history of Islam.

This was an exhibition held at the Wereldmuseum in Rotterdam between 6th June 2001 until the 24th March 2002 entitled 'Contemporary Arab art', recent work by 12 artists which were selected by Egee art consultancy, London. The Arab artists who participated in this exhibition include Jamal Abdulrahim, Dia Azzawi, Mohammed Bennani, Rachid Diab, Ali Omar Ermes, Maysaloun Faraj, Abdelkrim Kebir, Rachid Koraichi, Sami Mohamad, Khairat Al Saleh, Laila Shawa, Awad el Shimy and Faisal Samra.

This is a Conference Programme Booklet for a three day conference held in SOAS titled "The Middle East in London".

"The aim of this conference is to look at London as a leading centre for the Middle East through the eyes of academics, business and finance leaders, media specialists, artists, writers and filmmakers".

Sarah Stewart, Head of Programmes, Centre of Near and Middle Eastern Studies, SOAS

Ali Omar Ermes held a talk at the Conference on 'Contemporary Islamic Art: A positive contribution to London' and his painting 'Alif Sukoon' was used for the booklet cover.

The Muslim Cultural Heritage Centre was formally inaugurated by HRH The Prince of Wales on Wednesday 17th May 2001.

In his speech, Ali Omar Ermes, Chairman of the MCHC Trust, welcomed all the guests to the unique event and expressed his thanks to the Prince for honouring the occasion. The Prince of Wales said it was "wonderful" to be connected with such a contribution to community life in the area and described the Centre as a magnificent marriage of the East and West, the Middle East and the British. He urged the Centre to develop close working relationships with his Architecture school of Visual Islamic and Traditional Arts.

The second "The Muslim News Awards for Excellence" held at the Savoy Hotel in Central London on March 21 2001, featuring the Guest of Honour, Prime Minister Tony Blair.

The event was organised to highlight the achievement and excellence and the positive contribution made by Muslims in Britain.

'The Muslim News Awards for Excellence' Booklet featured Ali Omar Ermes' painting 'Al-Itqan'.

This event was a public lecture by Ali Omar Ermes, held in the Seminar Room at the Islamic Cultural Centre of Ireland as part of the Islamic Cultural Week, which was held between 26th of June until the 11th of July 1999.

"The Prime Minister, Tony Blair, was presented with an exquisite piece of artwork painted by the renowned Ali Omar Ermes when he attended a reception for UK Muslims organised by the MCB on Wednesday 5th May 1999..... The reception was a landmark in the history of Muslims in Britain as it was the first time a serving British Prime Minister had addressed such a gathering of Muslims."

The Common Good, MCB

The 'Mutualities: Britain and Islam' Conference was held at the Royal Commonwealth Society in London between 28th to 30th April 1999 organised by the British Council. The Chair of the British Council, Helena Kennedy QC, noted that this conference "was a pioneering event for the British Council. It aimed to counter the popular polarisation of 'the West' and 'Islam', and to stress the huge areas of mutual interest and concern between them. Over 120 people attended, including participants from 36 countries and discussion was good humoured, constructive and stimulating."

Ali Omar Ermes was part of the contributors to this Conference, with his lecture on 'Art and Islam'.

A point form section of his talk is presented here.

1. Art in Islam, is an on going process of creativity based on theoretical knowledge and practical know how in all areas of human endeavour and walks of life.

2. Islam is ever engaging people: to learn by practice, to discover, and to initiate new ways in a perimeter of appreciation that all what we have of all powers are due to Allah's Grace. So long as we humans do not abuse these powers to harm others and destroy nature, we are free to push the boundaries of our creativity.

3. I do question (both in spiritual and materialistic terms) the value of most of the work of replication to what is already there made by the All Mighty. Because if the harm which we bring by this practice is just to waste millions on millions of hours of generation upon generation of humanity trying to replicate what is already there, instead of improving on what we, as humans can create. That by itself is a great shame and a waste of human's most precious possession: time.

4. Art in Islam is a responsibility and a very heavy one. This is because the impact on society could be great on the positive or the negative sides; and unlike some artists (in the present times) who claim to be un-responsible to anybody, and can do whatever they like irrespective to what and how they effect society and young people in particular.

5. Muslim Art is being used today and for a long time as a treasure house and as a gold mine without the slightest respect or full acknowledgment of its sources and to whom it belongs to in most cases. While these gold rushes are being pursued, Muslims ask how long are these going to go on for? We need a proper way for Muslims to share it with others and a proper way for others to borrow it from Muslims, starting from the schools curriculums upwards to the peak of the educational ladder and from the drawing board to the final product on the shelves. With all that, it will take time, money and good will

This exhibition draws together six contemporary artists from six different parts of the African disapora, Osman Waquilla (Sudan), Ahmed Mustafa (Egypt), Ali Omar Ermes (Libya), Rachid Koraichi (Algeria), Nja Mahdaoui (Tunisia) and Mhdi Qotbi (Morocco); each artist uses Islamic calligraphy as a source of creative expression.