The woman’s veil is one of the most symbolically charged pieces of clothing in contemporary dress; it is provocative even when it is not revealing. With roots in the three Abrahamic religions, it has become one of the most visible icons of contemporary Islam. The wearing of the veil conveys conflicting ideas of faith, sexuality and public life and thus raises a host of questions and tensions between religion and identity. It represents an important cultural tradition yet remains a very personal practice for women as well as a symbo... Read more

The woman’s veil is one of the most symbolically charged pieces of clothing in contemporary dress; it is provocative even when it is not revealing. With roots in the three Abrahamic religions, it has become one of the most visible icons of contemporary Islam. The wearing of the veil conveys conflicting ideas of faith, sexuality and public life and thus raises a host of questions and tensions between religion and identity. It represents an important cultural tradition yet remains a very personal practice for women as well as a symbol communicated to others within the public sphere.

The wearing of the veil has caused heated discussion worldwide – both in Europe and the United States, but also in countries where Islam is the prevalent religion. Often rejected as a symbol of backwardness and oppression, veiling has simultaneously become a symbol that stresses the significance of protection, privacy, morality and piety.

By examining the positions of contemporary artists from the Greater Middle East (Iraq, Iran, Turkey, Pakistan), Europe (Austria, France, Germany) and North America (New York, Canada), this exhibition intends to be a trans-cultural exploration of the numerous approaches to the ideas that surround both the literal and metaphorical meaning of the veil. It includes works in a variety of media such as video, installation, photography, and painting.