IAMM International Photography Competition 2017 invites submissions

The Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia (IAMM) is running the IAMM International Photography Competition 2017 with the theme A Spiritual Journey: Islamic Culture & Heritage in Southeast Asia.

The competition seeks to inspire creativity as well as document the world of Islam in Southeast Asia. IAMM encourages photographers to capture Southeast Asia’s unique mystic and spiritual Islamic subject matters, its architectural design ornaments, the distinctive motifs of its arts and crafts, and the serenity of its devotees. IAMM aims to communicate the Islamic component of the art and history of Southeast Asia which today is the home to over 230 million Muslims to photographers and the public alike.

International and local photographers are welcome to participate, and there is no age limit. The top prize is RM5,000 and a certificate. Finalists’ photos will be exhibited in the 2017 Photo Exhibition.

Interested?

The submission deadline is May 31, 2017, at 11:59 PM Malaysia time. By submitting an entry, each contestant agrees to the rules of the contest. View the terms and conditions

International Photography Exhibition for Islamic Cultures on in Muscat

Source: Omani Photographic Society. Exhibition poster.

The International Photography Exhibition for Islamic Cultures has opened at the headquarters of the Omani Photographic Society (OPS) at the Sultan Qaboos Higher Centre for Culture and Science (SQHCCS) under the theme One Belt, One Road, the Oman News Agency has reported.

The event, under the patronage of Dr Salim bin Shutait al-Ghanmi, Director General of Medical Services and the Diwan of the Royal Court, exhibition aims to promote cooperation among Islamic countries and to show the different religious characteristics, customs and traditions of Islamic countries.

The International Photography Exhibition for Islamic Cultures features images that reflect the Islamic culture of Asia, Africa, Europe and America. One hundred and fifty works from 50 countries are on exhibit, 35% of them from China. The exhibition also includes an introductory seminar on Muslim customs in China.

The exhibition will be travelling to other Islamic countries along the Silk Route. With its strategic geographical location, Oman is considered a key station along the route.

Hashtag: الجمعية_العمانية_للتصوير_الضوئي

IAMM's Capture the Spirit of Ramadan exhibition is ending soon

This year will be the third consecutive year for the Capture the Spirit of Ramadan* exhibition at the Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia. The 30-day exhibition showcases selected photos from the submissions of the annual International Ramadan Photography Competition (IRPC).

The IRPC has become an international platform that entices photographers across the globe to seek new perspective of the month of Ramadhan, in which fasting, the fourth pillar of Islam, is performed. The free competition accepts photographs taken during the month of Ramadhan that year, and submitted by the end of Ramadhan. The exhibition draws the attention to colourful scenes of the spiritual, cultural and architectural diversities that tell stories about Ramadhan around the world.

The Spirit of Ramadan offers a competitive platform for photographers around the globe to share positive imagery of Islam. It is the world’s largest modern collection of Islamic-themed photographs from over 60 countries in the culture, architecture and spirituality categories.

The initiative includes the publication of the world’s first photography book and magazine on Ramadan as well as this world-touring exhibition which debuted in Kuala Lumpur at the Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia under the auspices of His Royal Highness the Sultan of Selangor in 2014.

The Spirit of Ramadan initiative is a non-profit, non-partisan social responsibility project by award-winning creative firm Studio Basel and its branding agency, Extreme Imagination. The Spirit of Ramadan was founded in 2011 by Dr Basel Almisshal, an architect, artist and United Nations Photographic Council member. The photo competition, also known as Capture the Spirit of Ramadan or the IRPC, boasts a prestigious rotating jury panel including National Geographics’ Steve McCurry; World Press Photo judge and founder of Asia’s largest photography festival, Dr Shahidul Alam; British photographer Peter Sanders; and White House Special Representative to Muslim communities and Harvard Fellow Farah Pandith.

Interested?

Ramadhan ends around 5 July, 2016.

*There is another website called www.capturethespiritoframadan.org which appears to be a fake site. It is associated with a Facebook page titled Capture The Spirit of Ramadan. There does not appear to be a 2016 competition according to the Spirit of Ramadan website, nor on the Spirit of Ramadan Facebook page.

