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“Kimsooja, To Breathe – AlUla, Desert X AlUla 2024, courtesy of the Royal Commission of AlUla”
ALULA, Saudi Arabia, Feb. 7, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — FROM FEB. 9 TO MARCH 23, 2024, UNDER THE THEME “IN THE PRESENCE OF ABSENCE,” DESERT X ALULA 2024 COMMISSIONS 15 WORKS OF ART TO EXPLORE THE UNSEEN
Open to all, Desert X AlUla, a collaboration between Desert X and the Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU), is a recurring, temporary, and place-appropriate foreign art exhibition that takes place in AlUla, an ancient desert region of global significance in the Arabian Peninsula. This year’s exhibition, curated by Maya El Khalil and Marcello Dantas, under the artistic direction of Raneem Farsi and Neville Wakefield, features 15 newly commissioned artworks.
After two exhibitions since 2020, Desert a majestic region in the northwest of Saudi Arabia. Positioning AlUla as a global destination to view site-appropriate monumental art, Desert They resonate with audiences around the world.
Desert X AlUla is positioned as the culmination of the AlUla Arts Festival, which is part of the annual AlUla Moments calendar of events. The AlUla Arts Festival will take place from February 9 to March 2, 2024. Under the theme In the Presence of Absence, Desert X AlUla 2024 asks “what can’t be seen?Deserts, often considered spaces of emptiness, become mute, static, but there is much more to them than meets the eye. Artists participating in Desert X AlUla 2024 are invited to explore concepts of the invisible and the inexpressible.
The full list of participating artists is:
Aseel AlYaqoub, b. 1986, Kuwaiti
Ayman Yossri Daydban, b. 1966, Saudi-Palestinian
Bosco Sodi, b. 1970, Mexican
Caline Aoun, b. 1983, Lebanese
Faisal Samra, b. 1955, Saudi Arabian
Filwa Nazer, b. 1972, Saudi Arabia
Giuseppe Penone, no. 1947, Italian
Ibrahim Mahama, b. 1987, Ghanaian
Kader Attia, b. 1970, Algerian-French
Karola Braga, b. 1988, Brazilian
Kimsooja, n. 1957, South Korea
Monira Al Qadiri, b. 1983, Kuwait
Nojoud Alsudairi, b. 1994, Saudi Arabia
Pascal Hachem, b. 1979, Lebanese
Rana Haddad, b. 1970, Lebanese
Rand Abdul Jabbar, b. 1990, Iraqi
Sara Alissa, b. 1990, Saudi Arabia
The next edition of Desert X AlUla will be held for the first time in 3 locations, inviting visitors to observe stunning and varied landscapes as they travel on their adventure between construction sites. The works of Desert X AlUla can be seen in the desert landscape of Wadi AlFann. between the black lava stone terrain and striking perspectives of Harrat Uwayrid and AlManshiyah Square, home to the preserved AlUla Railway Station, revealing the many layers of history and culture. The confluence found in AlUla.
All artists visit AlUla and spend time in its landscape; their proposals are then developed from this experience.
Sara Alissa and Nojoud Alsudairi transform the landscape into an introspective arrangement in Invisible Possibilities: When the Earth Started to Look at Itself. Through other questions of vision and approaches, the paintings aim to reshape viewers’ understanding of the ecological transition of the site and its physicality. geographies. Upon entering the cylindrical form of Kimsooja’s paintings, between iridescent walls, visitors are drawn to the center of a spiral. The chromatic walls of To Breathe – AlUla distill light that has traveled through eons into prisms that dance across the guest and the landscape. .
Ayman Yossri Daydban draws the contours of a football pitch with white stones and rocks gathered by the AlUla community from across the valley. Placed in a remote, rocky area, the football field is a mysterious and suspicious presence, provoking collective memory and considering the social role of football. For When I saw my reflection, Bosco Sodi gathered volcanic rocks from across the landscape. Wrapped in gold, they have been placed in rock faces that tower above the desert to draw the viewer’s eyes to the beautiful organic formations and accidents that already exist in the rock formations.
