Contemporary Art and Sufi Aesthetics in European Contexts

Abstract

This article examines the work of seven contemporary artists whose aesthetics exemplify the “lived” experience of Islamic mysticism or Sufism (Arabic tasawwuf) within a European context. The work of artists born in Islamic majority countries and familiar with “traditional” Sufi idioms and discourses, but now immersed in Western culture, is often associated with “diasporic art”. From this hybrid perspective some of their artistic narratives reconfigure or even subvert the “traditional” Sufi idioms, and do so in such a way as to provoke a more profound sensory experience in the viewer than traditional forms of art. Drawing upon on recent methodological tendencies inspired by the “aesthetic turn”, this study explores post- and decolonial ways of thinking about Sufi-inspired artworks, and the development of a transcultural Sufi-inspired aesthetic within the context of migration and displacement over the last half-century.

Sufism Revisited: A Comprehensive Analysis of Emha Ainun Najib’s Philosophical Contributions to Modern Society

“…12 Xavier highlights the continued relevance of the teachings of Jalal al-Din Rumi (1207-1273) through art, music, and the practice of spinning meditation. 13 Similar phenomena can be observed in the discourse of "traditional" Sufism implicit in contemporary European art, 14 including in modern literary context. 15 In line with this, Previato emphasizes the importance of revitalizing studies on the role of Sufism in shaping modern society.…”

Syair Hamzah Fansuri sebagai Negasi Tuduhan Wahdatul Wujud

“…Hamzah Fansuri sebagai ekpresi spiritual mistik dengan citra simbol lokal melayu pesisiran menjadi pendobrak sastra melayu sebelumnya (Kuehn, 2023). Ungkapan autobiografis dengan pijakan ayat dan hadis tidak mengabaikan syariat.…”

“…Laku hidup Hamzah yang terekam dalam karya lebih tepat sebagai gambaran Islam Tasawuf jalan sufi (Drewes, 1966;Hidayati, 2022;Mukaffa, 2018) Ungkapan ungkapan halus melesap dalam syair untuk berdakwah yang dikaitkan dengan pengalaman hidup. Jalan hidupnya menjadi otobiografi spiritual mistik (Kuehn, 2023;Shaikh, 2023). Jika…”

Preface to the Special Issue “Sufism in the Modern World”

“…One of the rather understudied areas in studying Sufism in the modern age is the exploration of its aesthetic aspect. Focusing on the embodied aesthetic involvement of contemporary artists with Sufi practices, rituals, and concepts, Sara Kuehn (2023b) looks into the work of seven artists who are based in Europe and mostly have migration backgrounds in Muslim-majority countries. Their familiarity with both traditional Sufi idioms and discourses and Western culture has created a cultural hybridity (Bhabha 1994) that enables them to stretch Sufi vocabulary and imagery beyond its conventional limits.…”