Browse Archaeological Survey of India exhibits online

Source: Google Cultural Institute. A 360-degree exploration of the Taj Mahal is available at the Archaeological Survey of India minisite at the Google Cultural Institute.

The Archaeological Survey of India is part of the Google Cultural Institute, enabling Internet users to view historical photographs of various landmarks online, including photographs of the Taj Mahal from the late 1800s up to the present day, views of various mosques, including the Qutubuddin Mosque and the Moti Masjid, and several perspectives of Humayun's Tomb.

The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), under the Ministry of Culture of India, is the premier organisation for archaeological research and the protection of the nation's cultural heritage.

Interested?

Visit the Archaeological Survey of India at the Google Cultural Institute, including the 360 degree museum views of the Taj Mahal

Read the Suroor Asia blog post on the al Sabah Collection at the Google Cultural Institute

Australian Muslim Artists International Photography Competition 2015 ends this month

Source Australian Muslim Artists website.

Australian Muslim Artists (AMA) are organising the AMA International Photography Competition 2015. The deadline is November 20, 2015.

Photographs taken with a mobile phone or camera are accepted. All participants will have the opportunity to see their work posted on the AMA Photography Wall.

Interested?

Read the terms and conditions
Register to participate. There is a standard administration fee of A$20. This fee covers up to three submissions per application and must be paid to validate the entry. Competitors may submit up to four applications (a total of 12 photographs).

IAMM features modern Pakistan in photographs

Source: IAMM website.

From 26 October to 31 January 2016 the Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia (IAMM) will be hosting a photography exhibition, Portrayal of Pakistan by Awais Yaqub, at the Open Space Gallery.

The exhibition shows modern Pakistan through the lens of the photographer. Pakistan is a country with diverse religious beliefs, despite being a predominantly Muslim society. The exhibition also features various aspects of culture of both ancient and traditional in which represented through its sports and festivals. 

Tent pegging, a cavalry sport of ancient origin and semi-nomads of Cholistan, will be featured. Another interesting segment is the tradition of truck art.

Awais, based in Islamabad, Pakistan, got his first camera in 2004.

Interested?

Follow @awaisyaqub on Instagram
Check opening hours

Islamic leitmotif for photo exhibition at Sharjah Calligraphy Museum

Source: Heart of
Sharjah website.

From 11 October to 30 November visitors to the Sharjah Calligraphy Museum can enter the world of Islamic motifs from the UAE.

The collection of 60 photographs of Islamic geometric and floral decoration by Emirati photographers Marwan Al Ali and Yusif Harmoudi includes motifs inspired by the mosques and the doors of Islamic architecture in the UAE. It focuss on the interior aesthetic design and consistency of calligraphy/script and the Islamic motifs used to decorate the halls and walls of mosques.

The photographers aim to identify the splendour of calligraphy and artistic and spiritual manifestations using 3D technology. The exhibition is organised by the Sharjah Art Foundation and held in conjunction with the Sharjah Capital of Arab Tourism celebrations.

Interested?

Check out the opening hours
View Yusif Harmoudi's gallery

Islamic Museum of Australia announces top prize winners for photography competition

The Islamic Museum of Australia (IMA) has announced the top three prize winners for the inaugural Australian Muslim Artists (AMA) International Photography Competition 2014. 

Source: Islamic Museum of Australia. Umar Ali's winning entry, titled Wazhir Khan Mosque.

Umar Ali won the top prize for his picture of Wazhir Khan Mosque, a mosque in Lahore, Pakistan that is well-known for its faience tile work. AMA judge 2014 Mustafa Davies called the image "an example of classic photojournalism". "The eye is drawn to the figure bottom left, there is no clutter in the image and the composition creates a visual tension that draws the viewer in," he said. 

The three winning entries can be viewed here and in person at the IMA from October 10 in AMA: An Exhibition of Contemporary Australian Muslim Artists.The opening night function will be held at the IMA at 7pm on the 10th.