RIYADH: The Ministry of Culture will host the second Scripts and Calligraphy exhibition to showcase Arabic calligraphy as an integral component of Arab culture and identity.
The exhibition will be held in Riyadh from June 11 to Sept. 2 at the Irqah Hospital, and will then move to Madinah from Oct. 15 to Dec. 23 at the Madinah Arts Center.
This year’s exhibition will be held under the theme “Paths to the Soul.” It will explore the spiritual dimension of calligraphy and its contribution to the Arab and Islamic world through four subthemes: Light, letter, space and poetry.
Each subtheme will be presented in a section of the exhibition, which will examine the thoughts and techniques used by calligraphers, contemporary designers and artists while considering the emotions that Arabic calligraphy evokes.
Acclaimed architects and scenographers Jean-Paul Boulanger, Margo Renisio, and Tang Tu designed the Scripts and Calligraphy exhibition.
The event will feature 53 calligraphers and contemporary artists from 12 countries, including 16 from Saudi Arabia. In addition to the commissioned artworks, the exhibition will showcase a range of Islamic artworks and rare manuscripts from the permanent collection of the Saudi Ministry of Culture, as well as unique pieces loaned from the Institut du Monde Arabe in Paris, the National Heritage Institute in Tunis, and from private collectors across the region.
In 2021, the Ministry of Culture organized the first Scripts and Calligraphy exhibition titled “A Timeless Journey” at the National Museum in Riyadh.
The exhibition examined the roots of Arabic calligraphy and its historical development, taking visitors on a journey through time as they discovered the development of the art and examined the relationship between calligraphy and artificial intelligence.
The ministry is committed to preserving Arabic calligraphy as a treasured aspect of the Kingdom’s identity and cultural heritage.
In recognition of the distinctive tradition, the ministry has launched several programs and initiatives to celebrate its significance, such as the designation of 2020 as the Year of Arabic Calligraphy.
In addition, Saudi Arabia led a successful collaboration with 15 Arab countries to include Arabic calligraphy on UNESCO’s representative list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, consolidating the practice’s status as a global symbol of Arab culture.
