The 2023 Islamic Arts Biennale is taking place in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia and the contemporary design practice Studio Bound has debuted its thoughtful and minimalist installation called ‘City as a Mosque.’ The piece seeks to start a dialogue about the “formal and informal places of worship in the city of Makkah – also known as Mecca,” making the argument that “all of Mecca can be considered a mosque.” Research for this installation took Studio Bound eight years to complete. The piece features 14 sandstone slabs, each of which is a representation of a mosque in Makkah and “milled with a 1:1 scale pattern of a prayer carpet.” A circular platform surrounds the stones for viewing purposes.
The Islamic Arts Biennale is running from January 23rd until April 23rd, 2023.
Image Credit: Ali Karimi