SELECTIONS 63: BEYOND BORDERS

Dear readers,

Our Art Paper is back this issue, covering the latest cultural highlights from the region. It’s certainly been a busy time recently, with SELECTIONS having been invited to attend a number of major events, giving us a front-row seat to the most significant happenings in the art community in this part of the world.

Public art has become increasingly important in the Gulf region, with cities and landscapes across the area seeking to promote their artistic heritage. Wadi AlFann, which means ‘Valley of the Arts’, is a new, awe-inspiring cultural destination for contemporary art that will see era-defining works from some of the most compelling artists in the world placed permanently in the monumental landscape of AlUla, opening in 2024.

Qatar Museums has also commissioned an impressive array of public artworks, including installations by Simone Fattal, Ernesto Neto, and Olafur Eliasson in the desert. Eliasson’s solo exhibition, The Curious Desert, provides us with a glimpse into the mind of this Icelandic-Danish artist, allowing us to get to know him better.

Abu Dhabi has also made significant strides in the art world by launching its first major art biennial, which will undoubtedly put the city on the international art map. We were excited to see the multimedia crashing wave display by the Seoul-based collective D’strict, which was recently unveiled in the emirate.

As for our main theme this issue, we have fully dedicated it to highlighting established contemporary artists from Saudi Arabia who explore themes such as identity, tradition, and modernisation through various mediums including photography, installation, and sculpture.

Our cover features the remarkable artwork “Songs from the Shore” by Manal AlDowayan from 2022, which delves into the history of the Gulf’s fishing economies and musical culture, exploring themes of connection and hope.

The edition concludes with a special section curated by Iwona Blazwick, a British art critic and lecturer who currently chairs the Royal Commission for Al-’Ula’s Public Art Expert Panel. Through her selection of 12 artworks by Saudi artists, she offers a unique and insightful glimpse into the thriving art scene of the country.

10-28

Art Paper

32- 39 Abdullah Al Othman

40- 47 Muhannad Shono

48- 53 Dana Awartani

54- 59 Lulwah Al Homoud

60- 65 Manal AlDowayan

66- 69 Rashed AlShashai

70- 75 Sarah Al Abdali

76- 83 Sultan Bin Fahad

84- 89 Abdulnasser Gharem

90- 97 Moath Alofi

98- 103 Ahmed Mater

104- 109 Ayman Yossri Daydban

110- 115 Faisal Samra

116- 121 Mohammad AlFaraj

122- 127 Filwa Nazer

128- 133 Nasser Al-Salem

134-156

Spring–2023

Curated by Iwona Blazwick

COVER SONGS FROM THE SHORE, 2022, MANAL ALDOWAYAN, PHOTOGRAPHER TAKAHIRO TSUSHIMA, COURTESY OF THE ARTIST

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ARTS-STYLE-CULTURE FROM THE ARAB WORLD AND BEYOND

Art Paper #29

Below – Render of Ashab Al-Lal by Ahmed Mater at Wadi AlFann. Visualisation by Atelier Monolit. Courtesy of Athr Gallery

Bottom – Render of Ashab Al-Lal by Ahmed Mater at Wadi AlFann. Visualisation by Atelier Monolit. Courtesy of Athr Gallery

AlUla, a place of extraordinary natural and human heritage, located 1,100 km from Riyadh in North-West Saudi Arabia, has its sights set on becoming a global cultural destination for contemporary art, with the announcement of plans for Wadi AlFann. Meaning ‘Valley of the Arts’, this initiative announced by the Royal Commission for AlUla will feature era-defining works by some of the most compelling artists from around the world.

The initial five works that are set to be unveiled in 2024 include new, large-scale, site-specific commissions by Saudi artist Manal AlDowayan, Hungarian artist Agnes Denes, American artists Michael Heizer and James Turrell, and Saudi physician-turned-artist Ahmed Mater. These works will be the first of many, as the Royal Commission for AlUla plans to continue its programme of commissions.

These works, created by some of the world’s most renowned pioneers of land art and artists at the forefront of contemporary practice, will be juxtaposed with the historic traces of ancient desert communities, adding to the legacy of this millennia-old location.

Manal AlDowayan’s labyrinthine installation, Oasis of Stories, takes inspiration from the mud walls of AlUla’s Old Town. This architectonic sculpture replicates the ancient spaces of Arabic settlements and invites viewers to walk through and lose themselves in its passages. The walls of the labyrinth will be inscribed with personal histories and folklore gathered by

the artist from communities of AlUla.

Michael Heizer is introducing altogether new lineal/incised engravings in the sandstone rock, relating directly to the extraordinary geology of the area. Meanwhile, Ahmed Mater’s new work, Ashab Al-Lal, will explore the mythic space between subjective imagination and objective reality by generating a mirage within the sand dunes. For Wadi AlFann, James Turrell is creating a series of spaces within the canyon floor, which the viewer can explore via a series of tunnels and stairs.

The unveiling of these five artworks will be

accompanied by a dynamic, engaging public programme that includes performances and tours through the valley. In partnership with Madrasat AdDeera, the commissions at Wadi AlFann will offer educational opportunities for local communities, including practical, skillsbased engagement in the process of conceiving and installing the artworks,

sessions with art professionals to develop skills, and masterclasses for local creatives with Wadi AlFann’s commissioned artists. The concepts, vision and epic scale of Wadi AlFann’s crossgenerational commissions mark a new chapter in art history, making this already extraordinary desert region even more awe-inspiring.

Above – Wadi AlFann, AlUla. Courtesy of the Royal Commission for AlUla

Bottom – Render of Ashab Al-Lal by Ahmed Mater at Wadi AlFann.

Visualization by Atelier Monolit. Courtesy of Athr Gallery

AWWAL BAIT –ISLAMIC ARTS BIENNALE 2023

Over 60 established and emerging artists from around the globe, including over 60 new commissions, 280 artefacts, more than 15 never-before-exhibited works

of art and a unique multisensorial experience, under the artistic direction of Sumayya Vally are among the highlights of the first edition of the Islamic Arts

Biennale. Themed ‘Awwal Bait’, and running until April 23, the event is being held at the historic Western Hajj Terminal in Jeddah, considered the gateway to Makkah.

The theme of ‘Awwal Bait’ (meaning First House in Arabic) draws its inspiration from the Holy Ka’bah in Makkah, the most sacred site in Islam. The Ka’aba and the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah are the

direction that all Muslims face in their daily prayers, creating a sense of belonging in their homes, or their ‘bait,’ wherever that may be. The theme aims to explore how these sacred sites inspire Muslims worldwide on both cultural and metaphysical levels.

By bringing together established and emerging artists to explore the cultural and metaphysical significance of the Awwal

Bait, the event invites visitors to engage with the resulting artworks and installations, reflecting on the themes of belonging and connection through the lens of Islamic art and culture.

Below – Haroon Gunn-Salie (South Africa), Amongst Men (2014/23), I,000 Material One sculptures, dimensions variable, audio, 12′

Bottom – Wael Shawky (Egypt), In the Sound of Muzdalifah (2023). Mixed media sculpture, 5.8 m high. Commissioned by Diriyah Biennale Foundation

FAME: Andy Warhol in AlUla

Iconic works by one of the world’s most recognised artists, Andy Warhol, are now in the region for the first time and on show at AlUla’s award-winning Maraya venue. Arts AlUla, an organisation dedicated to promoting contemporary art and culture in the Arabian desert, is presenting ‘FAME: Andy Warhol in AlUla’ as a major new showcase of the artist’s iconic work, under the umbrella of its visual arts

programme, which includes land art commissions and artist residencies. This exhibition is not only a unique opportunity for visitors to experience Warhol’s art in a new and exciting context, against the backdrop of the Arabian desert, but also further demonstration of the region’s commitment to supporting contemporary art and culture. The exhibition runs until May 16.

Andy Warhol, Princess Caroline of Monaco, 1983. The Andy Warhol Museum, Pittsburgh; Founding Collection, Contribution The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Inc. 1998.1.633 © 2023 The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Inc. / Licensed by DACS, London

Installation Photo © Flint Culture / © 2023 The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Inc./ Licensed by DACS, London

Maraya: a reflection of greatness

Nestled in the AlUla desert is now a mesmerising architectural wonder, the largest mirror building in the world, designed by Italian architect Gio Forma. Maraya, which means

“mirrors” in Arabic, is set across 9,740 square metres and is covered in over 13,000 meticulously placed mirrors. Its seamless reflective surface glistens brilliantly, perfectly

mirroring and blending in with the breathtaking beauty of the natural desert landscape that surrounds it. More than an architectural wonder, Maraya is also a versatile venue that can

host events such as concerts, conferences, and cultural gatherings. Boasting state-of-the-art technology, it can accommodate up to 500 guests.

HEGRA’S NEW VIRTUAL TOUR

Exploring the ancient tombs of Hegra, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is now possible wherever you are in the world, thanks to an innovative initiative. Hegra has opened its doors to virtual visitors in the metaverse through a collaboration with Decentraland, a virtual world platform that allows users to create and explore digital content. Visitors can now immerse themselves in the rich history and cultural heritage of Hegra, with an unprecedented level of accessibility to sites that are

currently inaccessible to physical visitors and that would otherwise be difficult or impossible to access. The virtual tour offers an immersive and interactive experience, taking online visitors deep into the site and offering a deep understanding of its significance in the process. The initiative not only provides a unique opportunity for visitors but represents a significant step forward and the opening of new, exciting possibilities for heritage preservation and education.

Gio Forma, Maraya, AlUla

Hegra, AlUla

Misk Art Institute presents Manal AlDowayan and Hassan Sharif

The first solo shows in Saudi Arabia for Saudi artist Manal AlDowayan and the late Emirati artist Hassan Sharif are currently on view courtesy of the Misk Art Institute as part of its The Art Library Exhibitions. The event takes place to accompany the launch of Volumes nine and ten from the ‘The Art Library: Discovering Arab Artists’ series, which showcases the work of these artists. In addition, a regional book preview was held on March 3 at Art Dubai, paying homage to Sharif’s origins in the United Arab Emirates and the place where AlDowayan began her career and which is home to her studio.

