LIVE CONVERSATION: Islamic Art and Science in European Museums
Date
Sunday 19 November
Time
14:00 GMT
Platform
Online via Zoom
Accessibility
Free (registration necessary)
A special Alwaleed Cultural Network event marking UNESCO's International Day of Islamic Art 2023.
The Alwaleed Cultural Network is delighted to be hosting a special LIVE online conversation between Professor Stefan Weber (Director, Museum of Islamic Art, Berlin Museum) and Dr Silke Ackermann (Director, History of Science Museum, University of Oxford) reflecting on the ways in which their museums acquire, categorize and curate their collections of Islamic Art and Science, and the impact these collections can have on local and global communities. This unique conversation will be chaired by Abeer AlFouti, Executive Manager, Global Initiatives, Alwaleed Philanthropies.
Professor Stefan Weber
Stefan Weber is Director of the Museum of Islamic Art at the Pergamon in Berlin, Germany. Previously, he was Assistant Professor of Material Culture at Aga Khan University in London. Between 1996 and 2007 he was a Research Fellow at the German Archaeological Institute (DAI) in Damascus and at the Orient-Institute Beirut (OIB). He is currently overseeing the re-conceptualisation of the Museum of Islamic Art, which explores new grounds for communicating the legacy of art, architecture and archaeology of the Islamic Middle East. He is particularly focused on the accessibility of the museum to the general public and has started several community outreach programs, including ‘Multaka’ which trains Syrian and Iraqi refugees as museum guides so that they can then provide guided museum tours for Arabic-speaking visitors in their native language.
Dr Silke Ackermann
Silke Ackermann is Director of the History of Science Museum, University of Oxford). She studied European History, Languages & Cultures of the Islamic World, and History of Science at Frankfurt University (Germany). She worked for 16 years in a variety of curatorial and managerial roles at the British Museum in London (UK) before taking up a professorship for leadership and cultural management at a private university in Germany. In 2014 she returned to the UK to join the History of Science Museum as the first ever female museum director at the University of Oxford. With her team she is working on Vision 2024, an ambitious transformation project to celebrate the Museum’s centenary and to create a meeting place for people, science, art and belief.
Abeer AlFouti
Abeer Al Fouti is Executive Manager of Global Initiatives at Alwaleed Philanthropies (AP), with over 25 years of experience in the field of human development, quality management and public relations across government, private and non-governmental organizations. Abeer oversees Alwaleed Philanthropies global philanthropic work, including AP’s support for a number of major exhibitions and projects at leading museums across Europe, including the Pergamnon Museum Berlin, Oxford University Museums and the Louvre in Paris. Alongside her work with AP, Abeer sits on the board of the Women in Sports Committee and the Women’s Initiative for Social Entrepreneurship as well as being the Co-Founder of Smile Entertainment, an entertainment platform dedicated to encouraging cultural dialogue through live comedy, theatre and cultural events.
