Saudi Arabia’s Tuwaiq Sculpture exhibition opens doors to art, cultural exchange

Special Saudi Arabia’s Tuwaiq Sculpture exhibition opens doors to art, cultural exchange
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Saudi sculptor Lamia Moraished. (Tuwaiq Sculpture)
Special Saudi Arabia’s Tuwaiq Sculpture exhibition opens doors to art, cultural exchange
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Iranian sculptor Sahar Khalaji. (Tuwaiq Sculpture)
Special Saudi Arabia’s Tuwaiq Sculpture exhibition opens doors to art, cultural exchange
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Egyptian sculptor Ahmed Karaly. (Tuwaiq Sculpture)
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Updated 18 February 2024
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Saudi Arabia’s Tuwaiq Sculpture exhibition opens doors to art, cultural exchange

Saudi Arabia’s Tuwaiq Sculpture exhibition opens doors to art, cultural exchange
  • Held under the theme ‘Dimensions of Movement,’ symposium is spotlighting 30 artists from around the world
  • Lamia Moraished: ‘The symposium wasn’t just about contributing a piece, but it was also a global cultural experience’

RIYADH: In the past month, 30 artists from 20 countries carved and sculpted their way through raw stone. Now, the annual Tuwaiq Sculpture symposium has opened its doors to the public, displaying their large-scale public works until Feb. 24 just north of ROSHN Front.

Under the theme “Dimensions of Movement,” each artist explored the progress and expansion they all witnessed across the Kingdom, specifically Riyadh, in their own language. The symposium is curated by Head Curator Marek Wolynski, and Associate Curator Fahad Al-Jebreen.

Wolynski told Arab News: “‘Dimensions of Movement’ pays tribute to how society can develop and integrate progress within daily life. I’m hoping that (it) captures a moment in time and serves as a point of reference for the generations to come.”

Once the sculptures are relocated to public spaces across the Kingdom’s capital, he hopes they will reflect the optimism, passion, and dynamism embedded within Saudi society.

The 30 artists not only carved raw granite into large-scale artworks, but also shared breakfasts and dinners, enjoyed cultural exchanges and Sunday excursions, demonstrating that Tuwaiq’s goal is to forge collaboration between artist communities around the world.

“It’s not only about the production of sculptures, it’s predominantly about the exchange of knowledge and transfer of skills that happens between artists themselves,” Wolynski said.

The program received an unprecedented 700 applications from 84 countries. After careful selection by the jury panel, 30 artists were selected from Saudi Arabia, China, India, Iran, through to the Arab world, Europe and South America, including Chile, Ecuador, Mexico, Canada, and others.

Spanish artist Jordi Raga has developed methodologies that combine constructive and subtractive techniques using manual and digital technologies. The work intends to behave as a sundial during the summer solstice.

Influenced by the notions of progress and evolution, Raga has centered two of Saudi Arabia’s most vibrant cities, Riyadh and Makkah, in his artwork titled “The Spark,” which combines techniques of manual and digital technologies. Using 3D software, he predicted a shadow that points from Riyadh to Makkah on June 21, reflecting the importance of will and hope as a driver of progress and evolution.

“The spark is the beginning of a chain reaction. So, all progress can create a revolution … I believe art is a catalyst as well,” Raga told Arab News.

The Spanish artist’s practice also champions sustainability. At Tuwaiq, he made a point to generate a spatial experience with minimal materials and waste.

The cohort features 10 Saudi artists, half of whom are women. Artist Azhar Saeed centered her work, titled “Extension,” around the Kingdom’s multitude of pioneering feats in various fields.

“It symbolizes an extension of past efforts, from the Kingdom’s foundation until now. The country is experiencing the largest construction renaissance in the modern Arab world, so we as Saudis are working quickly and ambitiously to cope with this change,” she told Arab News.

The five stone pieces, derived from the geometrical shape of honeycombs, are a nod to the essential component of cooperation between various projects under the Kingdom’s Vision 2030.

Saudi artist Lamia Moraished’s sculpture consists of horizontal columns resting on natural-textured stone pieces. The work intends to evoke a feeling of firmness and solidity even while in movement.

“The symposium wasn’t just about contributing a piece, but it was also a global cultural experience. We created friendships, exchanged knowledge and cultures, and learned about sculptural heritage in other countries as well,” she told Arab News.

The program also incorporates public engagement through ongoing workshops, panel discussions, masterclasses, and university and school visits. The program was designed to “allow for the community to embrace the transformation on different levels,” Wolynski said.

“This is very important, especially for children to see different models for things they can do in the future. If they see art, they can think maybe to become creators in multiple fields, so that’s already a catalyst,” Raga noted.