Misk Art Institute’s The Art Library: Discovering Arab Artists is a groundbreaking project dedicated to highlighting some of the most prominent and influential modern and contemporary Arab artists with a special focus on Saudi artists. Produced in collaboration with Rizzoli International Publications and with the Deputy for Cultural Assets & Centres and former director general of the Institut du Monde Arabe in Paris, Mona Khazindar, as the publication’s editor, the initiative aims to be an accessible and compelling resource that offers readers a comprehensive panorama

of the trends that shaped the history of modern and contemporary Arab art.

Each volume includes a selection of the artist’s seminal works accompanied by written contributions from local and international art critics and curators. This new volume on Manal AlDowayan provides an intimate exploration of her participatory approach to art, which addresses the crucial topic of genderspecific, socio-political obstacles and narratives in Saudi Arabia. Hassan Sharif’s book examines the concept of weaving throughout his oeuvre, which became as much a conceptual approach as it was a performative action.

Manal AlDowayan: Participatory Acts, Solo Show of Manal AlDowayan at Misk Art Institute in Riyadh, 2023, Exhibition views, Photographer Carla Giachello, Courtesy of the Artist

Manal AlDowayan: Participatory Acts, Solo Show of Manal AlDowayan at Misk Art Institute in Riyadh, 2023, Exhibition views, Photographer Carla Giachello, Courtesy of the Artist

Tasweer Photo Festival Qatar Returns

For its second edition, the biennial Tasweer Photo Festival Qatar returns this year from March 15 to May 20 once again demonstrating its valuable role as a platform and support for photographers and photographic communities in Qatar and the Western Asia and North Africa (WANA) region. Developed by Qatar Museums and led by Her Excellency

Sheikha Al Mayassa bint

Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, the festival aims to foster personal and professional creative growth for photographers and imagemakers in the region, while

nurturing artistic talent and developing Qatar’s arts economy. The programme features exhibitions, awards, commissions, collaborations, presentations, and workshops that highlight diverse practices and dialogues. Among the festival’s opening exhibitions are Doha Fashion Fridays and A Chance to Breathe, along with site-specific exhibitions that include My Mother Lulwa’s House and And Thereafter, and the Mathaf exhibition I Am The Traveler And Also The Road, featuring photographic projects created by WANAbased artists.

Azimul Hasson, A Chance To Breathe

Hadeer Omar, And Thereafter

Olafur Eliasson, Your pearl garden, 2023. Galvanised steel, textile (white, anthracite), solar lamp, glass spheres (various sizes), silver, paint (black, yellow), 380 x 950 x 950 cm.

Olafur Eliasson’s The Curious Desert

This photo – Olafur Eliasson, The living lighthouse, 2023. Steel, wood, paint (black), colour-effect filter glass ( various colours), HMI lamps, motors, tripod, cables, electrical ballast, dimensions variable. “Olafur Eliasson: The Curious Desert, National Museum of Qatar, Doha, 2023”. Photo: Anders Sune Berg. Courtesy of the artist; neugerriemschneider, Berlin; Tanya Bonakdar Gallery, New York / Los Angeles

Right - Olafur Eliasson, Eye see you, 2006. Stainless steel, aluminium, colour-effect filter glass, monofrequency bulb 230 x 120 x 110 cm, Photo: Anders Sune Berg, Courtesy of the artist; neugerriemschneider, Berlin; Tanya Bonakdar Gallery, New York / Los Angeles

Titled ‘The Curious Desert’, the first solo exhibition in the Gulf region for IcelandicDanish artist Olafur Eliasson invites you to explore indoors and outdoors across two locations from March 19. An extensive display at the National Museum of Qatar encompasses meditative light installations, geometric models, photo series, watercolours and a sprawling research map that is a work in progress, while close to the Al Thakhira Mangrove in Northern Qatar a dozen new site-specific installations –an artistic laboratory in the desert, according to the artist - are waiting to be discovered. In the artist’s words: “The Curious Desert asks how we use vi-sion and movement to make sense of our worlds; to make invisible phenomena visible and palpable; and to collect knowledge, engage in critical reflection, and construct worlds based on the stories that we live each day.”

Photograph by Ali Faisal Al Anssari. Courtesy of the artist; neugerriemschneider; Tanya Bonakdar Gallery.

Titled ‘Beirut and the Golden Sixties: A Manifesto of Fragility’, a new multidisciplinary exhibition at Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art opened on March 17, exploring a turbulent chapter in the development of modernism in Lebanon and the burgeoning Beirut art scene of the 1960s. Co-curated by Sam Bardaouil and Till Fellrath, the exhibition features 230 artworks and 300 archival documents drawn from nearly 40 collections worldwide, including eight works from Mathaf’s own collection, and a number of archival documents that provide additional understanding of the artists’ practices. Here, Selections talks to cocurator Sam Bardaouil in an exclusive interview.

What was the concept behind this exhibition?

Beirut and The Golden Sixties is an exhibition that is built on two lines. On the one hand, it is a celebration and acknowledgement of all the important artists that made

Beirut that special place that we all know and think about. At the same time, it is a cautionary tale. If Beirut was indeed such a great place and we had that golden age, then how come there was a civil war that occurred in 1975 which had repercussions that are very much still felt with us to this day? So, these two lines compete, converge and diverge in this exhibition, leading us all the way to 1975 and the aftermath of the war, which unfortunately has its repercussions evident in the Beirut Port blast of 2020.

What do you personally hope to achieve from this exhibition in Doha?

I think that bringing this show to Doha is important because you’re placing the exhibition along with the artists and works within a collection in an institution that is trying to push the discourse and open up the narrative about the history of modernity in the region. For instance, there are works in this exhibition that we took from the collection in dialogue with the works that

we have from very important lenders such as the Dalloul Foundation, Barjeel Foundation and many others. To see these works side by side in the context of a place that is about advancing the discourse on the contributions of this part of the world to the language and practice of modernity and art in particular is very important. I hope this will be one of the steppingstones in the history of this institution in the work that they do.

Will this exhibition continue touring?

This is the last stop. This exhibition was conceived for the Lyon Biennial. It opened initially in Berlin and then went to Lyon as part of the biennial whose title is “Manifesto of Fragility”. So, the idea was taking Beirut as an example of a city that is fragile but perhaps due to its fragility, it keeps on persevering and connecting the people who are somehow related to it because that is what binds us all together: our fragility.

What are your expectations for how this exhibition will be received in Qatar?

It is too early to tell because we just opened the exhibition. However, generally, what this show can hopefully do is something that we need to do more of in Lebanon. If we go to Lebanon, not one place exists where we can look at what happened in that war to draw any conclusions or lessons. There is no place of remembrance nor of accountability. This exhibition could somehow evoke certain incidents that led us to where we ended up back then but also to where we are today. It is a very important exercise in self-reflection and I think this is what drew me to this project in the first place. I learned so many new things I didn’t know, and from another perspective it was a way of rethinking a lot of things I thought I knew.

‘Beirut and the Golden Sixties: A Manifesto of Fragility’

Khalid Khreis, Jordan, Untitled, 2011, Acrylic on canvas, 100 x 81 cm. Courtesy of Ramzi & Saeda Dalloul Art Foundation

CULTURAL NARRATIVES AT MENART FAIR

After the success of its launch in Paris, MENART FAIR hosted its third edition in Brussels from February 3-5, with extracts from the Cultural Narratives collection, conceived by Selections magazine, adorning the walls of the Boghossian Foundation (Villa Empain) for the occasion. The Cultural Narratives collection was designed to travel the world, with a mission of highlighting the prolific art scene in the region while conveying the uniqueness of each country represented.

Bringing together hundreds of works in a unique 20cm x 20cm format, the Cultural Narratives collection includes works by established and emerging talents from the MENA region, offering a breathtaking visual map of Middle Eastern artistic talent, with unique works from Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestine, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia and the United Arab Emirates.

Menart Fair, Photo Credit Jules Monnier

Cultural Narratives stand at Menart Fair 2023, Photo Credit Jules Monnier

‘UNTITLED 077’ at Dalloul Art Foundation

A new project by the Dalloul Art Foundation in Beirut is placing the act of consciously not titling art in the spotlight. Through a series of exhibits, talks, and events, the project – which itself is titled ‘UNTITLED 077’ - seeks to answer questions such as: Why do we expect an artwork to have a title? When did titles become a necessity in the art world? And how does titling feature in modern and contemporary Arab art? For the occasion, a number of interactive exhibitions will showcase a wide selection of artworks entitled ‘Untitled’ by artists from across the Arab world. Each exhibition will feature 77 unique pieces selected from DAF’s own untitled artworks, united under one specific theme. DAF hopes that this project will open the space for scholars, art historians, and art lovers to decode the visual language of ‘Untitled’ artworks and devise parenthetical titles of their own.

Moataz Nasr, Egypt, Untitled, XVIII, 2014, Mixed media on wood, 200 x 150 cm. Courtesy of Ramzi & Saeda Dalloul Art Foundation

Sharjah Biennial 15: Thinking Historically in the Present

For its 15th edition, the Sharjah Biennial takes up the theme of ‘Thinking Historically in the Present’, a reflection on the late Okwui Enwezor’s vision and influence on contem-porary art and biennials worldwide. Taking place across 19 venues located in five cities and towns in Sharjah, the Biennial also includes 30 works commissioned to celebrate its 30-year anniversary.

Thinking Historically in the Present is being realised by Sharjah Art Foundation Direc-tor Hoor Al Qasimi as curator in conjunction with the Sharjah Biennial 15 Working Group, comprised of Tarek Abou El Fetouh (independent curator); Ute Meta Bauer (pro-fessor and Founding Director of NTU CCA Singapore); Salah M Hassan (professor and art historian, Cornell University and Director of The Africa Institute, Sharjah); Chika Okeke-Agulu (professor and art historian, Princeton

University); and Octavio Zaya (in-dependent curator, art writer and Executive Director of the Cuban Art Foundation). The Advisory Committee includes Sir David Adjaye (architect) and Christine Tohmé (Direc-tor, Ashkal Alwan, Beirut).

In total, over 150 artists and collectives from more than 70 countries are showcasing more than 300 artworks, as well as various performances, music, and films for the event, which continues until June 11.

