Manifestation and concealment between Western and Islamic aesthetics. Reassessing the orientalistic prejudice about the “Land of mysteries”

Abstract

The paper engages with the aesthetic dimension of Edward Said’s critique of Orientalism (1), focusing in particular on the trope of the Islamic world as a “land of mysteries” (2). From a Gadamerian perspective, it argues that this trope may in fact reflect a genuine aesthetic difference rather than merely colonial bias: while Western art emphasizes mimesis and the revelation of truth through visual representation, Islamic art – guided by theological concerns – seeks to make room for what lies beyond the visible (3). Although shaped by power imbalances, the Orientalist fascination with Islamic “mystery” – it is argued – inadvertently acknowledges a genuine aesthetic alterity and potentially prompts intercultural aesthetic dialogue (4).