Dear friends of the Museum for Islamic Art,

We cordially invite you to two special guided tours of the David Collection in Copenhagen on Friday, 17 January 2025.

The curator's tour consists of two parts and will present both the museum's permanent exhibition of Islamic art and the current special exhibition on Islamic calligraphy ‘Beyond Words - Calligraphy from the World of Islam’. The guided tours will be held in English. Afterwards you can also visit the other exhibitions in the museum. Please be prepared to spend most of the day in the museum.
Travel to and from the museum as well as accommodation and catering on site are not part of the offer; however, we will be happy to share relevant tips and information with you on our website.
 
Special exhibition: Beyond Words - Calligraphy from the World of Islam
128 individual works from the David Collection as well as loans from various Danish institutions shed light on the role and significance of calligraphy within Islamic traditions. From everyday objects to monumental architectural complexes, calligraphy is omnipresent. By taking a close look at calligraphy in metalwork, ceramics, textiles, architecture and official documents, the special exhibition presents fonts and their uses. 
The special exhibition is curated by Peter Wandel, Rasmus Bech Olsen and Joachim Meyer. The exhibition is accompanied by a publication that has recently been made available in the specialised library of the Museum of Islamic Art in Berlin:
Joachim Meyer, Rasmus Bech Olsen, Peter Wandel (eds.): Beyond Words. Calligraphy from the World of Islam. Strandberg Publishing, 2024. ISBN 978-87-94418-03-4
 
Permanent exhibition Islamic Art
The David Collection is one of Denmark's most important art museums and is especially known for its extensive collection of Islamic art. The collection and museum were founded by Christian Ludvig David (1878-1960), a Danish lawyer, businessman and art collector. Over the course of his life, David amassed an extensive collection of art and antiquities, focussing in particular on Islamic art, European art and Danish early modern art.
The origins of today's collection can be traced back to David's private acquisitions, which were initially housed in his home, a historic 19th century building near Rosenborg Castle. In 1945, David converted part of his house into a public museum under the name The David Collection. Today, the collection of Islamic art spans the 7th to 19th centuries and includes a large number of object groups, including metalwork, textiles, ceramics, illuminations, calligraphy on paper and parchment, as well as objects made of wood and glass. The European art collection is smaller, but contains important works from the Danish Golden Age, European porcelain from the 18th century and furniture.

Booking
As a maximum of 15 people can take part in the guided tours, registrations are accepted on a first come, first served basis. Please register bindingly by 06 January 2025 at info@fmik.de. Cancellations at short notice are not possible. 

Yours sincerely, Your Executive Board

Irene Fellmann    Nadia Nagie    Cornelia Weber   Stefan Weber    Volkmar Wenzel    Philipp Zobel