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Arte islamica e museo nel XXI secolo

2019, Nuova Museologia

The article proposes a critical discussion of some of the main issues connected with displaying Islamic art in the XXI century, focusing on the historiography, the characters of the objects and of the collections, and the way it is presented in western museums. It puts attention on the influence of “orientalism” as understood by Said, in interpreting, collecting and displaying islamic art during the centuries. It raises the question whether the collections of islamic art in western museums can be considered as expressions of islamic civilization, rather than of the taste of western collectors and of the “modern orientalism”, and whether they can be used to promote an effective understanding of the islamic world. Keywords: museology, islamic Art, orientalism.