DUBAI: The Museum of Islamic Art’s new exhibition, “A Seat at the Table: Food and Feasting in the Islamic World,” developed in collaboration with the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, explores how food connects people across cultures and faiths.
Organized into five thematic sections, the Doha exhibition examines different aspects of culinary traditions in Islamic culture, from preparation and presentation to their role in rituals, celebrations and daily life.
On display are over 100 items from the Museum of Islamic Art’s collection, along with select loans from other Qatar Museums institutions and the Qatar National Library. These include lavish serving vessels, cooking tools, manuscripts, ceramics and textiles.
“The original idea for the exhibition came from LACMA, which Qatar Museums has an official partnership with,” Tara Desjardins, senior curator of decorative arts and design at Lusail Museum, said recently.
“Their senior curator of Islamic art, Linda Komaroff, was already preparing an exhibition called ‘Dining with the Sultan’ (2023) that she wanted MIA to collaborate on and/or host as a potential venue.”
“However, when we began discussions in 2020, it became apparent that we needed to have a different storyline to hers, one that spoke to our local audience and promoted our rich collections here in Qatar,” she added.
Desjardins explained that food offers a unique lens through which to understand shared traditions across the Islamic world.
“Food is a universal topic that has the power to cross boundaries and unite cultures and communities,” she said.
“Despite this breadth and diversity, fundamental practices and beliefs rooted in religious traditions connect all Muslims, irrespective of location or culture.”
The exhibition includes videos of chefs preparing dishes. “The contemporary chefs intend to bring a real-life aspect to the exhibition and to highlight the importance of chefs,” Desjardins said.
While researching, she was struck by common threads. “What was perhaps more surprising is how similar culinary traditions are, and how easily ingredients, dishes, and gastronomy have travelled through time and space,” she said.
