Moroccan photographer Hassan Hajjaj captures the culture of AlUla 

Moroccan photographer Hassan Hajjaj captures the culture of AlUla 
Hassan Hajjaj. (Supplied)
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Updated 03 May 2024
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Moroccan photographer Hassan Hajjaj captures the culture of AlUla 

Moroccan photographer Hassan Hajjaj captures the culture of AlUla 
  • The acclaimed Moroccan photographer discusses his recent show in Saudi Arabia 

DUBAI: Early in February this year, Moroccan contemporary artist and photographer Hassan Hajjaj was given a reminder of just how high his star has risen. Within a few days of each other, Hajjaj had shows opening in the US, Morocco, and — as part of AlUla Arts Festival — Saudi Arabia. 

Hajjaj’s playful portraiture, which incorporates vivid color, funky clothing (almost all of which he designs himself), geometric patterns, and — often — vintage brands from the MENA region, has made him internationally popular, and his instantly recognizable style has established him as one of the world’s leading photographers. 

His show in AlUla consisted of images that he shot in the ancient oasis town in February 2023. That visit was initially supposed to involve shoots with around 20 local people. It’s the kind of thing he’s done a few times before, including in Oman and Abu Dhabi. “It’s always a good opportunity to get to know the culture and the people,” Hajjaj tells Arab News.  

But, as he says himself, he arrived in AlUla as “an outsider,” so needed a team on the ground to persuade locals to come and sit (or stand, in most cases) for him.  

“It was a bit tough, in the beginning, for them to find people,” Hajjaj explains. “But because it was during a period when lots of art things were happening in AlUla, there were lots of people coming from outside AlUla as well. So we opened it up. I basically said, ‘Just come.’ 

“In the end lots of people turned up, not just locals — people from Riyadh, Jeddah, and people (from overseas) too. I think I shot around 100 people over a few days. So it was a great opportunity,” he continues. “To get to shoot that many people over three days — organizing something like that for myself might take a year. So, as long as I have the energy, when I get these opportunities — you know, I’m in AlUla with this eclectic bunch of people — I’d rather go and grind it, really work hard, and have that moment.” 

A Hassan Hajjaj shoot isn’t your regular portrait shoot, of course. “It’s almost like a performance,” he says. “There’s music, people dress up, it’s like a day out for them, taking them out of themselves for a few hours.”  

He followed the same modus operandi in AlUla. “We got an ambience going. It was fun, there was music… I shot in this beautiful old school that was one of the first girls’ schools in Saudi Arabia, from the Sixties. Upstairs was like a museum — everything was like a standstill from the Seventies and Eighties; even the blackboards had the chalk and the writing from that time,” he says.  




Alicia and Swizz. (Supplied)

A crucial part of Hajjaj’s practice is to ensure that his subjects are at ease and feel some connection with him (“comfortable” is a word he uses several times when talking about his shoots). While all his portraits bear his clearly defined style, it’s important to him that they should also show something unique to the people in them. 

“It’s that old thing about capturing the spirit of the person in that split second, you know? I’m trying to get their personality and body language in the image,” he says. “Quite often I’m shooting in the street, outdoors, so (the subjects) can start looking at other people, thinking, ‘Are they looking at me?’ So I usually say, ‘Listen. This is a stage I’m building for you. I’m dressing you up, and we’re going to have fun.’ Then I just try and find that personality that can come out and make the image stronger. With some people, though, saying almost nothing can be better — just getting on with it. I try to kind of go invisible so it’s the camera, not the person, that’s doing the work. The best pictures come out when there’s some kind of comfortable moment between me and the person and the camera.” 

It’s the way he’s worked since the beginning — a process that developed organically, as most of his early portraits were of “friends or friends of friends.” 