‘Punk Orientalism: The Art of Rebellion’ by Sara Raza

The launch of curator and writer Sara Raza’s new book, ‘Punk Orientalism: The Art of Rebellion’, gave the opportunity for an ‘in conversation’ event with artist Ala Younis. The discussion centred on the intersection of geographical and cultural themes, as well as experimental and fractured poetic forms explored in this fascinating book, which shines a light on one of the most under-researched regions in the contemporary art world. Raza’s curatorial practice informed the publication’s focus on art and ideas from the spaces associated with the former USSR.

Barbara Walker, Burden of Proof (installation view), 2022. Commissioned by Sharjah Art Foundation with the support of The Whitworth, The University of Manchester

Amar Kanwar, The Peacock’s Graveyard (installation view), 2023. Commissioned by Sharjah Art Foundation. Image courtesy of Sharjah Art Foundation

Sara Raza portrait. Photo by Asya Gorovits

Sharjah Biennial Prize Awards

After the commendable task of evaluating over 150 artists exhibiting installations, performances, films, and other media, including 70 new works, across 19 different locations in Sharjah, the results of the Sharjah Biennial Prize were announced by Sharjah Art Foundation (SAF) during the opening gala of the Sharjah Biennial’s 15th edition and 30-year anniversary on February 7. Awards were given to Bouchra Khalili for The Circle (2023), Doris Salcedo for Uprooted (2023), and Hajra Waheed for Hum II (2023). Furthermore, Honourable Mentions were granted to Lee Kai Chung, Gabriela Golder, Amar Kanwar, Tania El Khoury, Ibrahim Mahama, Joiri Minaya, and Varunika Saraf.

The winners were selected by a notable jury consisting of Solange Farkas, Curator and Director of Videobrasil Cultural Association, Salwa Mikdadi, Professor of Art History and Director of the Arab Center for the Study of Art at NYU Abu Dhabi, and Elvira Dyangani Ose, Director of Museu d’Art Contemporani de Barcelona.

Dappled Light:

Dubai Public Art Programme 5th Edition

Excitement is mounting after the announcement of the shortlisted artists for the fifth edition of the Dubai Public Art Programme. Asma Belhamar, Afra Al Dhaheri, Shaikha Al Mazrou, Mohamed Ahmed Ibrahim Abdalla Almansoori and Khalid Al Banna are among the regional and international names who will be bringing their talent to creating site-specific

works across Dubai’s public spaces, including parks, streets and pedestrian walkways.

The final artworks will be unveiled later this year, when they will not only add to the already impressive public art collection in Dubai but also no doubt achieve the Dubai Public Art Programme aim of promoting cultural dialogue in the city.

Rana Begum

at Concrete

For its five-year anniversary, in March Alserkal Avenue’s Concrete space was transformed into a mesmerising display for ‘Dappled Light’, a solo exhibition by Rana Begum - the artist’s most extensive in the region to date. Begum’s inspiration stems from the urban landscape, geometry, and traditional Islamic art and architecture, with her work grounded in light as a catalytic element that stimulates a sensorial and temporal experience for the viewer. The exhibition, curated by Dr. Cliff Lauson, showcased Begum’s exceptional use of light and colour in works that included a number previously unseen. In addition to the exhibition, a public programme of engaging talks and tours took place throughout the exhibition’s duration.

Left – Doris Salcedo, Uprooted, 2020–2022.804 dead trees and steel; 3000 x 650 x 500 cm. Installation view: Sharjah

Biennial 15, Kalba Ice Factory, Sharjah Art Foundation, 2023. Courtesy of the artist. Photo credit Juan Castro

MAHMOUD OBAIDI: MOSQUITO EFFECTS

New work by the acclaimed Iraqi-Canadian contemporary artist Mahmoud Obaidi is currently on show at Dubai’s Meem Gallery. Titled ‘Mosquito Effects’, the exhibition runs until May 30 and makes for compelling viewing. Obaidi’s art strives to explore and comprehend the intricacies of trauma from a historical, structural, and geographical perspective, rejecting simplistic political or identity-based interpretations. Never one to shy away from complex

REJ3A YA MAMA BY KATYA TRABOULSI

Solidarity, difference, group identification, superstition, love, and the afterlife are all themes tethered by the ‘Rej3a ya mama’ exhibition by multimedia artist Katya Traboulsi which opened at Saleh Barakat Gallery in Beirut on March 10. For the occasion, Traboulsi draws us into the visual world of Lebanese trucks, a common sight all too readily overlooked as they crisscross multiple geographies within and around Lebanon. Far from mundane, the mesmerising visuals that adorn the rears of these vehicles belong both to Lebanese heritage and the identity of their drivers. The evil eye, a fivethousand-year-old concept that has been adopted by many religions and cultures to protect possessions and loved ones, is one of the most common adornments on these trucks, tying in with the exhibition title that translates as “Mother, I will return”. As the artist explains, “Throughout our dramatic Lebanese history, old and recent, the clash between invasions, dependencies, travels and migrations has created a national feeling of anxiety around the stigma that our children will never return. However, if this anxie-ty holds us hostage, it also represents a national hope, sometimes the only remaining breath that we hold.”

TIMO NASSERI: ALL BORROW THEIR LIGHT

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subjects, the artist’s latest body of work explores colonisation and genocide, delving beyond the external shapes and colours to uncover layers of personal displacement. With every piece, Obaidi creates a visual inquiry that explores the difficult topics he seeks to tackle while also forcing him to look inward and confront his own sense of displacement.

Dubai’s Lawrie Shabibi Gallery is currently hosting its first solo exhibition for the Berlinbased, German-Iranian artist Timo Nasseri, which runs until April 28. Titled ‘All Borrow Their Light’, the exhibition offers a comprehensive glimpse into Nasseri’s oeuvre, show-casing a carefully curated selection of the artist’s paintings and sculptures, spanning various stages of his career. The exhibition is anchored by a new 4-metre-long painting titled ‘Atlas’ (2023), which builds on his previous series titled ‘I Am a Sky Where Spirits Live’ (2022-2023). In these paintings, inspired by the camouflage technique used by the British and US Navy in both World Wars, Nasseri uses brightly coloured recurring forms on the canvas that evoke geometric patterns in a vast kaleidoscope. The artist’s fascination with geometry traces back to his interest in Islamic architecture, which it-self was spurred by a visit to Iran with his father.

Above – Katya Traboulsi, 5 In Your Eyes, Painted Hand Iron, 140x120cm, 2022-2023

– Mahmoud Obaidi, 1966 - PRESENT The Bleached Boy , 2022. Mixed media on canvas, 250 x 200 cm

Mahmoud Obaidi, 1966PRESENT Mosquito Effects 2 , 2022. Mixed media on canvas

Timo Nasseri: All Borrow Their Light, Instillation View, 28 February - 28 April 2023. Courtesy of the artist and Lawrie Shabibi. Photo by Ismail Noor of Seeing Things

Triennale Milano’s 100th anniversary

In 2023, Triennale Milano will celebrate its 100th anniversary, marking a century of promoting art, design, and architecture. This international cultural institution, established in 1923, has been a creative hub that has influenced and inspired generations of artists, designers, and architects through its exhibitions, events, and conferences.

To celebrate this milestone, Triennale Milano has planned three exhibitions that will showcase the core disciplines of design, architecture, and art. The first exhibition will take place at the Museo del Design Italiano, curated by Marco Sammicheli, covering the history of Italian design from 1923 to the present. The exhibition will also feature the launch of the Design Platform for temporary exhibits.

The second exhibition, titled ‘Triennale. Home Sweet Home,’ will be curated by Nina Bassoli and will feature site-specific installations and immersive works by contemporary architects exploring the theme of home. The third and final exhibition, opening in October 2023, will focus on contemporary Italian painting. Curated by Damiano Gullì, the exhibition will feature over 100 Italian artists from different generations, showcasing new site-specific commissions and murals in dialogue with Triennale’s architecture.

Grounded in the Sky: Nabil Nahas in Provence

France will host its first solo exhibition of Lebanese American artist Nabil Nahas beginning in April, with two sites in Provence hosting works. Presented by Château La Coste and CMS Collection, ‘Grounded in the Sky’ will run until June 13 at the Renzo Piano Pavilion and the Galerie des Anciens Chais. At the Renzo Piano Pavilion, visitors can discover four large-scale canvases of spiral compositions evoking celestial skies from the artist’s new series titled ‘Constellation’, as well as his

largest sculpture to date situated outside the gallery. At the Galerie des Anciens, a more personal series of work connected to Nahas’ Lebanese homeland is on display, featuring native trees, such as olive, palm and cedar, as well as references to the devastating Beirut Port explosion of 2020. Here, the collective pain and trauma of a nation are conveyed through Nahas’ sombre palette and expressive brushwork, while the trees allude to national pride and heritage.

Angelo Mangiarotti, Splügen Bräu warehouse in Mestre (1967), Università Iuav di Venezia, Archivio Progetti, fondo Giorgio Casali

Nabil Nahas, Untitled, 2022. Acrylic on canvas, 250x165 cm. Photo Credit Farzad Owrang- ref palmier tourbillon- Wilmotte

Venice Architecture Biennale: How Will We Live Together?

The highly anticipated Architecture Biennale is just around the corner, commencing on Saturday, May 20 and concluding on Sunday, November 26. The event will be curated by the renowned architect, professor of architecture, and writer Lesley Lokko. This time around, the Biennale will have a special focus on the theme “How Will We Live Together?” and will delve into the contemporary urban and social environments, exploring the opportunities and challenges that lie within.

Over 60 countries from around the world will be participating in the Biennale, showcasing their innovative and exceptional exhibitions. Attendees can also look forward to workshops, talks, and installations by architects, urban planners, and scholars. This grand event will be hosted at several locations across the city, including the iconic Arsenale and Giardini venues.

The exhibition aims to inspire conversations and encourage fresh ideas and approaches to tackling pressing issues such as urbanisation, sustainability, and social justice. The Biennale promises to be a hub of innovation, stimulating dialogue and progress in the field of architecture.