In Caline Aoun’s The Desert Has No Surface, the stones of the basaltic plateau of Harrat al Sham are polished on one side. The sun is an essential detail in Aoun’s paintings that is activated by the refraction of sunlight, generating moments of brilliance. that reflect the impermanence of the desert landscape and the herbal forces that created it. Rana Haddad and Pascal Hachem’s installation aims to honor the classic craftsmanship of the region, by creating a safe haven made of adobe jars. Nicknamed Rêveries, the pot in the tower has geometric slices bears, which allow nature and light to move and assign it ever-changing patterns.
Ibrahim Mahama’s terracotta vessels, also composed of vases, are scattered across the landscape, suggesting new ecosystems emerging from the relics of history. Mahama’s works can be seen at all three Desert X AlUla sites, plus Dung Bara – The Rider Does No in Wadi AlFann. , Hanging Garden at AlManshiyah Plaza and Gabli Din Pali – A full pumpkin makes no noise; It’s just a partially filled jar making noise in Harrat Uwayrid. Building on AlUla’s legacy on the Incense Route, Karola Braga uses perfume to recreate the sensory global of ancient commerce. Its structure, Sfumato, envelops participants in a veil of frankincense and myrrh. inviting visitors to reconnect with the olfactory heritage of management in an exclusive and immersive encounter.
Aseel AlYaqoub’s Weird Life: An Ode to the Varnish of the Desert is enlivened through the “desert varnish” that appears naturally in landscapes such as AlUla’s, evolving into a luminous varnish of yellow, orange, red and black, which baffles scientists. centuries.
Inspired by pre-Islamic ideals that jinn inhabited the desert, Filwa Nazer’s enlarged walkway, Preserving Shadows, is structured using a metal net to shape a large, undulating black snake. Developed in large, disproportionate shapes, W. A. B. A. R. It echoes the mysterious objects inhabited by the inhabitants of the desert. The paintings evoke a cosmic folktale in which, after finding the pearls, a network in the Empty Quarter believed they had an extraterrestrial origin.
Where the myths of mud and Rand Abdul Jabbar desire are born, it is located in a niche in the mountain valley, and its five sculptural bureaucracies tell the story of Venus. Encountering each piece through hitale, the guest is immersed in ancient perspectives and transformative relationships with the celestial. In The Dot, Faisal Samra shows how the Wadi AlFann valley was born from an ancient fissure, revealing the small forces that shape greatness through the ages. The ghost of time is symbolized through a line formed by fragments of rock.
The Logic of the Plant: The Metamorphosis of Giuseppe Penone explores the cyclical nature of all life. The trunks of the fossilized trees oscillate between living organisms and mineral states, leading visitors to reflect on the transformations that occur over time. Glass bottlenecks emerge from Kader Attia’s sculptures in Whistleblower, which whistle as they open to the wind. The resulting haunting sound encourages the audience to think about how worried we all are about the Earth.
An extensive programme of events will be held for visitors and local communities. Desert X AlUla will include lectures by curators and artists, visits to important schools, and art workshops on topics ranging from collage and style-making to printmaking and photography. Desert X AlUla performances include classical Saudi dances, background compositions, and live radio broadcasts.
For the first time, Desert X AlUla presented a special commission through Tino Sehgal. Sehgal’s paintings (untitled) emphasize the interplay between the herbaceous elements of the desert and human intervention through movement and sound, creating a connection between the visitor, the environment, and the intangible aspects of fun and imagination.
Desert X AlUla is a collaboration between Desert X and the destination of AlUla established to advance new cultural dialogue through art. The first site-responsive exhibition of its kind in Saudi Arabia, it fosters dialogue and exchange between artists, curators, and international and local communities, shaped by a curatorial vision that takes the desert as its inspiration. Building on the legacy of Desert X, which takes place in California’s Coachella Valley, Desert X AlUla draws on principles of land art, offering a profound opportunity to experience art on a monumental scale in dialogue with nature.
Desert X AlUla has played a pivotal role in paving the way for the progress of another initiative set to open at AlUla in 2026, Wadi AlFann, a 65-square-kilometer site intended to be a global destination for monumental, permanent, site-specific events. Land art. The epic and monumental scale of Wadi AlFan’s intergenerational commissions will open a new bankruptcy in art history, one that will expand and continue for years to come. Desert X AlUla and Wadi AlFann are examples of RCU’s vision for art in the landscape, providing unprecedented opportunities to revel in fresh art in discussion with nature.
