The Muslim call to prayer, the ‘Athan’ is a familiar sound to those living in the Middle East, often being heard across neighborhoods and throughout the city. Translating the beautiful call to prayer through light, Dubai-based designer Khalid Shafar partners with Lasvit to create ‘Silent Call’.
The Muslim call to prayer, the ‘Athan’ is a familiar sound to those living in the Middle East, often being heard across neighborhoods and throughout the city. Translating the beautiful call to prayer through light, Dubai-based designer Khalid Shafar partners with Lasvit to create ‘Silent Call’.
The installation is a chandelier inspired by the crown of Islamic Architecture, the Mosque and the beauty of the call to prayer while integrating time & motion for a purposed function beyond aesthetic.
Khalid Shafar showcases eternal inspiration and symbiosis of art and religion and incorporated into this work the symbolism of the number 5 in the muslim religion; the five daily prayer times are one of the most important obligations of the Islamic faith.
The installation features 5 iconic mosques in 5 countries (Russia, Malaysia, Germany, UAE, and Denmark) shaping the silhouette of their domes as components of the chandelier. Each component (dome) is resized in 5 different sizes while all components are reversed for functionality and composition.
A kinetic light installation adapts to the country's timezone, synchronizes it with the timing of the 5 prayer calls, and moves 5 times a day at a certain hour, indicating the actual call to prayer.