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Abstract
This essay focuses on various issues around the development of Brazilian art and architecture during the twentieth century and, especially, on their relationship with various trends of European Modernism. The notion of ‘purity’, which appears to be inherent in European Modernism, will be central to the discussion. Contrary to what many people think, it will be argued throughout this essay that the transcultural operations that arose from the mediation between perceptions of local traditions and notions of purity were always present within European Modernism and did not pertain to the peripheries alone. In fact, this essay will attempt to demonstrate that the antagonism between centres and peripheries was taken as an advantage by non-European Modernists in order to develop syncretic identity: being entirely Modern while developing specifically national aesthetic languages.
Abstract
This essay focuses on various issues around the development of Brazilian art and architecture during the twentieth century and, especially, on their relationship with various trends of European Modernism. The notion of ‘purity’, which appears to be inherent in European Modernism, will be central to the discussion. Contrary to what many people think, it will be argued throughout this essay that the transcultural operations that arose from the mediation between perceptions of local traditions and notions of purity were always present within European Modernism and did not pertain to the peripheries alone. In fact, this essay will attempt to demonstrate that the antagonism between centres and peripheries was taken as an advantage by non-European Modernists in order to develop syncretic identity: being entirely Modern while developing specifically national aesthetic languages.
Abstract
Of the numerous Sufi lineages that have expanded their presence into the West beginning in the twentieth century, that of the Indian shaykh Azad Rasool (d. 2006) has until now largely eluded scholarly attention. One major channel by which his teachings continue today is through his US-based khalifa, Ahmed Abdur Rashid (b. 1942). By way of an analysis of the latter’s writings and lectures combined with participant observation and in-depth interviews, this chapter seeks to demonstrate how this American shaykh has strived to achieve a balance, preserving tradition while also making it applicable to the contemporary globalized context. It shows how his spiritual search as well as social activism resonated with and culminated in his fully embracing Sufism and Islam, resulting in the emergence of a distinctive reading and application of mystical Islam. This renewal of tradition is pluralistic and sees Islam as compatible with democracy and science, it seeks to make full use of advances in technology, and it emphasizes social responsibility and engagement. Through studying Abdur Rashid’s “Applied Sufism,” which holds that the transformation of individuals can lead to the transformation of the world, the chapter presents an example of the evolution of Islamic mysticism in the modern age.
The essays examine complex processes of transcultural negotiations that are set in motion by »travelling« objects, artists, ideas and institutions in order to trace and analyse historical conditions that generated specific frameworks with their respective art historical narratives and artistic production.
The essays examine complex processes of transcultural negotiations that are set in motion by »travelling« objects, artists, ideas and institutions in order to trace and analyse historical conditions that generated specific frameworks with their respective art historical narratives and artistic production.