Installation view. (AlUla Arts)

“There’s a comfort in that because you have a relationship with them. It made it easy,” he says. “And that taught me about how important it is to build trust with people to get into that comfortable zone. But as time went on, obviously, people could see the stuff in the press or on social media, so then people started, like, asking to be shot in that manner; maybe they’ve studied the poses of certain people and stuff like that, so they come ready to do some pose they’ve seen in my pictures. That’s quite funny.” 

The work that was on display over the past two months in Hajjaj’s “AlUla 1445” is a perfect example of what he tries to achieve with his shoots. The images are vibrant, playful, and soulful, and the subjects run from a local goatherder through the AlUla football team to bona fide superstars: the US singer-songwriter Alicia Keys and her husband Swizz Beatz.  

Hajjaj says he has a number of favorites “for different reasons,” including the goatherder.  




AlUla F.C. (Supplied)

“He brought in two goats and it became quite abstract when you put all of them together. I was playing with that notion of the person; you could see that’s his life and even the goats look happy,” he explains. “I wanted to make sure they had that shine in the image as well. I got some great shots of him.” 

The Alicia Keys and Swizz Beatz shoot has been a long time in the making. Hajjaj first met Swizz Beatz a decade ago, and they have been in touch intermittently ever since. The idea of a shoot with Keys first came up about five years ago, but logistics had always got in the way. But since they were playing a concert in AlUla at the same time as Hajjaj was there, it finally happened, on Hajjaj’s last day, with perhaps an hour left before the light faded.  

I ask Hajjaj if his approach to shooting celebrities differs from his shots of “ordinary” people.  




Hand On Heart. (Supplied)

“There’s probably not that much difference,” he says. “They’re coming into my world, so, again, it’s just making sure they’re comfortable with you and you’re comfortable with them; not looking at them (as celebrities). The only thing is you have to imagine they’ve been shot thousands of times — by top photographers, too — so they’re going to have their ways. So I just have to lock in with them and find that comfortable space between the sitter and me.”  

And then there’s Ghadi Al-Sharif.  

“It’s a beautiful picture. She’s got this smile, with her hand over her face. For me, that one really presents the light and the energy of AlUla,” Hajjaj says. “It captures the new generation.” 


Music has no boundaries, its language transcends everything: Ustad Amjad Ali Khan

Music has no boundaries, its language transcends everything: Ustad Amjad Ali Khan
Updated 20 February 2025
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Music has no boundaries, its language transcends everything: Ustad Amjad Ali Khan

Music has no boundaries, its language transcends everything: Ustad Amjad Ali Khan
  • I feel at home when I am in Saudi Arabia, I would like to collaborate with the Saudi Orchestra, says Sarod maestro
  • Khan took his teaching philosophy to Stanford University, Indiana University, Washington University in a residency; keen to do workshops with Saudi musicians

RIYADH: The internationally acclaimed sarod maestro Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, who gave a virtuoso performance of the stringed instrument in Riyadh recently, told Arab News: “Music has no boundaries, and does not belong to any religion.

“Its language transcends everything. In every religion, music is the way to reach God.”

In an exclusive interview with Arab News, Khan shared the experience of his maiden concert at the Cultural Palace, Diplomatic Quarter in Riyadh: “I feel extremely fortunate to be here.

“It’s a great honor to come to Riyadh and I am grateful to the Indian embassy, our ambassador Dr. Suhel Ajaz Khan, and the entire team of people behind this concert.”

The Sarod quintet concert, “Three Generations, One Melody,” was organized by the Embassy of India in collaboration with the Diplomatic Quarter Office at the Royal Commission for Riyadh City, and featured Khan’s two sons and grandsons who are virtuosos in their own right.

Khan said: “We are invited all over the world. The Western world has given a lot of respect and love to classical music, because music I feel is a precious gift of God, and has connected the world.

“Music does not belong to any religion, like flowers, air, water, fire, fragrance, colors. They are just gifts of God and we have to learn from the role of flowers, and sound.”

Khan was born into a family of musicians, with the lineage reaching back to his great grandfather.

