Marhaba

Marhaba (Arabic for “welcome”) was born from a reflection on the profound influence of Islamic culture on the city of Venice and on the sociopolitical implications related to contemporary migration. Despite the deep historical ties between Venice and the Muslim world, the city has never officially hosted a mosque within its historic center. Yet, as early as 1621, a Muslim prayer room already existed inside the building now known as the Fondaco dei Turchi, a symbolic site of exchange between East and West.

The work draws on the theme of the Mihrab, the niche in the wall of a mosque from which the imam, the person who leads the prayer (salat), addresses the community of worshippers. The Mihrab indicates the Qibla, the direction of the Kaaba in Mecca, thereby orienting prayer and defining a symbolic space of contemplation and belonging.

Traditionally, the Mihrab is a fixed architectural element, carved into or integrated within the structure of the mosque.

In this installation, however, it is transformed into a mobile and fluid presence. Reinterpreted as a hand-cut door, it becomes a symbol of hospitality and openness. Marhaba evokes the idea of a “travelling mosque”, a temporary and permeable spiritual space capable of existing wherever a community, an encounter, or the possibility for dialogue emerges.