CHRISTIE’S TALKS

ART+TECH AT ART DUBAI

Christie’s shone a light on the intersection of art and technology at its firstever Art+Tech Summit in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) during the Art Dubai event in early March. This groundbreaking oneday summit explored the relationship between art and technology by examining how technology has transformed the art world, and discussed future innovations that will shape it further. The Art+Tech Summit featured an impressive array of talks, panel discussions, and exhibitions, bringing together artists, collectors, and technology experts from around the world to foster a dynamic dialogue between the two fields. By showcasing cutting-edge technological advancements alongside contemporary art, the summit aimed to inspire fresh perspectives and spark new ideas on the rapidly evolving landscape of the art world.

James Morris, House of the Chef Du Canton (Hausa), Bouza, Niger, Photo Credit James Morris

Christie’s summit at Art Dubai

The Al Zayani Collection comes to Sotheby’s

An auction of The Al Zayani Collection is scheduled to take place at Sotheby’s London on April 25, featuring more than 80 works created by prominent Middle Eastern artists spanning various movements and timelines. This diverse collection showcases both established and emerging artists from the region and is a testament to the richness of Middle Eastern artistic expression. The collection includes notable works by artists such as Chant Avedissian, Farhad Moshiri, Monir Shahroudy

Farmanfarmaian, Ayman Zedani, and Thameur Mejri. The auction is expected to attract significant interest from art collectors and enthusiasts worldwide due to the high quality and historical significance of the works on offer. The Al Zayani Collection is a prime example of the thriving art scene in the Middle East, highlighting the region’s cultural heritage and contemporary creativity. The collection’s dedication to promoting Middle Eastern art reinforces the area’s reputation as a hub of

innovation and originality.

ERUPTION AT ANIMA GALLERY

What happens when you gather 17 artists from different corners of the globe, each with their own interpretation of the new world? To find out, head for Anima Gallery’s Eruption exhibition taking place throughout the entire month of May at a new temporary location of Sikkat al Wadi in Doha’s Msheireb Downtown district.

In short, Eruption offers spectators a unique perspective on the world we live in today. The selected artists, drawn from different disciplines, have been invited to explore the ever-growing changes in the world around us and the influx of information that affects us all. Working within their different mediums – which extend to unintentional social media art, such as TikTok, Twitter, and other platforms - the artists will interpret the Eruption theme in their own visual narrative to create a dialogue, uniting

them in an ever-evolving and “erupting” journey.

Participating artists include Zheng Lu, Saïd Baalbaki, Humam Alsayed, Amal Alathem, Anastasia Nysten, Yasmina Nysten, Morrison Pierce, Anachar Basbous, Jean Boghossian, Peter Zimmerman, Clara Carvajal, Maryam Alhumaid, Nourbanu Hijazi, Jumanah Abbas, Mahmoud Obaidi, Tamara Haddad and Nicolas Panayotou.

Date: 10th of May - 10th of June 2023.

artistic

Zheng Lu, The Release of all Beings from Suffering is all Beings Releasing

Themselves, 2014, Stainless steel, lacquer. Variable size

Farid Belkahia, Untitled, henna on vellum laid on panel, 1981

Behjat Sadr, Untitled

The Sea is Green by Jean Boghossian

Multi-disciplinary BelgianLebanese artist Jean Boghossian has created a series of installations that adorn the various establishments of MonteCarlo Société des Bains de Mer for the exhibition ‘The Sea is Green’. In the following interview, he shares his inspiration.

What type of artwork are you showcasing in Monaco? For this exhibition, I am showcasing ceramics and shells, as well as artwork made from recycled sails from sailing boats. I am a sculptor and love working with ceramics because it is similar to sculpting. I work cautiously with it because the fire decides the outcome

most of the time, which can result in a better outcome than my own, but it doesn’t always work that way. I also love the earthly connection that ceramics provide.

What inspired you to work with shells?

I was inspired after visiting the ‘Musée des Coquillages’ (Seashell Museum) in Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat. I was fascinated by the beauty of the shells, which I call the marvels of the sea, similar to how precious stones are the marvels of the land. When I found out that the owner of the collection was closing the museum and auctioning off the shells, I made a deal to buy the collection and keep it in the museum. I

then suggested to the mayor that we create a better museum for the collection and secured funding to do so. While visiting the owner’s apartment, I discovered even more shells and corals that I

used to create a collection of ceramics and shells. When I showed this work to the Hôtel Hermitage MonteCarlo, they were impressed and asked me to exhibit it at their hotel.

Photos: Jean Boghossian, Ceramics and Shells, Installation view Hôtel Hermitage, Phot Credit Studio Jean Boghossian

Prince Albert II with Jean Boghossian, artwork: Sails by Jean Boghossian

Jean Boghossian, The Sea is Green, Installation View Jardins des Boulingrins © Studio Jean Boghossian

ABDULLAH AL OTHMAN

MUHANNAD SHONO

DANA AWARTANI

LULWAH AL HOMOUD

MANAL ALDOWAYAN

RASHED ALSHASHAI

SARAH AL ABDALI

SULTAN BIN FAHAD

ABDULNASSER GHAREM

MOATH ALOFI

AHMED MATER

AYMAN YOSSRI DAYDBAN

FAISAL SAMRA

MOHAMMAD ALFARAJ

FILWA NAZER

NASSER AL-SALEM

ABDULLAH AL OTHMAN

Abdullah Al Othman is a conceptual artist and a published contemporary poet from Riyadh, where he was born in 1985. In Al Othman’s artistic practice, incipient impulses develop into multimedia works incorporating text, videos, public interventions, and installations. His works often take the form of inquiries into a wide range of elusive concepts or experiences, like the notion of faith, the sound and sensation of wind over desert dunes, or the invisible wounds inflicted through methods of “noise” torture, that are difficult to perceive or understand through straightforward investigations or representations. With thoughtful examinations of marginalised ideas, spaces and existences at the fringes of society, Al Othman retrieves obscured or abandoned narratives and repositions them at the centre of the collective consciousness.

This page – Portrait of Abdullah Al Othman

Opposite page – Abdullah Al Othman, Geography of Hope, Installation View, Desert X AlUla 2022, Courtesy the Artist and Desert X AlUla, Photo Credit Lance Gerber

Abdullah Al Othman, Geography of Hope, Installation View, Desert X AlUla 2022, Courtesy the Artist and Desert X AlUla,

Photo Credit Lance Gerber

Abdullah Al Othman, Suspended AlBalad, 2017

Abdullah Al Othman, Light Grating, 2019. 20,000 cheese graters, 4m x 4m

“WITH ‘BASHER’ MEANING GRATER IN ARABIC AND ‘BASHAR’ AS A HOMONYM MEANING PEOPLE’S, I WANTED TO CREATE SOMETHING THAT WOULD CAPTURE AND REFLECT THE THOUSANDS OF VARIOUS FAMILIES, PEOPLE HOMES AND KITCHEN TABLES THAT THESE GRATERS TOUCHED. I’M SURE A LOT OF MUMS OUT THERE WERE WONDERING WHERE THEIR CHEESE GRATERS WENT. HOPEFULLY NOW THOSE MOMS CAN SEE THE STORY OF THEIR FAMILIES CELEBRATED IN A FUN AND INTERESTING WAY,” AL-OTHMAN SAID.

Abdullah Al Othman, Fantasy Land, 2021

MUHANNAD SHONO

Visual artist Muhannad Shono was born in 1977 in Riyadh, where he lives and works today. Shono’s work harnesses the power of narrative by creating and contesting personal, collective and historical truths. Impacted by childhood memories, throughout his early career and until today the aim and expression of his work is rooted in exploring both the existent and non-existent boundaries which have characterised his life. Taking a singular approach, his work amplifies the moment where impact, transmission, and change occur. This results in the creation of relics and symbols which belong to a world all his own and are defined by a constant need and curiosity to challenge the imagination.

Shono has developed his own visual vocabulary and inimitable style, versatile and uninhibited in medium and form. In addition to being the representative for Saudi Arabia at the 2022 Venice Biennale, his works have been presented in both solo and group exhibitions across the world, from intimate drawings to large scale sculptural works, robotic and technological pieces, all of which illuminate a journey he would like to take us on.

Portrait of Muhannad Shono, Photo credit Artur Weber

Muhannad Shono, I see you brightest in the dark, 2022, Photo Credit Artur Weber

A JOURNEY THROUGH LOSS, DEVOTION AND ACCEPTANCE. THREADS OF INTANGIBLE LIGHT ARE WELCOMED IN, ARCHIVED AND LOOMED IN MULTIPLE STAGES OF DUTIFUL AND HEARTFELT ACTS OF REMEMBRANCE AND ACCEPTANCE. THERE IS NO SORROW ONLY TRANSLUCENT WEAVING OF MEMORIES THOUGHT LOST STILL RETURNING, PIERCING THROUGH THE NIGHT FOR ONE MORE ILLUMINATED EMBRACE.

I MISS YOU STILL WITH EVERY VISIT. I MISS YOU SO I WOVE YOU A GARMENT OF LIGHT AND THREAD.

Both Photos: Muhannad Shono, I see you brightest in the dark, 2022, Photo Credit Eliot Blondet

Muhannad Shono, After the fall, 2022, Photo Credit Artur Weber

Muhannad Shono, The Teaching Tree, 2022, The National Pavilion of Saudi Arabia, la Biennale di Venezia,

Photo Credit Artur Weber

DANA AWARTANI

Saudi-Palestinian Dana Awartani was born in 1987 in Jeddah, where she lives and works. Ranging from painting and sculpture to performance and multimedia installation, Awartani’s artistic practice imbues forms, techniques, concepts, and spatial constructs that define Arab culture with contemporary awareness. Her work spans a variety of materials and techniques and often revolves around the highly codified and symbolically laden language of geometry in reference to notions of universal interconnectedness and spiritual harmony. The timeless relevance of forms and the wisdom embedded in traditional crafts are harnessed to tackle issues of gender, healing, cultural destruction, and sustainability in a constant effort to straddle continuity and innovation, aesthetic experimentation and social relevance.

Traditionally trained at the Prince’s School of Traditional Arts in London, she received her master’s after her BA and Foundation degrees at Central Saint Martins. She is currently furthering her practice and commitment to the preservation of Islamic illumination skills through the completion of an ‘Ijaza’ certificate.

