Viewing Islamic Arts Museum exhibits on smartphones

KUALA LUMPUR: Arts enthusiasts can now watch exhibits in Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia (IAMM) on their smartphones.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, who attended IAMM’s 15th anniversary celebration last night, commended the museum for using mobile apps to give easy access to Islamic artworks.

He said offering mobile access was an ingenious way of attracting attention in the age of distraction.

IAMM director Syed Mohamad Al-Bukhary said IAMM is the first museum in the country to provide gallery guide mobile application for smart phone users.

The application that could be downloaded from www.iamm.org.my was a result of collaboration between IAMM and Universiti Malaysia Sarawak.

In conjunction with the celebration, IAMM is exhibiting more than 100 contemporary Islamic artworks for the first time.

Najib opened the “Nun Wa Al Qalam” exhibition at the museum on Jalan Lembah Perdana here.

The exhibition showcased works of 35 artists from various countries such as China, Japan, Iran, Syria, Egypt, Tunisia and Saudi Arabia.

The works, including ink on paper, oil on canvas, and acrylic on fibreglass, would be displayed for five months at the IAMM Gallery from today until May 10 next year.

IAMM is also promoting the work of five outstanding female calligraphers.

Among the events lined up in conjunction with the special exhibition are a meet-the-artist session at 10am today and a lecture and art demonstration on Thursday.

Najib said art lovers would greatly value the impressive collections at the museum.

“For Muslim artists, the practice of calligraphy is an act of devotion, as each stroke brings them closer to Allah,” he said.

At the event, Al-Bukhary Foundation chairman Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar Al-Bukhary presented a RM1mil cheque in aid of the flood victims in the east coast states.