Khan’s father, Ustad Haafiz Ali Khan of Gwalior, was one of the foremost classical instrumentalists of his time.

Born in 1877, he belonged to the fifth generation in the Bangash family that is credited with the sarod’s origin and development.

UNESCO has since declared Gwalior as its creative capital of music.

“This legacy and lineage is a very big blessing of God Almighty,” Khan said. “When God is kind then the legacy continues, otherwise so many legacies discontinue as well.”

Khan was awarded India’s second highest civilian honor Padma Vibhushan in 2001, after being awarded its third highest civilian honor Padma Bhushan in 1991 and Padma Shree in 1975.

Khan cited the melodious voices from the mosque in the form of the call for prayer (Azaan) and the recitation from the Holy Qur’an. “They are really appealing.”

He said that he was happy to visit the holy cities of Makkah and Madinah.

“When I hear Azaan in Saudi Arabia or in the Middle East, I am so much reminded what kind of Azaan Hazrat Bilal must have given,” he said, referencing the historical figure of Bilal ibn Rabah who is considered to have given the first ever Azaan.

“So I look forward to hearing beautiful, appealing Azaan, which I experienced in Makkah and Madinah and all over the Middle East.

“But in India, unfortunately, the muezzin, the people who make the call to prayer, I think they need a lot of training.”

Khan told a story of how his father once gave some feedback to the muezzin of a neighboring mosque.

“One day he heard the Azaan from the neighboring mosque that was not very much in tune. So my father, being a musician, got so disturbed and he sent a message to the mosque and the priest that for next Azaan, he will come himself and make the call to prayer.”

“Call to prayer should be appealing,” the sarod player said.

The sarod is a fretless stringed instrument with a teak frame, a goatskin sound table and a metal fingerboard, with six to eight strings as well as additional sympathetic strings. The instrument lends itself to improvisation and graceful expression because of the ability of the musician to slide and glide between notes, much like a human voice.

“It’s very unfortunate that I don’t get a chance to perform and come to Saudi Arabia quite often. I feel at home when I am in Saudi Arabia,” said the Sarod maestro who performed Umrah in 2012.

“I hope and wish, I get more chances to perform in Saudi Arabia. It will be a great honor and pleasure, some day, if all of us could pay our respect through our music to King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and his family,” the legendary artist added.

“My opening piece at the concert, ‘Three Generations, One Melody,’ was a tribute to Saudi Arabia. I played a Saudi Arabian tune on my sarod. My instrument is like the oud, a very historical ancient instrument of Saudi Arabia, and the Middle East. Oud rabab still exists all over the world, especially Afghanistan and Kashmir. So from rabab, it was modified to sarod. Sarod is a Persian word, which means music, melody,” he explained.

Khan has played with Iraqi oud artist Rahim AlHajj and produced an album, “Ancient Sounds: Music of Iraq and India,” in 2009. It was nominated for a Grammy award.

He said he was interested in collaborating with Saudi Arabia’s national orchestra, speaking about an orchestral composition he penned called “Samagam,” which means “the confluence of many cultures.”

His passion for bringing the sarod to new audiences has seen him being awarded numerous residencies as well as being appointed visiting professor at several universities, including Stanford University, University of New Mexico, York University and Jacob’s School of Music.

Khan expressed hope that people will realize the value of music: “With appealing music, plants grow faster, cattle give more milk, and now the medical world (is) realizing the value of music, they are using it as music therapy.”


Saudi artists ‘embrace the process’ at Tuwaiq sculpture exhibition

Saudi artists ‘embrace the process’ at Tuwaiq sculpture exhibition
Updated 20 February 2025
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Saudi artists ‘embrace the process’ at Tuwaiq sculpture exhibition

Saudi artists ‘embrace the process’ at Tuwaiq sculpture exhibition
  • Visitors flock to Roshn Front to check out latest creations by 30 international, local artists
  • Saudi artist Rawan Al-Shehri’s piece, titled Spontaneity, is composed of three large, curved pieces crafted with two different stones

RIYADH: At the sixth Tuwaiq International Sculpture Symposium — a Riyadh Art initiative to beautify the city with public artworks — visitors have flocked to Roshn Front to check out the latest creations by 30 international and local artists.