Awartani has had solo exhibitions in Sharjah, Detroit and Jeddah, and has participated in numerous group exhibitions in Spain, Singapore, the United States, Turkey, Australia, and the United Kingdom, as well as participating in biennales in Lyon, Riyadh, Rabat, Sao Paolo, Jakarta, Marrakech, Yinchuan, and India. Her work is in the collections of the Sheikh Zayed National Museum, Jameel Arts Centre, Thyssen-Bornemisza Art Contemporary, the British Museum, the Hirshhorn Museum, and the Guggenheim Museum, among others.

Portrait of Dana Awartani

Dana Awartani, When the Dust of Conflict Settles, 2023,  Hand carving on griesa, jerashi, madaba, hoota and qassimi stone, Various dimensions. Image Courtesy of the Artist and Athr Gallery

Dana Awartani, Standing by the Ruins of Aleppo, 2021, Clay Earth, 2277 cm x 1300 cm. Image Courtesy of the Dariyah Biennale Foundation and Canvas, Image courtesy of the Artist and Athr Gallery

This page – Dana Awartani, Come, let me heal your wounds. Let me mend your broken bones, as we stand here mourning, 2019, darning on medicinally dyed silk, 630 cm x 720 cm x 300 cm. Image courtesy of the Artist and Athr Gallery

Opposite page – Dana Awartani, Installation shot of Standing by the Ruins at the Rabat Biennale 2019. Compressed earth, 450 cm x 1130 cm. Image courtesy of the Artist and Athr Gallery

INSPIRED BY THE ANCIENT METHOD

OF

‘ADOBE’ BUILDING,

A METHOD OF ARCHITECTURE THAT USES EARTH AND ORGANIC MATERIALS, AND FOUND AROUND THE WORLD, THE ARTIST HAS PRODUCED THE WORK MINDFULLY SKIPPING THE CRUCIAL STEPS THAT TEMPER AND SOLIDIFY THE EARTH TILES. INSTEAD, THE WORK IS ALLOWED TO CRACK, DETERIORATE AND EVENTUALLY CRUMBLE OVER THE COURSE OF THE EXHIBITION, REFLECTING ON THE DESTRUCTION OF THE MIDDLE EAST’S BUILT HERITAGE.

LULWAH AL HOMOUD

Born in 1967 in Riyadh, Lulwah Al Homoud is an established international awardwinning artist and curator who received the first place for Visual Art at the inaugural annual Saudi Arabia National Culture Awards in 2021. She also received the Rawabi Holding Award in London in 2020 for fostering cultural ties between the United Kingdom and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Al Homoud began her career in London after finishing her MA degree in art and design from Central Saint Martins in 2000 and achieving global recognition for her style. Her work is among the permanent collection of international museums such as LACMA, the British Museum, Five Continents Museum, Jeju Museum, and the Greenbox Museum, as well as in many renowned international art institutions, including the Written Art Foundation in Germany, Barjeel Art Foundation in the UAE and RAK Art Foundation, Bahrain.

Al Homoud has had nine solo exhibitions during her career and her work has been featured in many art fairs. She was recently a participant in the first edition of the Noor Riyadh Festival and has represented Saudi Arabia at the London Design Biennial in 2018 and at the Hermitage Museum in Russia with other international artists in 2019. She is also the founder of LAHAF Art Foundation based in Riyadh.

Portrait of Lulwah Al Homoud

Lulwah Al Homoud, The Alphabet/The Language of Existence, Programmable LED black strips on each sheet, Steel framed mirrored background, 332x253x320cm.

Commissioned By Diriyah Biennale Foundation, 2021-2022

Lulwah Al Homoud, The Alphabet/The Language of Existence, Programmable LED black strips on each sheet, Steel framed mirrored background, 332x253x320cm.

Commissioned By Diriyah Biennale Foundation, 2021-2022

From The

Lulwah Al Homoud,

Language of Existence Blue Series Al Adl, Mixed media on canvas, 188x175cm, 2020

CALLIGRAPHY IS CENTRAL TO AL HOMOUD’S WORK, WHICH EXPLORES THE COMPLEXITIES OF LINGUISTIC, MATHEMATICAL AND VISUAL SYSTEMS OF COMMUNICATION. HER ARTISTIC PRACTICE IS INSPIRED BY ISLAMIC ART AND GEOMETRY, AS WELL AS WESTERN ARTISTS LIKE KANDINSKY, PAUL KLEE, AND MONDRIAN.

Lulwah Al Homoud, Word Art Series Rabuka FaKabbir, Laser cut with gold leaf background, 100x70cm, 2020

MANAL ALDOWAYAN

Born in Dhahran in 1973, Manal AlDowayan is an artist that has been long invested in interrogating ideas of visibility and invisibility as a critical witness to the cultural metamorphosis engulfing her country and region. AlDowayan has been recognised for her work in sound, neon, and sculpture, and she is well known for the participatory installations Suspended Together (2011) and Esmi-My Name (2012), the result of workshops offering channels for thousands of women to address unjust social customs. AlDowayan’s practice also includes land art projects like Now You See Me, Now You Don’t (2020), permanently installed at the UNESCO World Heritage site of AlUla. AlDowayan’s practice navigates a territory where the personal and the political overlap. Her works spring from lived experiences—these intimate encounters with social injustice, the pangs of memory and forgetting. Yet her pieces are consistently sparking identification and engagement, particularly among women around the world.

This page – Portrait of Manal AlDowayan.

Photo Credit Harriet Hill

Opposite page – Manal AlDowayan, The Encounter, 2022, courtesy of the Artist

Manal AlDowayan, Songs From the Shore, 2022.Photographer Takahiro Tsushima, Courtesy of the Artist

THE ARTWORK HAS THE FORM OF A FRAME THAT FOCUSES THE EYE TOWARDS THE VIEW OF THE SEA. THE ARTWORK IS EXPERIENCED BY WALKING THROUGH A TUNNEL THAT CARRIES THE TRACES OF A RITUAL PERFORMED BY WOMEN

Manal AlDowayan, “Their Love is Like All Loves, Their Death is Like All Deaths” Solo

Show of Manal AlDowayan at Sabrina Amrani Gallery in Madrid, 2023. Exhibition views, photographer Sabrina Amrani Gallery, Courtesy of the Artist

RASHED ALSHASHAI

Born in Al Baha in 1977, Rashed AlShashai is a Saudi-based contemporary artist and educator. He is a founding member of the Saudi Arabia Fine Arts Society and the Art Education Society, and in 2009, he founded the Tasami Centre for Visual Arts in Jeddah, an independent venue that he oversaw until 2014. He is currently the director of the Madina Arts Centre.

In his practice, AlShashai questions the relationship between commonplace events and objects, as well as more general philosophical issues like the impact of modernising society on the individual, the role of the media in our lives, and the devaluing effects of consumerism, in order to better understand the social context and surroundings of his creations. His work charts the social changes and divisions that occur concomitantly with development.

The development of AlShashai’s practice was influenced by his participation in both the domestic and international art scenes. He curated and created the scenography for a number of international art exhibitions and has served as a cultural consultant for international organisations. His work has been displayed in local and international exhibitions.

Portrait of Rashed AlShashai.

THE GATE TO THE EAST, 10 METRES

HIGH AND 16 METRES WIDE, IS A MULTILEVELLED PYRAMID MAINLY MADE OF ENVIRONMENT-FRIENDLY BAMBOO. ITS ASCENSION, MIRRORING THE UNDULATING MOUNTAINS IN CHONGQING, BRINGS OUT THE VIBRANCY OF THE CITY.

Rashed AlShasai, The Gate to the East, Installation, Chongqing, China, 2022.

Rashed AlShasai, The Gate to the East, Installation, Chongqing, China, 2022

SARAH AL ABDALI

Sarah Al Abdali was born in 1989 in Jeddah, where she is currently based. Her work explores Arab culture and Islamic philosophy through various media. Since completing a master’s degree at the Prince’s School of Traditional Arts, London, in 2014, she has experimented with the traditional crafts of the Islamic world, including woodwork, ceramics, miniature painting, mosaics, and plaster carving. She has also been a consultant on traditional arts and crafts for international and governmental clients including the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities and the Turquoise Mountain Trust.

Al Abdali’s work investigates paradoxes around identity and belonging by bringing out forgotten historical contexts. Mainly through painting, she seeks to tell the stories of women, buildings, and social schemes that do not usually make their mark in art and culture. In parallel to her art practice, she also conducts research on the material culture of the Hijaz.

Her work has been exhibited at the British Museum, and she has participated in a number of local and international group exhibitions, including the Cairo Biennale; Art Paris, Grand Palais; Sharjah Islamic Arts Festival; stART art fair, Saatchi Gallery, London; and #COMETOGETHER, London.

Portrait of Sarah Al Abdali

Sarah Al Abdali, After Hijrah, 2023

Sarah Al Abdali, After Hijrah, 2023

Sarah Al Abdali, Makkah, Gouache and mixed media on paper, 2018

I’M BORN IN A TIME WHERE MOST OF WHAT I’VE LEARNT ABOUT MY IDENTITY WAS ONLY ACCESSIBLE THROUGH ORAL HISTORIC NARRATIVES. I’VE GROWN TO LEARN ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF PRESERVING CULTURAL HERITAGE THROUGH MY OWN EXPERIENCE AS A MAKKAN WITNESSING THE ERASURE OF ITS OWN ARCHITECTURAL AND URBAN CHARACTER IN EXPENSE OF CAPITALIST MODERNITY.

SULTAN BIN FAHAD

Sultan Bin Fahad was born in 1971 in Riyadh, where he lives and works today. His atypical background, with studies in business administration, sets the tone for his distinctive artistic practice. Bin Fahad considers art as a journey between intangible memories and tangible cultures. Throughout his abstract paintings, sculptures and installations the central theme and object of concern remains spirituality and the material culture of his native Saudi Arabia.

Reinterpreting histories, stories and narratives with the use of material cultures, bin Fahad transposes these narratives to contemporary cultures as a reassessment and personal take on Islamic Art. Themes central to his practice revolve around repetition, sound and movement, using symbols that derive from Islam. In his ongoing photographic series, Bin Fahad invites the viewer to reflect in unconventional ways on the space between human interaction, faith and reconstructed memorabilia.

Connecting past to present, his stories evoke multi-layered journeys between the latent relationship of what is remembered and what remains silently contained within the corporeal. Most recently, he has combined traditional metal work with architecture by sculpting a series of minarets, invoking man’s relationship with Islamic cities.

