The Veil: Visible and Invisible Spaces

This traveling exhibition features more than thirty works of art that explore the veil in its broadest and most universal contexts. Organized into three thematic sections—The Sacred Veil, The Sensuous Veil, and The Sociopolitical Veil—the show aims to transcend current clichés and stereotypes of Islamic practices and to investigate the importance of the veil throughout human history.

The veiling of women, men, and sacred places has existed in countless cultures and religions throughout history. Veiling expands far beyond Islam and the Middle East, yet it is vastly misunderstood and today it is a battleground for power and political agendas. The artists included in this exhibition examine issues such as modesty, oppression, liberation, freedom of expression, spirituality, nature, and magic. They represent diverse backgrounds, spiritual practices, and points of view. Through their work, the artists in this show challenge, condemn, embrace, and praise the veil.

A visual companion to the curator Jennifer Heath's edited volume, The Veil: Women Writers on its History, Lore, and Politics (University of California Press), this exhibition includes works in a variety of mediums, including painting, sculpture, photography, installation, and new media. The Veil also includes an interactive component called "What Does the Veil Mean to You?" In this activity visitors are encouraged to share their responses on brightly colored silk headscarves that are displayed on laundry lines.