Art has power and in the process of working on this book and the eponymous exhibition I’ve been reminded of that time and again. After all, art is the foundation of the Dar al-Athar al-Islamiyyah (DAI) and its raison d’etre. So I am pleased that when I look at what has been accomplished during the DAl’s first thirty years, I can see the full extent of art’s power.

Since the opening in 1983, cultural activities that inspired and motivated the public never ceased, including exhibitions in Kuwait and abroad. The activities certainly transcend the concept of ethnicity, religion, nationalism and cultural milieu, to reach to a wider and more profound international platform. Interestingly enough, these events often intersected with the political history of this country and became both a witness and an important player in the global cultural political scene.

Islamic Art and Patronage: Treasures from Kuwait, the DAl’s traveling exhibition at the Hermitage in Leningrad, USSR, found itself in exile during the invasion and occupation in August 1990. From an exhibition of art it was transformed to an ambassador, representing the culture of Kuwait, the resilience of the Kuwaiti people, and projecting the role of Kuwait in the protection and preservation of beauty, art and culture of world civilisation. Similarly in 2001, the Dar al-Athar al-Islamiyyah found itself responding to another tragic situation. With strong will and courage, the DAl instantly made the decision to send its exhibition Treasury of the World: the Jewelled Arts of India in the Age of the Mughals, as previously scheduled, to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City immediately after 9/11. The impact of that exhibition helped motivate individuals to visit the museum and helped transform visitors’ perception of Islam.

We know that art has the power. For me and for many of our friends and supporters, the last 30+ years have been educational and entertaining; transformative and motivating; inspirational and illuminating. That is the power of art and, I believe, the success of the DAl: yesterday, today and tomorrow.

Hussah Sabah al-Salem al-Sabah
Director-General, Dar al-Athar al-Islamiyyah
Co-owner, The al-Sabah Collection