Bin Fahad has presented solo exhibitions in Riyadh, Jeddah and Abu Dhabi, and has participated in several group exhibitions in both his native Saudi Arabia and internationally. His work was acquired by the Palestine Museum in 2016 and Guggenheim Abu Dhabi in 2020.

Portrait of Sultan Bin Fahad.

Sultan bin Fahad, To Dust, 2019. Crystal, brass, copper, steel, and mirror, dimensions variable. Courtesy of Athr Gallery

Sultan Bin Fahad, Dream traveled, 2021

Sultan Bin Fahad, Desert kite, 2022

Sultan Bin Fahad, Dream traveled, 2021

Sultan Bin Fahad, Holy Land, 2023, Mixed-media installation, Found objects, Dimensions variable. Commissioned by Diriyah Biennale Foundation

ABDULNASSER GHAREM

Abdulnasser Gharem was born in 1973 in Khamis Mushait, where he used to live and work. In 1992 he graduated from the King Abdulaziz Academy before attending The Leader Institute in Riyadh. In 2003 he studied at the influential Al-Meftaha Arts Village in Abha, later staging a group exhibition with his fellow AlMeftaha artists, titled Shattah, which challenged existing modes of art practice in Saudi Arabia. Since then, Gharem has exhibited in Europe, the Gulf and the USA, including at Martin-Gropius-Bau, LACMA, the British Museum, the V&A, and the Venice, Sharjah and Berlin Biennales, whilst concurrently being promoted from 2nd Lieutenant to Lieutenant Colonel in the Saudi Arabian Army.

Gharem recently made history when his installation Message/Messenger sold for a world-record price at auction in Dubai, establishing him as the highest selling living Gulf artist. Gharem donated the proceeds of this sale to a campaign by Edge of Arabia, of which he is co-founder, to foster art education in his native country.

In 2013, Gharem moved to Riyadh, in an attempt to broaden his professional resources and, due to the lack of proper studios for artists in the city, established Gharem Studio in the process. What began as a working space for Gharem, soon attracted fellow artists, photographers and creative minds, who proved to be the first wave of a new Saudi art initiative. The artist’s first monograph ‘Abdulnasser Gharem: Art of Survival’ was published by Booth-Clibborn Editions in London in October 2011.

Portrait of Abdulnasser Gharem

Abdulnasser Gharem, Climate Refugee, 2022, Lacquer paint on rubber stamps on aluminum,109 x 160 cm

Abdulnasser Gharem, Concrete Block V, 2022, Rubber stamps and Industrial lacquer paint on 9mm plywood board, 103 x 110 x 54 cm

Abdulnasser Gharem, The Stamp (Moujaz), 2013, Hand carved oversized wooden stamp with embossed rubber face 95 x 95 x 18 cm. Donation to LACMA. From Private Collection, Switzerland

Abdulnasser Gharem, Prosperity Without Growth II, 2020, Digital print and gold and colour paint on rubber stamps on aluminum, 85.5 x 124.5 cm.

MOATH ALOFI

Born in Madina in 1984, Moath Alofi is an artist, researcher, and explorer. Currently, he is Exhibitions and Programmes Manager at Diriyah Gate Development Authority. Alofi is also the founder of artistic studio Al-Mthba, and the co-founder of Erth Team, a production group trained and specialised in safari trips, aerial photography, and travel documentation.

After obtaining his BA in Environmental Management and Sustainable Development from Bond University in Gold Coast, Australia, Alofi returned to his hometown of Madina, only to experience a culture shock towards his own community. The difficulty of adaptability inspired a need for creation, and photography became his adjusting mechanism. Treating the holy city as both his studio and an open museum, in 2013 Alofi began a journey of photographic documentation. With a focus on cultural artifacts, heritage, and hidden treasures, Alofi has since expanded to documenting and exploring the greater Madina Region, in both its barren and urbanised glory, and expresses an interest in expanding his artistic explorations to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as a whole. Throughout his artistic career, Alofi has exhibited works in Jeddah, Riyadh, Dammam, Bahrain, Oman, London, Paris, Brussels, Moscow, New Mexico, Utah and Seoul.

Portrait of Moath Alofi

Moath Alofi, The Last Tashahhud, 2023

Moath Alofi, The Last Tashahhud, 2023

A PHOTOGRAPHIC SERIES THAT CAPTURES

DESOLATE MOSQUES SCATTERED ALONG THE WINDING ROADS LEADING TO THE HOLY CITY OF MEDINA, SAUDI ARABIA, IT DOCUMENTS MOSQUES BUILT BY PHILANTHROPISTS HOPING TO OFFER A HAVEN FOR TRAVELLERS, BOTH OF WHOM SEEK TO REAP THE SACRAMENTAL REWARDS OF THESE STRUCTURES.

Moath Alofi, The Last Tashahhud, 2023

Moath Alofi, The Last Tashahhud, 2023

100 AHMED MATER

Born in 1979 in Tabuk, Ahmed Mater lives and works in Riyadh and Jeddah. He is an established artist widely recognised as one of the most important voices of contemporary Saudi Arabia. As a former physician, Mater’s earlier works are heavily informed by his formal training, and traces of that experience can be observed in many of these works, in the form of incorporating X-ray imagery. His life and work have each been shaped and punctuated by events of unprecedented social reform and pivotal experiences. Working across photography, film, sculpture and performance he documents and analyses these rapid developments through his research based practice. Of particular interest to Mater are the forgotten narratives and unofficial histories of Saudi Arabia’s past, present and future. These are consistent subject matters in his practice, which often engages the forces of propulsion and attraction to articulate the artist’s perspective onto societal conditions, forging an ongoing, complex mapping of the Kingdom. A hallmark of Mater’s artworks is that they are simultaneously politically engaged and expressively ambitious. These twin aspirations coalesce in refined, idiosyncratic forms.

Recent exhibitions have taken place in France, the USA, Netherlands and Saudi Arabia. Ahmed Mater’s artwork is widely collected and can be found in the collections of APolitical, London; the British Museum, London; Brooklyn Museum, New York; Centre Pompidou, Paris; Nadour Collection, Dusseldorf; and Zayed National Museum, Abu Dhabi. His publications include Desert of Pharan Unofficial Histories Behind the Mass Expansion of Me by Lars Müller Publishers and the upcoming Prognosis/Saudi Arabia; a major monograph on Mater’s work to date, published by Booth-Clibborn Editions.

Portrait of Ahmed Mater

Ahmed Mater, Study III ( cut through), 2022, mixed media, 164.2 x 66.6 x 28.3 cm

Ahmed Mater, Mecca Windows 7 2013, Wooden window frames, glass panes, 264.5 x 365.1 cm

ENTWINING EXPRESSIVE AND POLITICALLY ENGAGED ARTISTIC AIMS WITH THE SCIENTIFIC OBJECTIVES OF HIS MEDICAL TRAINING, HIS ARTISTIC PRACTICE EMBRACES THE PARADOXES OF SCIENCE AND FAITH

Ahmed Mater, Magnetism III, 2012, Diasec Mounted Fine Art Latex Jet Print, 226 × 281 × 6 cm

Ahmed Mater, Study III ( cut through), 2022, mixed media, 164.2 x 66.6 x 28.3 cm

AYMAN YOSSRI DAYDBAN

Saudi-Palestinian Ayman Yossri Daydban was born in 1966 in Palestine and lives and works in Jeddah. He is an established artist whose multidisciplinary practice centres upon the critical examination of national narratives as an artistic undertaking. The artist’s last name translates into English as ‘watchman’ or ‘guard’, and he adopts the observant eye of this persona in his acute analysis of identity, existence and belonging as they relate to cultural heritage, national integration and the complex interrelation of East/West influences. Of particular interest to the artist are the tensions arising at the intersectional points of translation and interdependence, where questions of assimilation and divergent customs come to the fore. Daydban’s painting, photography and printmaking explore issues of identity and alienation, often through combinations of cinematic images and text.

Selected recent exhibitions have taken place in Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the UK and Spain. The artist’s work can be found in many major collections including those of the Guggenheim Museum, Abu Dhabi; Al-Mansouria Foundation, Jeddah; BASMOCA, Jeddah; Centre Pompidou, Paris; the British Museum, London; and Greenbox Museum, Amsterdam.

Portrait of Ayman Yossri Daydban

Ayman Yossri Daydban, Distortion, 2011, Stainless steel, 139 x 49 cm

Ayman Daydban, Untitled, Divorce series 2006, Mixed Media, Various sizes.

This page – Ayman Yossri Daydban, If God Willing All Be Resolved, 2022

Opposite page – Ayman Yossri Daydban, 36 From the posters series, 2018, Print on Paper, 99 x 67.5 cm. Unique

FAISAL SAMRA

Long considered one of the Arab Gulf’s foremost artists and a pioneer of conceptual art in the Middle East, Bahraini-born, Saudi national Faisal Samra incorporates digital photography, painting, sculpture, video, and performance in a creative repertoire that explores existentialist themes with the figure at its centre. Since the mid-1970s, Samra has tested the conventional functions of media through meticulously structured works with experimentation and research as the guiding principles of his artistic practice. As his oeuvre has progressed and defied traditional modes of representation, he has rebelled against his own understanding of art, transitioning into new works that maintain three essential concepts: spontaneity, dynamism, and secrecy.

The artist’s selected solo exhibitions have taken place in Bahrain, the UAE, UK, KSA, Morocco, and France, as well as collective exhibitions in Argentina, South Korea, Egypt, and Japan. Samra’s works are housed in the collections of the British Museum, London; BuchDruckKunst e.V Art Book Museum, Hamburg; the National Museum, Mexico City; the Modern Art Museum, Cairo; Almansouria Foundation, Jeddah; Jameel Art Foundation, Jeddah; Jordan National Gallery of Fine Arts, Amman; Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art, Doha; and Bahrain National Museum, Manama, among others. He has participated in biennials in Singapore and Cairo, and is a jury member for the Alexandria Biennale, Egypt. In 2012, Skira Editore published an eponymous monograph on the artist.