This year’s theme, “From Then to Now: Joy in the Struggle of Making,” has pushed artists to widen the idea of what a completed artwork really is, and encouraged them to consider ways in which the process of creation could be more engaging to a public audience.

During the opening of the symposium last month, at which 30 artists began their sculpting journey on raw stone, co-curator Sebastian Betancur-Montoya told Arab News: “Art tends to be this idea of the artist as a sort of genius and the ideas are kind of obscure. It’s not clear where things come from, or how things are made.

“I thought it was very interesting to create a space — this event — where the interest was not in the final product, but the whole creative, physical, and intellectual process behind those pieces.”

Saudi artist Rawan Al-Shehri’s piece, titled “Spontaneity,” is composed of three large, curved pieces crafted with two different stones. The piece is designed to promote playfulness and invite public interaction.

She told Arab News: “My work focuses on how artists can sometimes believe they must produce the perfect art piece, but I think the focus should be the process of building an art piece — the joy in it and being more natural, or in our element, during our work.

“We could be faced with challenges or hurdles that change or enhance, even, the work itself and make it unique.”

Rather than keeping the viewer at bay, she hopes that the work will pull them in, adding: “They can sit on parts of it, slide on a corner, or even climb on a piece.”

Saudi artist Ali Al-Tokhais’ sculpture “Care and Interest in the Content” draws inspiration from the positive and cohesive relationship between the leadership of the Kingdom and society.

The 3-meter sculpted piece of granite resembles a spiral, with 13 lines marking its center to symbolize the number of regions in the Kingdom — each rich in cultural, economic, and social diversity.

He told Arab News: “This sculpture embodies the spirit of Saudi Arabia in all its regions, with a forward-looking vision led by Vision 2030, which has focused on the development of both people and place, with the homeland becoming a safe haven for the diversity and multiplicity that distinguish the Kingdom’s regions within a unified national framework.”

Al-Tokhais’ art journey began with creating wood figures using carpentry and blacksmithing techniques. From there, the passion evolved, leading him into the world of stone sculpting in which he said he found “a means of expressing ideas and emotions” in the material.

He added: “I began to explore new dimensions of art that reflected both cultural and human identity.”

The exhibition is an invitation to explore the cultural and creative world embodied in each sculpture.

Al-Tokhais said: “It is a gathering where we share moments of beauty and deep reflection, further enhancing Riyadh’s position as a global destination for arts and creativity.”

He emphasized the importance of local and international art forums in enriching the art scene and enhancing the exchange of experiences among sculptors worldwide, adding: “Art forums have always provided exceptional opportunities for growth and development, as they allow artists to explore new methods and expand their creative horizons.

“Through my various contributions, both in Saudi Arabia and internationally, I have been able to develop my artistic vision and refine my techniques, which are reflected in my works and my unique style in sculpture.”

The exhibition mirrors the public engagement program of the live sculpting phase, which featured panel discussions, workshops, masterclasses, and guided tours — prompting visitors to further engage with the artists’ creative processes and the significance of contemporary sculpture until the event’s conclusion on Feb. 24.

Co-curator Dr. Manal Al-Harbi said at the opening: “The forum is not limited only to displaying sculptures, but rather provides a rich interactive experience through community activities that give the public the opportunity to learn about sculpting techniques, speak with artists, and participate in the creative process, which enhances interaction with the arts and makes them part of daily life.”


