JEDDAH: The human experience of space and time was one of the subjects of a public talk by two artists linked to the exhibition “The Distance From Here” at Jeddah’s Hayy Arts hub.
Filwa Nazer, a Saudi visual artist, and her Palestinian contemporary Mona Ayyash discussed their artistic practices and their explorations on occupying and interacting with space and time.
“The Distance From Here” exhibition, which ended on Oct. 25, featured work from 20 local and international artists based on the themes of isolation, movement, boundaries, displacement and confinement.
The public talk was moderated by Rotana Shaker, the assistant curator of Art Jameel, which managed the exhibition.
Nazer told Arab News: “The public talk brought both of us to discuss different mediums and approaches in tackling these themes.
“Art doesn’t always have a message, whereas its main role is to explore and ask questions in ways that hopefully make people look at certain subjects, ideas and different views of the self.”
She said it was “an exciting time for the artists” in Saudi Arabia.
“The efforts of the Ministry of Culture and institutions like Hayy Jameel in Jeddah to build a cultural hub and a supportive community for artists and creatives are clearly visible through such events and exhibitions,” she said.
Ayyash said: “Our conversation focused on the commonality of work and how it connected both of us with the theme and the idea of the exhibition.
“We explored themes of stability and humanity, space, tension, time and transition. It’s a great opportunity to be a part of this amazing art scene taking place in the Kingdom and contribute to the dynamic cultural output through Hayy Arts.”
Meanwhile, Art Jameel has announced grants for researchers under its “Mapping the Arts in KSA (1940-2000)” program.
The grants will allow for the study of modern art, its exhibition histories, and artist networks in Saudi Arabia and the wider region. The grants will be for a duration of 12 months, beginning Dec. 20, 2022.