Portrait of Faisal Samra

Faisal Samra, ‘Immortal Moment’, Video installation - 5.00 min, 3 Editions + 1 AP, 2019

Faisal Samra, Installation shot from ‘Thriving Emotion - Immortal Moment’ Faisal Samra’s solo exhibition 2019 at Ayyam Gallery. Pictured artworks (left to right): ‘P.64’, Charcoal & oil paint on rice paper on recycled wood; ‘P.63-T01’, Charcoal, oil paint on canvas; ‘S.01 -2017 Plastic bag space 01’, Mixed media on Cement; ‘P.61-D22’, Charcoal, oil paint on canvas

“CAPTURING MY ABSTRACT EMOTIONS AT ITS PEAK; AT THE EXACT MOMENT OF FEELING THEM, HENCE, ARTICULATING IN IT THE EXECUTION OF THE ARTWORK TO OBTAIN A CLOSE TRANSMISSION TO THE ELEMENTS OF MEDIUM, I THEN LET IT BE, INSIDE THE MAIN FRAME OF THE WORK. MY APPROACH TO THE ARTWORK MEDIUM IS BY INTERVENTION, NOT BY APPLICATION AND DICTATION.” FAISAL SAMRA ON HIS APPROACH TO ART.

Faisal Samra, Installation shot from ‘Thriving Emotion - Immortal Moment’ Faisal Samra’s solo exhibition 2019 at Ayyam Gallery. Pictured artworks (left to right): ‘99 Moments’, Charcoal on paper; ‘1000 + 01 Grip of Time’, Burnt clay & nails

MOHAMMAD ALFARAJ

Born in 1993 in Al Hassa, where he lives and works today, Mohammad AlFaraj is a multidisciplinary artist who works across filmmaking, installation, sculpture, writing and photography. AlFaraj’s work is anchored to place, specifically his home city. As an oasis in the desert, Al Hassa supports existence in an otherwise arid environment. AlFaraj draws inspiration from this nonnegotiable dependence of people upon nature, frequently deploying natural and indigenous materials, such as dirt, palm fronds and dates, within his artworks. The artist combines these materials with practices drawn from those who inhabit the same landscape, such as stories from local workers and children’s invented games, to reflect on the ways in which people and the natural environment affect each other, in both detrimental and positive ways. In this way, AlFaraj practice is balanced with a poetic vision and an undercurrent of hope.

In 2015, AlFaraj was awarded first place (student category) for his documentary, Lost, at the Saudi Film Festival, Damam. The artist has exhibited in Saudi Arabia and the UAE, including solo exhibitions. In 2017, he obtained a bachelor degree in applied mechanical engineering from King Fahad University of Petroleum and Minerals, Dhahran.

Portrait of Mohammad AlFaraj

Mohammad AlFaraj, From Fossils of Time, Photo on Wall, Photographic Print on Archival Paper, Part of Jeddah Photo Exhibition

A MISCHIEVOUS STORYTELLER, MOHAMMAD

ALFARAJ INVITES AUDIENCES TO VOYAGE THROUGH HIS FICTION AND ENDOW WITH SHAPE AND FORM THE SETS AND CREATURES THEY ENCOUNTER, DEMONSTRATING THAT ANOTHER WORLD, THOUGH IMAGINARY, ALSO EXISTS. WITH HIS EXPERIMENTS, MORE PLAYFUL THAN EMPIRICAL, HE APPROACHES HIS WORK AS MORE PLAYFUL AND ART AS A DAILY RECREATION.

Mohammad AlFaraj, Artist Self Portrait with Sculpture from the Fossils of Knowledge series, 2021.

Mohammad AlFaraj, Umm Al-Saaf and Alleef, 2020, Palm tree installation.

FILWA NAZER

Born in Swansea, Wales, Filwa Nazer is a Saudi multi-media artist who lives and works in Jeddah. Nazer began her creative journey as a fashion designer and graduated from Milan’s Marangoni School of Fashion and Design. Her practice ranges from digital print, collage, and textiles to appropriation of photography and centres around questioning emotional and psychological identity in relation to spatial and social contexts. In her recent practice the artist employed textiles and sewing techniques as a medium to explore relationships between our bodies and the spaces we occupy, thus unveiling an intimate experimental process that reflects the tensions inherent in both. Recent exhibitions featuring the artist have taken place in the USA, UK, France, Spain, Russia, the UAE, and KSA, and her work can be found in collections of AlMansouria Foundation, Art Jameel, Greenbox Museum in Amsterdam and private collectors.

Portrait of Filwa Nazer.

Photo credit Marilyn Clark

Filwa Nazer, Untitled 3, Tactile Mapping, 2019, Latex (Rubber), 80×80 cm

Filwa Nazer, The Hands Want To See, The Eyes Want To Caress, 2021, Sewing and Embroidery on Various Mixed Media, Dimensions are variable

Filwa Nazer, Five Women, Lyon Biennale, 2022

INSPIRED BY THE MAPPING QUALITY OF PATTERN MAKING, THESE DELICATE INSTALLATIONS ORIGINATED IN A COLLECTION OF DRESSES THAT EMBODY THE STORIES AND MEMORIES OF THE SAUDI WOMEN WHO ONCE WORE THEM. EACH INSTALLATION IS A METONYM FOR A SPECIFIC AND DEEPLY PERSONAL STORY OF THE ORIGINAL OWNER, A DIVERSE RANGE OF NARRATIVES OF GROWTH, TRANSITION, TRAUMA, AND OTHER KEY MOMENTS

NASSER AL-SALEM

Born in 1984 in Mecca, Nasser Al-Salem currently lives and works in Jeddah. His artistic practice challenges the boundaries of the traditional Islamic art of calligraphy by recontextualising it in unconventional mixed media forms and conceptual potential through minimalist and architectural methods. Al-Salem studied calligraphy in the Haram Al-Sharif and achieved an ‘Ijaza’ certificate – the highest form of recognition and authorisation to transmit the art of calligraphy.

He received his undergraduate degree in architecture at Um Al-Kora University in Mecca. He is co-founder for Al-Hangar, an artist collective based in Jeddah, as well as a member of the National Guild of Calligraphers and an active fellow of Saudi Arabia’s Arts and Culture Group. Al-Salem has featured in solo shows in the UK, Spain, and KSA, and has been part of numerous group exhibitions internationally. His work is part of the collection of the British Museum, London; LACMA Museum, Los Angeles; Guggenheim, Abu Dhabi; and Centre Pompidou, Paris. In 2013, AlSalem was shortlisted for the Jameel Prize at the Victoria & Albert Museum. In 2018, the artist’s work was part of The Royal Commission of Al-Ula’s, Saudi Arabia.

Portrait of Nasser Al-Salem

Nasser Al-Salem, An Emal fe Sabeghate, 2019, 3m x 3m x 1m, Iron, Boghossian Foundation, Ekphrasis, Thibault De Schepper

Nasser Al-Salem, ABC Berlin, 2015

Nasser Al-Salem, Guide Us Upon The Straight Path, 2013, Video on EKG heart monitor, 30.5 x 15.5 x 29 cm

Nasser Al-Salem, Guide Us Upon The Straight Path, 2013, Natural Ink on paper, 75x120cm

Nasser Al-Salem, Amma Baad, 2019. Exhibition installation view, Delfina Foundation, 2 July-10 August. Credit Tim Bowditch. Courtesy Delfina Foundation

Nasser Al-Salem, Amma Baad, 2019. Exhibition installation view, Delfina Foundation, 2 July-10 August. Credit Tim Bowditch. Courtesy Delfina Foundation

CURATED BY IWONA BLAZWICK

This issue, art critic, lecturer and current Chair of the Royal Commission for AlUla’s Public Art Expert Panel Iwona Blazwick shares her selection of art for our Curated By section. Before taking up her current post, which includes overseeing ambitious plans for large-scale, site-specific commissions that form part of the cultural regeneration of AlUla, Blazwick was Director of the Whitechapel Art Gallery in London for more than two decades. Considered one of the most important women in British art today, she was awarded Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for services to art in 2008.

Can you tell us about your role as the curator of arts in AlUla?

I am part of the Royal Commission AlUla team and we are working on three areas – commissioning art in the landscape, creating a museum of 21st century art and building a collection. The art commissions are in a remarkable desertscape named the Valley of the Arts, or Wadi AlFann. Once submerged under the Red Sea, its dunes wind through canyons of sandstone cliffs carved by the wind into undulating silhouettes, or decorated by ancient travellers with rock art and heiroglyphs. It’s one of the most beautiful locations in the world. Our first five commissions are from Agnes Denes, Manal A-Dowayan, Michael Heizer, Ahmed Mater and James Turrell. It’s a challenge to compete with such awe-inspiring terrain but these artists thrive in this environment. For our museum, we’re interested in exploring new methods of construction that might draw on ancient techniques such as the 900-year-old mudbrick settlement in AlUla, so that we reduce our carbon footprint. And through researching our collection I have embarked on a great scholarly journey, learning in depth about Middle Eastern art histories.

How do you see the art scene in Saudi Arabia evolving in the next few years?

There have always been pioneering artists, galleries, cultural organisations and collectors in the Kingdom, but now they are gaining visibility as public platforms emerge - such as last year’s Diriyah Biennale in Riyadh, Noor Riyadh – a festival of light - the Islamic Biennale in Jeddah or the third edition of Desert X in AlUla. Significant practitioners are emerging all the time – but what they have lacked is formal institutions such as dedicated art schools, kunsthalles and museums, magazines or sites of critical discourse. All these elements are on the horizon –for example the new JAX arts centre in Riyadh - so I think there will be a huge flowering of art and culture, inspired by some of the amazing artists featured in my selection. Key to this is the gradual liberalisation of the region and the recognition of women’s creativity.

What are some of the challenges you face in curating art exhibitions in Saudi Arabia?

Everyone is in some way learning – we who are members of the global work force are learning

about the beauty of the country, its tremendous cultural heritage, the dynamism of modern and contemporary artists and all they have achieved despite overwhelming odds. On the ground there is a need to develop competencies in arts organisation, fabrication and understanding of the critical and philosophical culture of creativity.

What role do you see art playing in the development and promotion of tourism in AlUla?

