Manara By Salmah almansoori

Fiberglass sculptures, various dimensions
Public art installation at House of Wisdom for the Sharjah Islamic Art Festival
Manara remains on view at the House of Wisdom until April 2026.

 

Manara is a sculptural installation by Salmah Almansoori that reimagines the fading ornamental elements of Ghayathi’s Islamic architecture. Drawing from the forms of the minaret and the traditional lantern, the work reflects on light as a symbol of spiritual guidance, cultural continuity, and collective memory. These motifs, once central to the town’s visual identity, become the foundation for a contemporary monument that honors both heritage and transformation.

 

Set within the House of Wisdom as part of the Sharjah Islamic Art Festival, the installation offers a quiet counterpoint to the rapid urban evolution of the region. Through its vibrant surfaces and abstracted forms, Manara illuminates the connection between past and present, inviting viewers to consider how architectural symbols persist even as landscapes change.

 

Like a lantern glowing in the dark, the work becomes a point of orientation — a reminder of what anchors a community and what stories endure. By translating traditional motifs into a modern sculptural language, Almansoori preserves elements of Ghayathi’s identity while opening pathways toward new interpretations of place and belonging.