In addition to being a historic cultural site, AlUla is at the center of Saudi Arabia’s burgeoning art scene. Arts AlUla is committed to creating a culturally advanced position to live and visit, revive the artistic heritage of the region, and create opportunities for the network to delight. in art as a source of schooling and motivation through the creation of tasks and the development of skills.
Fresh desert art. There will also be two exhibitions of works by Wadi AlFann-commissioned artist Manal AlDowayan in the Aljadidah Arts District. The festival will immerse visitors in a colorful birthday party of fresh public and visual art, design, art tours, and artist residencies. At AlUla’s mixed-use arts centre, Madrasat Addeera, there will be hands-on workshops on handicrafts such as palm weaving, ceramics, jewellery, geometry, three-dimensional structures, textiles and much more.
Desert X AlUla aims to contribute to and continue the artistic heritage of the local community and region: Works from Desert X AlUla 2020 by Sherin Guirguis, Lita Albuquerque, Manal AlDowayan, Superflex, Mohamed Ahmed Ibrahim and Nadim Karam have been acquired by RCU, some of which are on view at Habitas, AlUla. Works from Desert X AlUla 2022 by Dana Awartani, Alicja Kwade, Monika Sosnowska, Sultan Bin Fahad, Khalil Rabah, Shezad Dawood and Serge Attukwei Clottey have been acquired by RCU, some of which are on display. Jim Denevan’s work for Desert X AlUla 2022 also remains in its original location, where it will dissipate naturally. Desert X AlUla has been building local and international audiences over the years, with a 53% increase in average visitors per day from 2020 to 2022 editions.
Maya El Khalil, Curator, Desert X AlUla 2024, says:The region of AlUla is monumental. Formed of inconceivable spans of time and space, the urge is to meet it with imitations of similar size and impact. But the reality is, human efforts struggle to match the grandeur sculpted here. We challenged the artists participating in Desert X AlUla 2024 to adjust their perspective to encounter the unseen aspects of the place with reverence, attuning to the forces, rhythms and processes that shape the landscape in imperceptible ways. In response to this, the artists have developed innovative and dynamic works that address profound topics such as trade, migration and time that are relevant to the region and connect with the wider world.
Marcello Dantas, curator of Desert X AlUla 2024, says: The desert, perceived as a position of emptiness, gradually shows its complex layers of lifestyles as we immerse ourselves in it. Desert X AlUla invites artists to create original works with a unique canvas on an unprecedented scale. As visitors explore Desert X AlUla, they will notice that in times of uncertainty, when the tangible is elusive, nothing is more genuine than the presence of the unseen. We invite visitors to find the infinite limits of the mind’s eye and notice the profound forces that silently shape our world.
Raneem Farsi and Neville Wakefield, Artistic Directors, Desert X AlUla 2024, say: Taking place across three sites for the first time, this edition of Desert X AlUla will fully immerse visitors in the heritage, nature and landscape of AlUla. A crossroads of trade and culture for centuries, projects like Desert X AlUla continue AlUla’s legacy as a place of cultural exchange and dialogue. The last two editions of Desert X AlUla in 2020 and 2022 proved how AlUla’s landscape and community can inspire artists to create works that resonate with audiences around the world.
Nora Aldabal, executive director of Arts AlUla, says: At AlUla, we are racing to build the next bankruptcy in art history. Through art projects such as Desert X AlUla, artists are invited to collaborate not only with other artists, but also with the stunning landscape and heritage of AlUla itself. This edition of Desert X AlUla, with its amazing works of art and educational and cultural programming, highlights the price of the arts and creativity as essential and transformative layers to enrich society, the economy and quality. of life.
For more information please visit: www.livingmuseum.com/arts@artsalula @experiencealula @alulamoments @_desertx (Instagram) @desertx (Facebook)
#desiertoxalula
PRESS CONTACTS
Desert X Alula: Rosie Lowit, Pelham Communications rosie@pelhamcommunications. comAloisia Rucellai, Pelham Communications aloisia@pelhamcommunications. com (0)20 89693959
Desert X: Lyn Winter, Inc. desertx@lynwinter. com
Notes to editors:
About AlUla: Located 1,100 km from Riyadh in northwestern Saudi Arabia, AlUla is a natural and human heritage site based on herbs. The vast area, covering 22,561 km², includes a lush oasis valley, towering sandstone mountains, and ancient cultural heritage sites dating back thousands of years. up to the time of the Lihyan and Nabataean kingdoms.