What to expect at Hia Hub 2024

What to expect at Hia Hub 2024
Updated 29 October 2024
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What to expect at Hia Hub 2024

What to expect at Hia Hub 2024

DUBAI: Hia Hub, Saudi Arabia’s fashion, beauty and lifestyle conference, returns for its fourth edition in Riyad’s JAX District.

Taking place from Oct. 30 to Nov. 3, the event will feature discussions, masterclasses, workshops, interactive exhibitions and live performances.

Tunisian actress Dorra Zarrouk will host a meet-and-greet on Oct. 31, while on Nov. 2 Egyptian actress Yasmine Sabri will talk about her career, challenges within the entertainment industry, and her personal development.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Hia Magazine (@hiamag)

Iraqi YouTuber and content creator Noor Naeem, known as Noor Stars, will present a talk titled “Redefining Digital Success” on Oct. 31, where she will discuss achieving success in the digital world. The session will cover her methods for engaging with followers, balancing creativity with practical business strategies, and her experiences collaborating with major global brands.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Hia Hub (@hiahubofficial)

Egyptian dancer and actress Fifi Abdou will join a discussion on Nov. 3 titled “Fifi Abdou on Redesigning Arab Entertainment,” where attendees can learn about her career path, contributions to the arts, and her role in Arab entertainment.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Hia Hub (@hiahubofficial)

Also on Nov. 3, Saudi influencer Yara Al-Namlah, founder of Saudi skincare brand Treat, will host a session with her mother to discuss the personal experiences and family rituals that have shaped their skincare routines.

Masterclasses will include Lebanese celebrity makeup artist Bassam Fattouh, who will share tips and tricks; Maria Tash, who will offer insights on the art of piercing and fine jewelry design; Oscar de la Renta creative directors Laura Kim and Fernando Garcia, who will discuss couture craftsmanship; and a skincare masterclass with Inge Theron, founder of FaceGym.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Hia Hub (@hiahubofficial)

International brands such as Benefit, YSL Beauty, Dior, Clinique, The Ordinary, Hublot, Shiseido, Guerlain and more will offer opportunities to connect with professionals and engage in hands-on learning through a series of workshops.


Actress Jameela Jamil to star in new TV series

Actress Jameela Jamil to star in new TV series
Updated 29 October 2024
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Actress Jameela Jamil to star in new TV series

Actress Jameela Jamil to star in new TV series

DUBAI: Actress, activist and presenter Jameela Jamil took to social media to show off an outfit by Lebanese designer Georges Hobeika in Morocco, days after it was announced she will star in “Hysterical” — a new feminist dramedy from Olivia Lee semi-inspired by controversial figure Andrew Tate.

The strapless, form-fitting gown, in a sleek white fabric, featured vertical cut-outs along both sides from the bust to the hem, with small circular accents framing the openings.

Jamil was in Morocco for the sixth Fashion Trust Arabia Awards, which took place in Marrakech. 

For the event, she wore a black, strapless gown with a slightly plunging sweetheart neckline. The structured, voluminous skirt featured a glossy finish with faint circular patterns, while the bodice was embellished with texture and shine.

Fashion Trust Arabia is a non-profit organization that provides financial support, guidance and mentorship to emerging designers from across the Middle East and North Africa region.

The awards attract industry heavyweights from around the world, with the 2024 ceremony attended by the likes of Emirati singer Balqees Fathi, British model Jourdan Dunn, Egyptian-Dutch model Imaan Hammam, Lebanese-British fashion entrepreneur Karen Wazen, and American-Lebanese supermodel Nour Arida.

Jamil’s new series, “Hysterical,” also stars Naomie Harris and Romesh Ranganathan. Harris plays Leonora, a therapist who spirals into a world of toxic masculinity after her daughter is assaulted.

She learns the boy responsible is a fan of Tommy T, an influencer known for spreading harmful advice among young men. During a weekly “rage release” session with friends, Leonora, fueled by anger and alcohol, convinces the group to act and bring him down.

The plot is inspired by events surrounding Andrew Tate, a former kickboxer with over 10 million followers who once stated that women should “bear responsibility” for sexual assault.

“UMMMM A comedy series about female rage? Sign me up!” Jamil, who is British Pakistani, wrote on Instagram, sharing the news with her 3.8 million followers.

“Hysterical” is being produced by Ranganathan’s company, Ranga Bee Productions. It has not yet been announced when it will be televised.


