SWANA (Southwest Asia North Africa)
Introduction
The SWANA collection consists of around 1,000 works from Southwest Asia and North Africa as well as historical cultural areas in southern Spain, West Asia and India with Arabic, Turkish and Persian influences. Objects date from the emergence of Islam in the seventh century to the present day. For the contemporary objects a reference to the art and craft traditions of the SWANA region and its diaspora is decisive. The highlights include impressive ensembles of architectural ceramics and pottery. You can discover these together with a selection of book art, glass, metalworks, carpets and graphic works on the 1st floor of the MK&G.
Image / video
Fliesen vom Mausoleum des Buyan Kuli Chan, 1354, Buxoro (Buchara), MK&G, Public Domain
Favourite objects
Sternförmige Lüsterfliese, Kashan, Iran 13./14. Jahrhundert, Foto: MK&G/Roman Mishchuk
Lustre tile, Kashan
Last autumn, Osayd accompanied me to work as a student intern. As we walked through the exhibition of so-called "Islamic art" together, I showed him one of my favourite objects: star-shaped tiles from Kashan, decorated with geometric patterns and birds, framed by Koranic suras. They once adorned a shrine in Natanz and now hang in the white room of the museum. The heads of the birds are scratched out on some of the tiles. I explained to Osayd that I couldn't understand why anyone would find the depiction of the birds inappropriate. Osayd thought for a moment and then said that in the Koran angels are described as winged creatures. He surmised that the person might have believed that the birds were angels. His explanation surprised me. As an art historian, I am familiar with depictions of angels in human form in Islamic cultures. My knowledge has limited my view of the object. When I see the tiles today, I think of Osayd. Moments like these keep objects and their stories alive and make it clear that a museum is a place of shared learning.
Jasmin Holtkötter, East Asian and SWANA Collection
Conference
Shifting Scripts
From 24 – 26 April 2025, the conference “Shifting Scripts: Contemporary Arabic and Persian Graphic Design” examines Arabic and Persian typographic design from SWANA (Southwest Asia and North Africa) and its diasporas within the broader academic framework of script studies.
Design: Amir Mahdi Moslehi
OPEN CALL
Inspiring SWANA
On 10.10.25, the MK&G will open its new collection display, "Inspiring SWANA". We are seeking works and projects that engage with the cultural, historical and artistic traditions of the SWANA region (Southwest Asia North Africa) and its diaspora or offer contemporary perspectives.
Possible themes include:
– Artistic traditions and forms of expression from the region
– Inspiring motifs, materials, techniques, and narratives
– Social, cultural or political issues
– Identity, diaspora, and social change
– Historical and contemporary entanglements between SWANA and Hamburg
Who can apply?
Artists, designers, craftspeople, collectives
What can be submitted?
Images, photographs, designs, ceramics, textiles, digital works, audio formats, and more
What we offer:
Selected works will be exhibited for approximately six months from October 2025. The museum covers transport costs and offers a small honorarium.
Submission
Please send your submission until 27.4.25 via email, including image/video material (PDF, JPG/PNG, MP4 up to 6 MB) or links, to SWANA@mkg-hamburg.de.
We look forward to your contributions!
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Majlis – GET TOGETHER AT MK&G
‘Majlis’ (Arabic for ‘a space of coming together’) refers to a gathering of individuals with shared interests.
Logo „Majlis“, Design: Amin Vahedi
Publication
The publication "Collection Histories. Islamic Art at the Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe Hamburg (1873–1915)" looks at the paths taken by works from West and Central Asia into the museum. Eleven studies illuminate the interests of the MK&G founding director Justus Brinckmann, trace his acquisitions, and look at the biographies of individual objects – including a Quran manuscript or tiles from a mausoleum in Bukhara. The focus lies on the relations of local and global networks with the history of the art market.
Kerzenleuchter, Syrien (oder Ägypten), 1. Hälfte 14. Jahrhundert, MK&G, Public Domain
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