Sandow Birk
American Qur'an
Monday, March 28, 2016
5:30 pm
In-person Event
U-M Museum of Art
525 S State St, Ann Arbor, MI 48109
Google Map/Directions
Penny Stamps Speaker Series
Open to the public
Free of charge
Frequently developed as expansive multimedia projects, Los Angeles artist Sandow Birk’s work deals with contemporary life. With an emphasis on social issues, his work often includes themes of inner city violence, graffiti, political issues, travel, war, and prisons, as well as surfing and skateboarding. He has been the recipient of numerous grants and awards, including an NEA International Travel Grant to Mexico City, a Guggenheim Fellowship, a Fulbright Fellowship, a Getty Fellowship, and a City of Los Angeles (COLA) Fellowship. He has been an artist in residence at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, DC, and at the Cité Internationale des Arts in Paris.
Birk will discuss his latest epic project: the creation of a hand-transcribed and illuminated manuscript of the Holy Qur’an, in English. This nine-year project seeks to make the message of the Qur’an, unknown to most Americans, less exotic and ominous and more accessible by contrasting the text with scenes of everyday life in contemporary United States.
In partnership with the Islamic Studies Program.
Content Notice
In accordance with the University of Michigan’s Standard Practice Guidelines on Freedom of Speech and Artistic Expression, the Penny Stamps Speaker Series does not censor our speakers or their content. The content provided is intended for adult audiences and does not reflect the views of the University of Michigan or Detroit Public Television.