Towards a Phenomenology of the Between: Islamic Art in the Barzakh

Abstract

In this study we try to rethink Islamic art in general, and work of art in the specific manner with referance to İbn Arabi’s notions of barzakh (the between) and imagination. From our point of view, Islamic art is located in barzakh in both actual and metaphysical sense. First of all, this art already faces oscillations “between” ancient and modern. This difficult situation has advantages besides disadvantages. For if done properly, this being in the between can be converted into an enriching opportunity for Islamic art. Secondly, Islamic art is located metaphysically in the between, that is to say in the barzakh and it gets its productivity from there in reality. Islamic art per se is based on imagination rather than aisthesis. In this study we offer to rethink the metaphysics of Islamic art with İbn Arabi’s notion of barzakh with reference to the notion of imagination which is essentially related to it. To this end, we consider the example of Suleymaniye Mosque as an artwork and try to shed light on the verity of this work with reference to the notion of “the between”. Here it is intended also to develop a phenomenology of the between with reference to the artwork. While considering Islamic art, the necessity of appealing to the Sufi metaphysics is another underlined subject in this study.