HIGHLIGHTS: Vian Sora’s ‘House of Pearls’ at The Third Line in Dubai

HIGHLIGHTS: Vian Sora’s ‘House of Pearls’ at The Third Line in Dubai
Updated 25 October 2024
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HIGHLIGHTS: Vian Sora’s ‘House of Pearls’ at The Third Line in Dubai

HIGHLIGHTS: Vian Sora’s ‘House of Pearls’ at The Third Line in Dubai

DUBAI: Highlights from Vian Sora’s ‘House of Pearls,’ which opens at The Third Line in Dubai on Oct. 31.

‘Biomimicry III’

Iraqi-American artist Vian Sora’s latest show “House of Pearls” is a collection that — according to The Third Line, where the exhibition runs until Dec. 5 — uses “pearls as a metaphor for achieving stability and the needed structural integrity for life itself to regenerate.” In it, Sora “explores … caustic cycles, the solid and fluid violent states intrinsic to nature from which pearls grow.”

 

‘Olivine’

Sora left her home city, Baghdad, following the US invasion of Iraq. In “House of Pearls” she draws on her experience as an immigrant and a survivor of war and “reflects on the uncertainty and shifting boundaries of existence, capturing the physical, mental and emotional toll experiences across nations, cultures, and time.”

 

‘Exhale’

Sora begins each work with just three colors, which she builds on gradually to achieve up to 20 colors in a piece. They depict “imagined landscapes and seas marked with distorted Arabic calligraphy” and are intended to “capture the vulnerability and courage of displaced individuals.” Abstraction, Sora says, allows her to “dive into the subconscious in a way that is impossible to replicate through illustration.”  


AlUla showcases artistic vision in Paris with ‘Orbis Tertius’  

AlUla showcases artistic vision in Paris with ‘Orbis Tertius’  
Visitors to the opening night of 'Orbis Tertius' in Paris surround Monira Al-Qadiri's 'The Guardian'
Updated 24 October 2024
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AlUla showcases artistic vision in Paris with ‘Orbis Tertius’  

AlUla showcases artistic vision in Paris with ‘Orbis Tertius’  
  • Exhibition of work from the AlUla Artist Residency Program was part of this year’s Art Basel 

PARIS: The AlUla Artist Residency Program made its debut in France during Art Basel Paris this month with “Orbis Tertius,” an exhibition showcasing the work of 20 international artists. The program was launched in 2021 by the Royal Commission for AlUla in collaboration with the French Agency for AlUla Development. 

The exhibition is part of Arts AlUla’s global program to promote the ancient oasis city as an emerging hub for art and creativity. For millennia, AlUla was a key location for trade and culture — it is home to Hegra, Saudi Arabia’s first UNESCO World Heritage site, and was a stop on the Incense Road. AlUla’s pre-Islamic heritage and breathtaking landscape continue to inspire groundbreaking artistic expressions, as shown in “Orbis Tertius.” 

Arnaud Morand, AFALULA, Curator, Orbis Tertius (2024). (Supplied)

Artist and photographer Louis-Cyprien Rials told Arab News that at the heart of his residency was “the almost-uncomfortable idea of being nothing in a place that seems eternal and easily reminds us of our insignificance.” 

Located in the palm grove of Mabiti AlUla, and with a newly-opened artists’ residence in AlJadidadh, the program offers an ideal setting for artists to reflect on the role and methods of creative practice in the contemporary world. It encourages a dynamic dialogue between the artists, as well as with the local community in AlUla.  

This residency program, according to curator Arnaud Morand, head of art and creative industries at AFALULA, is “unique.” The artists are enrolled by invitation only after submission of a portfolio and a letter of intent. The breakdown of nationalities is roughly half Arab, half international.  

“The artists had to have an established practice of interest and relevant to us, working between past and future heritage,” Morand explained. “In the unconventional and intense context of this desert oasis, they were working closely with the local communities. Many had previous experience in collaborating with scientists and experts. Spending a minimum of 10 weeks on the ground was mandatory. The artists met and interacted with AlUla’s field specialists; archaeologists, geologists, anthropologists, agronomists, botanists, heritage conservatists and environmental workers. If this time commitment was not possible for them, their candidature could not be considered.” 

It was Morand who chose the theme “Orbis Tertius, A Journey Between Fictions and Myths” for the show, inspired by the Argentine writer, Jorge Luis Borges, whose “Fictions” explores how our world can be better understood through a blend of ancient myths and legends and observed reality.  

“AlUla reinvents itself every day as a fundamental utopia of the 21st century,” Morand said. “The residency program offers a framework for creatives to integrate and meaningfully engage with the bigger project. It also provides an insight into how the community processes change. Ultimately, it steers us in the right direction, drawing on the artists’ perceptions and questions while offering time and an unparalleled context to develop their practice.” 

