Art Paper #29 Below – Render of Ashab Al-Lal by Ahmed Mater at Wadi AlFann. Visualisation by Atelier Monolit. Courtesy of Athr Gallery

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.

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.