Yuka Kadoi

This project explores the cultural politics of representation, with special reference to contemporary museological and sociological challenges in Central Europe, where none of state and public institutions allocate galleries dedicated to the world of Islam. While overviewing the anachronistic image of Islamic art galleries that dominated the museum field worldwide during the twentieth century, this project seeks alternative modes of display to suit current regional sociopolitical circumstances. Addressing multifaceted issues of display and curation in Austria, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary and Poland, each case study offers an innovative approach and methodological proposition so as to recontextualise the current exhibitory trends in the public presentation of material remains from Muslim-majority societies, including the Arab lands, Iran, Turkey, and South Asia. Taken together, this project sheds light on possibilities as well as limitations, while provoking academic debates as to how Muslim cultural heritage could be showcased in the context of Central European museums.