AlUla is in itself a work of art, with its lush oasis, its UNESCO World Heritage sites and the most astonishing desert landscape I have ever visited – and I am a desert groupie! The presence of contemporary art reinforces its historic location as a confluence of cultures. The range of art projects on offer – from the monumental works being commissioned for Wadi AlFann, to the Hotel Mabiti artists’ residency, from the current Andy Warhol exhibition to the public art displays, performances and workshops his show inspired - and on the horizon - our Contemporary Art Museum, visitors are invited to enter new fields of perception. AlUla is a remote location – it demands a commitment of time. That commitment will be rewarded by an intense immersion in the art of our era. I hope that we will attract not only art lovers but anyone who wants to engage with culture, the environment and a diverse and welcoming community.

How do you ensure that the exhibitions and events you curate are accessible to a diverse audience?

We are working in the context of a rural and socially conservative community. They, like so many people who live in remote areas around the world, have had little or no experience of contemporary art. All the artists we work with or whose work we acquire, are mindful of cultural sensitivities while also having a deep desire to connect. We have much to learn from the people of AlUla and we generate our programmes in such as way so to invite participation and dialogue. Manal Al Dowayan, Mohammad AlFaraj or Mohaned Shono are all artists whose practice is inspired by the lives and rituals of their fellow citizens.

We are also discovering the innate creativity of our young people through the beautiful ceramics, stone carving and jewellery they are creating at the Madrasat Addeera School of Traditional Arts. And the kids – wow! The AlUla Canon YPP photography competition invites young people between the ages of 14 and 18 to pick up a camera, attend workshops and submit their own photos on the theme of the United Nations’ sustainable development goals – aesthetics combined with ethics. The top 14 were selected by a jury of experts from over 100 submissions - and their images blew me away. Each child’s family attended the award ceremony. Al Jadeeda town in AlUla is a traditional farming community, yet many of the young artists spoke of their ambition to become photographers.

Can you speak about the importance of cultural exchange and collaboration in the art world, particularly in Saudi Arabia?

I believe strongly that the more all citizens of the world learn about one another, the more equitable, open and progressive our societies will be.

How did you make your selection of artists for this Curated By section?

I could have filled the magazine twice over with great artists. I had to limit my selection to those artists – or works of art - I’ve engaged with. I also wanted to show the strength, complexity and astounding diversity of practices that have emerged from a single, isolated culture and one system of belief.

136

DANA AWARTANI

Like a mirage, an astonishing pixelated image floats in the desert. It is in fact a monumental sculpture constructed from sandstone cuboids, by an artist gaining international renown for her geometrically inspired prints, performances and installations. An alumnus of Central St. Martins and the Prince’s School of Traditional Arts, Awartani synthesizes the monuments of the Nabateans – who absorbed all the cultures of the ancient world - and the rock formations of AlUla’s desert, in a concave form that is part shelter, part time machine.

Dana Awartani, Where the Dwellers Lay, 2022, Sandstone and Oxidised Steel, 315 cm x 315 cm x 223 cm. Image courtesy of Lance Gerber and the Royal Commission for AlUla

MANAL ALDOWAYAN

A cloud of filigreed brass leaves hovers in space, each inscribed with a woman’s name - the utterance of which had been taboo in Saudi and many Islamic cultures. Having studied in both the Saudi and British kingdoms, ALDOWAYAN came to prominence with photographs celebrating the

power of women, who actively contribute to her work. Workshops organised by the artist in three Saudi cities resulted in drawings of maternal family trees, 300 of which form part of this installation that overturns guardianship as a male domain.

Manal AlDowayan, Tree of Guardians, 2014, exhibition views of First Diriyah Biennale of Contemporary Art (Riyadh,2021-2022), courtesy of the artist

140

REEM AL FAISAL

Illuminating the night sky is a gigantic logo, symbol of America, an empire of consumer products and media that has colonised the world. It is juxtaposed with the lights of a market café. Like all cities in the Gulf Jeddah comes alive after sundown; yet these customers are all male. Al Faisal studied in Jeddah and Paris evolving an internationally renowned practice, her black and white photographs of a black and white world offering a poetic document of social rituals and the tensions between tradition and modernity.

Reem Al Faisal, Souk Jeddah, 2022, Black and white photograph

142

MOHAMMAD ALFARAJ

Trained as an engineer, AlFarajj became an artist developing a practice that encompasses performance, film and installation. AlFaraj is a storyteller who combines myth with reality through the aesthetic and associative power of found objects. The Hotel Mabiti, situated in a date palm farm in AlUla hosts an Artists’ Residency programme in which AlFaraj participated. Using palm fronds, drawings and collaged images he created an installation and animated film featuring a cosmology of animals and plants on an epic quest for wisdom. He uses oral traditions as allegories for contemporary life.

Mohammad AlFaraj, Images from The Date Fruit of Knowledge Project, Part of AlUla Residency in 2022.

144

BASMAH FELEMBAN

Another alumnus of the Prince’s School of Traditional Arts, Felemban has drawn on her knowledge of Islamic culture to create a spectacular cascade of ovoid teak vessels for the 2023 Islamic Biennale in Jeddah. A monumental chorus of singing ‘mouths’ are suspended in wave forms that represent how those reciting the ‘adhan’ or call to prayer take breaths between phrases. This piece also refers to the term ‘buhur’, the Arabic word for seas, which is used to describe how the adhan is structured as text and incantation.

Basmah Felemban, Wave Catcher, 2023, photo credit Taha Baageel

ZAHRAH AL GHAMDI

Rearing up against the scenic backdrop of California’s Coachella Valley is a towering structure of geological ‘strata’, cement, soil and fabric tiles stacked by Al Ghamdi to create an imposing monolith. It could be a rock or an ancient monument. A student of architecture, Al Ghamdi has used vernacular materials from the Gulf such as leather, sand and rope to create sculptural environments that transform a room into a landscape. This work mimics the slow time of the earth’s geology to transform nature into contemporary sculpture.

Zahrah Al Ghamdi, What Lies Behind the Walls, 2021 6,000 cement, soil and dye tiles, commissioned for Desert X, Coachella Valley

LULWAH AL HOMOUD

The legacies of geometric abstraction that echo through Islamic decorative arts and architecture find contemporary expression in the work of Al Homoud, who studied at the Prince’s School in London but is now based in Riyadh. Her delicately rendered yet epic drawings use mathematical principles to create transcendent images where pattern becomes an intimation of infinity. Moving between the micro of plant structures to the macro of the cosmos, Al Homoud’s all-encompassing vision makes looking into a spiritual act.

Lulwah Al Homoud, Language of Existence, 2020, Mixed media on canvas, 467x176cm, shown in ‘What Lies Within’, Maraya, AlUla

EMY KAT

Many artists in the Gulf mourn the destruction of ancient sites and historic districts, some a casualty of war or civil disorder, others the victim of rampant development. This tension between tradition and modernity is invoked in the lyricism of Kat’s beautiful interiors. Jettisoning a career as an industrial consultant, Kat studied in the US to become a photographer. Here he explores abandoned houses in Jeddah to capture the exquisite yet peeling colours of yesteryear, the craftsmanship of a wooden doorframe or metal window grill. This painterly composition is also haunted by the ghosts of generations who once lived here.

Emy Kat, Bedroom II, From The Everlasting Now - Part 3, 2015

152

MAHA MALLUH

Although she studied art at universities in Texas and California, Malluh’s focus is on Saudi society and the impact of oil and consumer culture. The diagrammatic surface, and blue and green palette of this work is made up of music cassettes, a now obsolete form of recording technology. Cassettes were also the medium by which Muslim preachers could indoctrinate individuals in their homes and cars. Malluh collects, frames or arranges multiples of such recently archaic objects to reveal their pervasive social and cultural impact. Amma Baad translates as ‘following on from that’, leaving us to imagine the sound that once issued from these now silenced objects.

Maha Malluh, Food for Thought “AMMA BAAD” 2017, Venice Biennale 2017.

Consists of 2400 audio cassette tapes in 30 baker’s bread trays. Each tray size 54.5 cm x 106 cm x 8.5 cm. Total Size 272.5 cm x 636 cm X 8.5 cm.

154

FAISAL SAMRA

A composite woman, her face half veiled, is centre stage in this short powerful film about women’s notions of self and of freedom. Three female voices compete to speak in English or Arabic with even the subtitles cutting out and overlaying each other, underlining the struggle women face in reconciling Islamic convention with the self-realisation they see in the West. Samra studied at the Ecole Nationale des Beaux-Arts in Paris and developed a career in the media in France and Saudi Arabia. His films defy categorisation as he deploys performance and symbolism to generate iconic images and pithy yet complex narratives.

Faisal Samra, Photo stills from SCHIZOPHRENIA #02 performance, 2021

156

MUHANNAD SHONO

Spending some months at AlUla’s Hotel Mabiti art residence, Shono befriended the local palm farmers to learn about their horticulture and rituals, coming also to understand their disquiet as new developments disrupt traditional ways of life. The process of burning palm leaves becomes a sacred rite in Shono’s temple-like structure made of fired mud bricks. Representing KSA at the Venice Biennale, Shono originally studied architecture. He uses this knowledge to create large-scale installations where industrial materials transmute into poetic and spiritual forms.

Muhannad Shono, On This Sacred Day, 2022, Black bricks of compacted sand, burning palm fronds , Made for AlUla Arts Residency

FILWA NAZER

Five diaphanous forms are suspended in space, delineated by an armature of thick black and cream bands and loops that structure layers of filmy fabric. Nazer’s early training in fashion sees her patterncutting skills brought to the fore in these complex sculptural forms that are both anthropomorphic and architectural. Returning to Saudi Arabia from her studies in Europe, Nazer wanted to make visible the force field of femininity. These works have travelled from the Riyadh ‘Diriyah Biennale’ to the Lyons Biennale, their play of shadows transforming every space they occupy.

Filwa Nazer, Five Women, 2021, Textiles , plastic boning, piping cord, Dimensions are variable

Drawing on centuries of tradition and know-how, artists from the MENA region have created works that reflect their rich culture and transcend regional boundaries. This extensive collection of artworks by established and emerging talents provides a breathtaking visual map of the region's art world, with a collection of unique works. As it travels around the globe, the show shines the spotlight on the great artistic contributions of the region, while transmitting the exceptional character of each country represented.

Join the show, submit your application through the website.

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