REVIEW: ‘The Gorge’ — Apple’s sci-fi horror is shallow, fluffy nonsense

REVIEW: ‘The Gorge’ — Apple’s sci-fi horror is shallow, fluffy nonsense
Updated 20 February 2025
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REVIEW: ‘The Gorge’ — Apple’s sci-fi horror is shallow, fluffy nonsense

REVIEW: ‘The Gorge’ — Apple’s sci-fi horror is shallow, fluffy nonsense

LONDON: There’s something reassuring about the fact that “The Gorge” exists. After all, it’s premise — that a pair of snipers are sequestered in remote observation towers and tasked with guarding a massive ravine that contains hordes of ghoulish monsters — is so schlocky and ridiculous that it sounds more like a Syfy movie-of-the-week than a glossy big-budget flick from Apple.

This B-movie idea has got A-list star power, too — “The Gorge” is directed by Scott Derrickson (“The Black Phone”, “Doctor Strange”) and stars Miles Teller, Anya Taylor-Joy and Sigourney Weaver. And with Apple money behind it, “The Gorge” boasts effects that elevate it above the usual streaming sci-fi fodder, as well as a strikingly luxurious soundtrack from Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross.

With so many heavy hitters willing to back this idea, it’s even more of a crying shame that the film isn’t a slam dunk. Because while the first hour of “The Gorge” is pretty entertaining, once the action descends into the titular ravine itself, the movie buckles under the weight of its own — let’s be honest, pretty dumb — idea.

Levi (Teller) and Drasa (Taylor-Joy) make for fun sparring partners. Both broody snipers are carrying a lot of psychological trauma, so an assignment that sees them spending a year alone – with only occasional CGI-heavy bouts of monster bashing to break the monotony – could have been mined for some interesting psychological drama. Instead they make eyes at each other across the yawning chasm, and after Levi falls into the gorge, Drasa unflinchingly hurls herself into the void to rescue a man she barely knows. At the bottom, the (annoyingly lame) secret behind the monsters is revealed, and the two must rely on each other to escape.

Teller and Taylor-Joy take it sort-of seriously, to their credit, and Derrickson puts together some decent set pieces, but the premise as a whole (just the two guards for such a monstrous secret?) feels like it was never developed past the “Wouldn’t it be cool if… ?” stage.

“The Gorge” looks great, and thanks to Reznor and Ross it sounds great, but there’s really no point to it. Good-looking people shooting nicely rendered beasties is fine, for a while, but “The Gorge” could have been more than just another monster movie.


Diriyah Islamic Arts Biennale: The making of ‘On Weaving’ — winner of the inaugural AlMusalla Prize 

Diriyah Islamic Arts Biennale: The making of  ‘On Weaving’ — winner of the inaugural AlMusalla Prize 
Updated 20 February 2025
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Diriyah Islamic Arts Biennale: The making of ‘On Weaving’ — winner of the inaugural AlMusalla Prize 

Diriyah Islamic Arts Biennale: The making of  ‘On Weaving’ — winner of the inaugural AlMusalla Prize 
  • The award — part of the Diriyah Islamic Arts Biennale — was given to a design inspired by regional weaving traditions

JEDDAH:  Currently situated under the expansive canopies outside Jeddah’s Western Hajj Terminal is “On Weaving,” the winning design of the inaugural AlMusalla Prize — an international award for the design of a musalla, a place for prayer and contemplation that is open to Muslims and non-Muslims alike.  

The winners of the inaugural edition of the award — which is part of the Diriyah Islamic Arts Biennale — are a collective including Dubai and Beirut-based EAST Architecture Studio, structural engineer Christopher Blust from AKT II, and Beirut- and San Francisco-based artist Rayyane Tabet. They designed a modular structure inspired by regional weaving traditions and constructed from sustainable local materials such as date palm waste and palm fronds and fibers. The space was immediately popular with visitors during the opening days of the biennale, with many heading inside to one of the smaller rooms to pray.  

The modular structure used engineered, glue-laminated palm-wood composite, which is the product of the waste of 150 palm trees — proof of the ability to use local, sustainable materials to create lasting architectural structures. 