At Art Basel, “Orbis Tertius” was displayed over four floors of the gallery at 5 rue Saint-Merri, a stone’s throw away from the Pompidou Center. The works were not confined to a single medium. The 20 contemporary artists presented 43 works that included paintings, sculptures, videos, photographs, poetry, calligraphy, brickmaking, installations and live performances.  

In pride of place on the ground floor stood the 4.5 meter “The Guardian,” an aluminum sculpture by Kuwaiti artist Monira Al-Qadiri, whose work examines nature’s hostile retaliation to human presence in the environment. Her totemic sculpture is based on the Calotropis Procera, a plant native to the region, which grows on arid soil, and can survive for up to three years without a single drop of water. The Calotropis Procera secretes a milky substance that Bedouin lore has it can cause blindness. 

The Jeddah-born multidisciplinary artist Anhar Salem works primarily in film. Her “A Day in AlUla” is a series of eight subtly beautiful social portrait vlogs documenting a day in the life of local and foreign AlUla residents.  

.A still from Anhar Salem's 'A Day in AlUla.'(Supplied)

“I had to choose between approaching AlUla through its landscape and history or through its social and public aspects,” Salem said. “I ultimately chose the latter by simply talking to everyone I met from AlUla.” 

Brothers Abdulrahman and Turki Gazzaz live and work in Jeddah, where they founded the architecture, design and experimental research studio Bricklab in 2015. During their residency, the brothers used rammed-earth techniques to develop a resilient material for construction unique to the region. Combining sand collected from different parts of AlUla with concrete, epoxy and other artificial additives, the bricks condense the storied narratives that make up AlUla today. 

Jizan-based Reem Al-Nasser bases her work on anthropological study and concepts such as time, space and astrology. During her residency, she created “Alma of the North,” a structure of brilliant steel gates ornamented with archaeological and astronomical symbols found in AlUla’s history. 

Riyadh-based Ayman Zedani’s immersive video installation “The Desert Keeper” was a result of research he had conducted on a parasitic plant from the Arabian desert over the past few years. It can acquire genes from its host plant, thus assuring the survival of its offspring. His work combined footage of the plants with a computer-generated journey through the cosmos and a voiceover by the writer and poet Wided Rihana Khdraoul. 

Ayman Zedani's 'The Desert Keepers.' (Supplied)

“AlUla has long been a crossroads of cultures and a wellspring of creativity,” Nora Aldabal, executive director of arts and creative industries at the RCU, said in a press release. “With the AlUla Artist Residency Program, we are showcasing the extraordinary artistic vision flourishing in AlUla and demonstrating its power to bridge cultures and inspire dialogue.”  

“Orbis Tertius,” she continued, was “a testament to incredible inspiration that artists and creatives discover in AlUla — a place where the world can connect with ancient history and experience contemporary artistic expressions. AlUla’s ambition for art, design and culture is to create a better future for the region, generating jobs and opportunities for cultural enrichment for those who live, work and visit there.”  


Arab Week at UNESCO to showcase rich culture, heritage

Arab Week at UNESCO to showcase rich culture, heritage
Updated 23 October 2024
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Arab Week at UNESCO to showcase rich culture, heritage

Arab Week at UNESCO to showcase rich culture, heritage
  • Event will showcase the diversity of Arab cultural heritage and civilization while promoting intercultural dialogue and cultural development goals
  • Initiative reflects Saudi Arabia’s commitment to global engagement and received unanimous backing from Arab culture ministers at the ALECSO General Conference in May

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia is organizing the inaugural Arab Week at UNESCO, set for Nov. 4-5 at its Paris headquarters.

This marks the first such event in more than 50 years of Arab-UNESCO relations, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Wednesday.

Supported by all Arab nations, the event will showcase the diversity of Arab cultural heritage and civilization while promoting intercultural dialogue and cultural development goals.

Organizing by Saudi Arabia’s National Commission for Education, Culture and Sciences, the event will highlight the Arab world’s artistic and literary traditions, creating a broad platform for cultural exchange. 

The initiative reflects Saudi Arabia’s commitment to global engagement and received unanimous backing from Arab culture ministers at the ALECSO General Conference in May.

Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan, minister of culture and chairman of the commission, has led the initiative, positioning Saudi Arabia as a key player in promoting regional and international cultural collaboration.

The program includes a marketplace for Arab cultural products, Arabic calligraphy exhibitions, UNESCO-listed heritage site displays, music, food demonstrations, traditional crafts, and fashion showcases.

Academic activities feature symposiums on novel writing, artificial intelligence, calligraphy, children’s literature, and poetry, alongside competitions and artist displays.

This event enhances Arab culture’s global standing, providing a platform to share its rich heritage and ideas while uniting Arab nations through shared values and contributing to global development.