Crosscurrents: Global Exchanges and Regional Adaptations in Islamic Art Symposium

Symposium

Crosscurrents: Global Exchanges and Regional Adaptations in Islamic Art

24 October 2026, 10am – 5.15pm
Ngee Ann Auditorium
Asian Civilisations Museum

Saturday: 10am–5.15pm

Keynote lecture + Panel sessions

Admission

Saturday, 24 October: $20; tickets are non-refundable

Programme Update: Due to unforseen speaker unavailability, please note that the 23 October session has been cancelled. The keynote lecture originally scheduled for the evening of 23 October will now take place on 24 October as part of the full-day symposium programme. Those who had formally registered for 23 October will be contacted separately with more details.

Please refer to the updated programme below for the full schedule.

From the 16th to the 18th centuries, at the height of their cultural and political influence, the Mughal, Safavid, and Ottoman empires shaped a vast and interconnected world across Asia. Rather than developing in isolation, artists, objects, styles, and ideas moved between these empires through networks of exchange that extended across the Indian Ocean to the sultanates of Southeast Asia.

Over two days, international scholars and curators will explore the art and material culture of this shared artistic world. Moving beyond geographic boundaries, speakers will examine how artistic traditions travelled along historic networks and were adapted in different cultural contexts. The symposium also explores Islamic art in Southeast Asia, situating it within the broader history of Islamic art and tracing its continuing influence across the region.

SYMPOSIUM PROGRAMME (24 OCT)

9am

Registration

10-10.10am

Opening remarks

10.10-11.15am

Keynote Lecture: Rethinking Islamic Art

Dr Souraya Noujaim

Director, Department of Islamic Art, Musée du Louvre

For over a century, the term “Islamic art” has been used to describe works produced across a vast geographical area, from Spain to Southeast Asia. This keynote reconsiders the term and the diverse artistic traditions it encompasses, looking beyond a single overarching category to consider the people, places, and cultures behind the works.

11.15 - 11.30am

Break

11.30 – 12.30pm

Panel 1: In a Different Light: Agency and Representation in Islamic Heritage

Moving beyond centre-periphery narratives, this panel considers Southeast Asia’s place within the wider history of Islamic art and heritage. Tracing connections between Aceh, Persian, and Ottoman spheres, as well as decolonising approaches to collections and archives, speakers examine how objects and material culture shape understandings of the past.

Speakers

Dr Ana Maria Theresa P. Labrador (Honorary Senior Fellow, Robert Cripps Centre for Cultural Conservation, University of Melbourne)

Dr Mirjam Shatanawi (Senior Lecturer, Reinwardt Academy, Amsterdam University of the Arts)

Dr Sher Banu A. L. Khan (Associate Professor, Department of Malay Studies, National University of Singapore)

12.30 – 2pm

Lunch

2 – 3.15pm

Panel 2: Carried by the Tide: Art and Material Exchange Across Empires and Oceans

Moving across Islamic empires and maritime trade networks, objects carried materials, techniques, and artistic traditions between regions. From Mediterranean geometric veneers and Gujarati mother-of-pearl to Southeast Asian ewers and manuscripts, speakers explore how forms were adapted for new markets and tastes within an interconnected Islamic world.

Speakers

Dr Ali Akbar (Senior Researcher, National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), Indonesia)

Charlotte Maury (Senior Curator, Department of Islamic Art, Musée du Louvre)

Judith Henon-Raynaud (Chief Curator and Deputy Director, Department of Islamic Art, Musée du Louvre)

Noorashikin binte Zulkifli (Principal Curator (Islamic Art), Asian Civilisations Museum)

3.15 – 3.45pm

Tea break

3.45 – 5pm

Panel 3: Made Here: Localisation, Hybridity, and the Contemporary Turn

Turning to local adaptation and contemporary practice, this panel considers how Islamic artistic traditions have developed in Southeast Asia. Through apotropaic sanctuaries, mosque architecture, Javanese reverse-glass painting, and current curatorial practice, speakers examine how communities have interpreted and reshaped these traditions over time.

Speakers

Dr Anissa Rahadiningtyas (Curator, Islamic Aesthetics in Modern and Contemporary Southeast Asia, National Gallery Singapore)

Dr Hélène Njoto-Feillard (Researcher, École française d’Extrême-Orient (EFEO), Paris; Associate Fellow, Centre Asie du Sud-Est (CASE), Paris)

Dr Imran bin Tajudeen (Senior Lecturer, Departments of Malay Studies and Architecture, National University of Singapore)

Dr Jérôme Samuel (Professor, Institut National des Langues et Civilisations Orientales (INALCO), Paris)

5 – 5.15pm

Closing Remarks

5.15pm

End of Symposium

The museum reserves the right to make changes and modifications to the programme without prior notice. The views and opinions expressed by speakers do not represent the position of the Asian Civilisations Museum.

By attending this event, you consent to being video-recorded or photographed by ACM and its appointed photographers and to having such recordings/photographs used by ACM for marketing, publicity or promotional purposes.

Images: Tankard with carnations and tulips, OA 6323, Department of Islamic Art ©2022 Musée du Louvre, Dist. GrandPalaisRmn / Hervé Lewandowski; Bottle with animals, OA 3373, Department of Islamic Art ©2010 Musée du Louvre, Dist. GrandPalaisRmn / Hughes Dubois; Basin, RFML. AI.2023.29.2, Department of Islamic Art ©2024 Musée du Louvre, Dist. GrandPalaisRmn / Hervé Lewandowski; Ewer, xxxx-02898, Asian Civilisations Museum

FAQ

1. I had previously registered for the 23 October session. What happens now?

The 23 October session has been cancelled. If you had registered for 23 October, your ticket will be cancelled and your $10 refundable deposit will be returned to you after the conclusion of the symposium. The refund will be processed via Peatix, and depending on your bank, card company, and payment method, it may take between 5 to 30 business days to be reflected on your statement. Please look out for a separate email from us with more details.

Please look out for a separate email from us with further details and information on your options, including access to the keynote on 24 October.

2. Do I need to register at the event on 24 October 2026?

Yes, please sign in at the registration desk upon arrival.

3. I am already registered for 24 October. Is there anything I need to do?

No action is required. Your registration remains confirmed and the updated programme, including the rescheduled keynote lecture, will proceed as planned on 24 October.

4. Where is the meeting point and what time should I be there?
The meeting point is the Ngee Ann Auditorium on the basement level of the Asian Civilisations Museum. Please arrive at least 10 minutes before the talk for registration. The symposium begins at 10am on Saturday. Latecomers with no prior registration may be denied entry as spaces could be reallocated at the discretion of the organiser.

5. Further enquiries
We’d be happy to answer them for you! Drop us a note via Peatix.

6. Visiting the exhibition

The exhibition, Crosscurrents: Masterpieces of Mughal, Safavid, and Ottoman Art from the Musée du Louvre, is now on view at the Asian Civilisations Museum till 24 January 2027. Visiting hours are from 10am to 7pm, and till 9pm on Fridays.