Project commissioned by Stroom for the group exhibition Since we last spoke about monuments, curated by Mihnea Mircan.

Materials: handwoven wool kilim, 99 prayer beads collected in Bosnian mosques, 2 booklets, animation

Dimensions: kilim, 180 x 330 cm; booklets, 15 x 29 cm; animation, 5 min

Concept and artistic direction: Azra Akšamija

Research: Khadija Z. Carroll, Mihnea Mircan, Dietmar Offenhuber, Alex Schweder (conceptual contributions); Amila Smajović (consulting in pattern design)

Production: STILL-A Sarajevo (weaving)

Special thanks: Ibrahim and Munira Akšamija, Center for Islamic Architecture at the Rijaset Sarajevo, András J. Riedlmayer, kilim weavers

Also see: Azra Akšamija, Mosque Manifesto: Propositions for Spaces of Coexistence. Berlin: Revolver Publishing, 2015.

Inspired by the geometric motifs of Islamic art, the Flocking Mosque juxtaposes these patterns with the five daily prayers of quotidien Muslim life. One “flower-circle” of this mosque can accommodate a prayer of twelve worshippers, by providing clean surfaces for those body parts that touch the ground during the prayer ritual. Each flower-circle consists of twelve pairs of slippers, twelve pairs of hand pillows, twelve head pillows, and a center bag with twelve prayer beads. The use of these pillows as “mini-prayer-rugs” is meant to create a visual analogy to religious rules of behavior, which in turn mystically represent the Islamic doctrine of unity in multiplicity, the al-Tawhid.

Concept and design: Azra Akšamija
Production: Azra Akšamija (prototypes), Ismeta Kratovac (prototype development), “Plasman” d.o.o. Sarajevo (sewing)
Photographs: Azra Akšamija

Textile Installation
Project commissioned by Manifesta 7, for the group exhibition manifeSTATION, curated by Andreas Spiegl and Christian Teckert.
Materials: Textile pillows, prayer beads, qibla compass
Also see: Azra Akšamija, Mosque Manifesto: Propositions for Spaces of Coexistence. Berlin: Revolver Publishing, 2015.