Exhibition - The Allo Boards of Northern Nigeria, Brussels

Margaret Graves Discussion

From:  Анастасия Гриб <griana@gmail.com>
Date:  24 April 2014

Dear colleagues,

I am pleased to announce the opening of the following exhibition.

The Allo Boards of Northern Nigeria

An exhibition of the Qur'anic boards from Northern Nigeria is opening today (April 24, 2014) in Brussels at the Galerie Frank Van Craen
http://www.frankvancraen.be/alloboards/

Regardless of region or era, Muslim identity always had in the background the kind of attitude to the written sacred text that saw in the Holy Qur’an the primary source of blessing and power. ‘The written word is a talisman’ – this remains the formula of a professional calligrapher. The Qur’an has brought literacy to various nomadic populations of Eurasia and Africa, and with it has arrived a more structured and prosperous lifestyle. Even today the Qur’an, both as codex and as a set of fragments, is used as medicine, it brings fortune, protects from evil, and erases uncleanness. These are all ‘popular’ practices of the material culture of the Qur’an; among the principle objects of this culture in Africa one also finds the Qur’anic board.

The catalogue of the exhibition, with an introduction by Dr. Anastasia Grib, is available on-line both in English and French:
http://www.frankvancraen.be/alloboards/allo.pdf

Galerie Frank Van Craen
49 rue des Minimes - 1000 BRUSSELS - BELGIUM
Tel +32.(0)475 66 81 87
info@frankvancraen.be

Open from Wednesday to Saturday, from 11h to 18h, or by appointment

Sincerely,

Dr. Anastasia Grib
http://materiale-textkulturen.academia.edu/AnastasiaGrib
www.khatt.ru