PARIS, FRANCE.- L’Institut du Monde Arabe presents Venice and the Orient, on view through February 18, 2007. It is rare for two destinies to remain so closely linked despite antagonisms and the turning tides of history. But this European city, which held a position of economic and commercial supremacy for centuries in the Mediterranean region, enjoyed privileged relations with the dynasties of the Near East from the 9th century onward, and built solid ties with Cairo, Damascus and Byzance-Constantinople.

In keeping with its vocation of fostering exchange and dialogue across the Mediterranean, the Institut du Monde Arabe is pleased to be organizing this project in partnership with the Metropolitan Museum of Art, in New York.

The exhibition could actually cover several centuries – from the theft of St. Mark’s relics from Alexandria in 828 to the dissolution of the republic of Venice at the end of the 17th century – and many geographic areas of the Islamic world, examining the artistic and cultural exchanges between Venice and the most powerful Islamic dynasties. However, we will concentrate on the period that produced the most prolific exchanges, i.e., from the 14th to the 17th centuries.

It was during the time from the end of the 13th century to the beginning of the 14th century that Venice flourished with palaces, carpets, silks, brocades and velvets. Some of these objects bring to mind the question, “Is it Venetian or Oriental?” Even today, the experts are sometimes baffled.

Following a chronological itinerary, we will examine how Venice became a world power very early on and, with the help of commerce, established privileged relations with the great Muslim dynasties of the Mamelouks and the Ottomans.

Over the centuries, this resulted in the transmission of knowledge and techniques from the Orient to Venice. We will be showing how Venice reciprocated by exporting a number of luxury objects with Islamic decorations to the major capitals of the East.

The presence of Mamelouks and Ottomans wearing their typical garments in the paintings of the great masters of the Venetian Renaissance will convey the Venetians’ familiarity with their Mediterranean neighbours.

The itinerary of our exhibition will be illustrated with some 200 objects from Venetian collections and from the great museums of the world. The exhibition will be on view at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York 27 March – 8 July 2007.