The most well-known and recognised site in AlUla is Hegra, Saudi Arabia’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site. A 52-hectare ancient city, Hegra was the principal southern city of the Nabataean Kingdom and is comprised of more than 100 well-preserved tombs with elaborate facades cut out of the sandstone outcrops surrounding the walled urban settlement. Current research also suggests Hegra was the most southern outpost of the Roman Empire after conquering the Nabataeans in 106 CE.
In addition to Hegra, AlUla is home to attractive ancient and archaeological sites such as: ancient Dadan, the capital of the Dadan and Lihyan kingdoms, one of the most evolved cities of the first millennium BC. C. of the Arabian Peninsula; thousands of ancient rock art sites and inscriptions at Jabal Ikmah; The old city of AlUla, a labyrinth of more than 900 mud houses evolved since at least the 12th century, as well as the Hijaz Railway and Hegra Fort, key sites in the history and conquests of Lawrence of Arabia.
About the Royal Commission for AlUla: The Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) was established by Royal Decree in July 2017 to protect and safeguard AlUla, a domain of remarkable herbal and cultural importance in northwestern Saudi Arabia. RCU is embarking on a long-term plan to expand and achieve a significant and sustainable transformation of the region, reaffirming it as one of the country’s most vital archaeological and cultural destinations and preparing it to welcome visitors from around the world. RCU’s progression works at AlUla encompass a wide diversity of projects in the fields of archaeology, tourism, culture, education, and the arts, reflecting the ambitious commitment to domesticate tourism and recreation in Saudi Arabia, defined in Vision 2030.
About Desert X:Desert X is produced by The Desert Biennial, a 501(c)3 charitable organization, conceived to produce recurring international contemporary art exhibitions that activate desert locations through site-specific installations by acclaimed international artists. Its guiding principles include presenting public exhibitions of art that are free to the public and respond meaningfully to the conditions of desert locations, the environment, indigenous communities, and promote cultural exchange. Desert X is committed to education and public programming with a robust series of initiatives that expand the breadth and depth of the organization’s engagement with the surrounding community. The exhibitions provide a platform for artists from around the world to address ecological, cultural, spiritual and other existential themes. From its inception in 2017, Desert X has presented four exhibitions in the Coachella Valley. In 2020, the organization began to engage with exhibitions outside the United States and helped establish Desert X AlUla in the desert of Saudi Arabia. The exhibitions to date have explored new configurations of site-responsive work by more than 80 artists from North America, South America, South Asia, Europe, the Middle East and Africa creating a new paradigm for the presentation and experience of art and welcoming an audience of over 1.7 million. Desert X is funded by its board of directors and an international group of individual donors, foundations, and sponsors.
Maya El Khalil Maya is a renowned art curator with more than 14 years of experience in the art industry, specifically in the MENA region. It was born in Beirut and founded in Oxford, United Kingdom. She is the former founding director of Athr Gallery, a Fresh Art Area in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, where she has curated several exhibitions showcasing the works of emerging and established artists from around the world. One of her notable curatorial works is the annual exhibition 21. 39 Jeddah Arts. Maya has also worked as a freelance art consultant. and curator.
Marcello Dantas Marcello is an award-winning curator and artistic director with 35 years of experience, known for innovative interdisciplinary practices and the use of Science, history and technology, to create engaging exhibition experiences. Dantas has conceptualized several museums and cultural institutions across South America and Asia including the Museum of Portuguese Language and Japan House Sao Paulo, and, curated solo exhibitions featuring influential contemporary artists like Ai Weiwei and Anish Kapoor. He also curated Vancouver Biennale, BienalSur and Mercosul Biennale. In 2021, he became the curator of the SFER IK Museo in Tulum, Mexico.
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/1f04c117-0f2e-492e-ba27-5da7d64e1814