A wide variety of works explore the relationship between Islamic art and modernism in Western Europe.

The art and architecture of the Islamic world strongly influenced the development of Western modernism. Re-Orientations reflects the diversity of this fascinating cultural exchange by showcasing a rich variety of works from the mid-nineteenth century to the present day, including drawings, watercolors, paintings, photographs, ceramics, textiles, videos, installations, and more.

During the nineteenth century European collectors caught in Orientalism and “Islamophilia” began to acquire Islamic art. With the advent of modernism, avant-garde artists and those working in the applied arts sought inspiration in the forms and colors of Islamic art. The catalog, which accompanies a 2023 exhibit at the Kunsthaus Zürich, delves into this historical context and more to examine the relationships between the featured works.

Re-Orientations showcases art by Hélène Adant, Anila Quayyum Agha, Marwan Bassiouni, Edmond Bénard, Henriette Browne, Karl Gerstner, Jean-Léon Gérôme, Ja?far ibn Najaf ?Ali, Elisabeth Jerichau-Baumann, Wassily Kandinsky, Gülsün Karamustafa, Bouchra Khalili, Paul Klee, J. & L. Lobmeyr, Henri Matisse, Gabriele Münter, Muhammad?Ali Ashraf, Muhammad Ja?far, Muhammad Yusuf, Osman Hamdi Bey, Lotte Reiniger, Charles Claude Rudhardt, and Salah al-Din, as well as historic pieces by unknown artists from Algeria, Egypt, India, Iran, Iraq, Morocco, Spain, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey, and Uzbekistan.