A summary of “On Weaving” on the biennale website states: “The double-sided pedestal is staggering in its ascent and thinning out as it reaches towards the sky. Its form resembles a loom, paying homage to tangible and intangible cultural heritage of weaving traditions and craftsmanship. It is autonomous, but also modular to suggest multiple uses — acting as structure, function, and ornament. The earthy colors that make up the musalla’s exterior are energized with color within the structure’s interior, where natural dyes made from local and regional plants are used to create bright reds, blues, greens and yellows. The musalla’s open courtyard invites visitors to sit, gather or pray, individually or communally.”  

“The brief for the competition called for a collaborative team that brings together an architect, an artist, and a structural engineer and fabrication expert,” Nicolas Fayad, co-founder of EAST Architecture Studio, told Arab News. “From the very first moment, we worked together conceptually and philosophically on what it means to build a musalla today — knowing that musallas, unlike mosques, are largely nomadic in nature; they were built by Bedouins in the desert (and could be) moved from one place to another.” 

AlMusalla 2025, Drawing courtesy of EAST Architecture Studio. (Supplied)

So Fayad and his collaborators set out to create a structure that could easily be assembled, disassembled and rebuilt elsewhere (indeed, after the biennale ends on May 25, it will be moved to another location). It features an open central courtyard and prayer spaces and somewhat resembles a loom, addressing ideas of togetherness and proximity — core tenets of prayer in Islam. The façades were created by weaving together palm fronds and fibers, and the gaps let in natural light, as well as allowing the musalla to be incorporated into its surroundings. 

“Our musalla looks at the legacy of cultural typologies in spaces of worship, coupled with weaving as a craft,” Fayad explained. “(It also serves) as a structural performance that uses local material — most importantly, waste that comes from a natural material. We have identified throughout our research that there’s a lot of waste that comes from palm trees in Saudi Arabia.” 

The modular structure used engineered, glue-laminated palm-wood composite, which is the product of the waste of 150 palm trees — proof of the ability to use local, sustainable materials to create lasting architectural structures. 

What is so striking about the structure is not just the materials used to make it and the way in which it was created, but the literal and metaphorical tribute the structure pays to weaving.  

“On Weaving,” Fayad explained, is a metaphor for creativity and a reference to a material culture long dominant in the region,” adding that the design of the space readapts the narrative of woven textile as both an art and a functional design element. 

Weaving is itself a meditative ritual, of course, so here it serves as both an important part of the design process while also reflecting spirituality and the cultural heritage of the Kingdom and the wider Gulf region. 

“(We are presenting) the idea of weaving not only as a craft or as a way of making, but also as a way of holding art, architecture and engineering together as part of a continuous tradition,” said Fayad.  


‘The Tale of Daye’s Family,’ starring Saudi actress Aseel Omran, has European premiere

‘The Tale of Daye’s Family,’ starring Saudi actress Aseel Omran, has European premiere
Updated 20 February 2025
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‘The Tale of Daye’s Family,’ starring Saudi actress Aseel Omran, has European premiere

‘The Tale of Daye’s Family,’ starring Saudi actress Aseel Omran, has European premiere

DUBAI: Egyptian-Saudi co-production “The Tale of Daye’s Family,” by filmmaker Karim El-Shenawy and featuring Saudi actress Aseel Omran, made its European premiere at the Berlin International Film Festival.

The film marks Omran’s debut in Egyptian cinema and also stars Islam Mubarak, Badr Mohamed and Haneen Saeed, with guest appearances by Ahmed Helmy, Mohamed Shahin, Mohamed Mamdouh and Amina Khalil. 

Screening as part of the Generation 14 plus category, the film — which opened the fourth edition of the Red Sea International Film Festival in Jeddah last year — tells the story of Daye, a 14-year-old Nubian albino child blessed with a beautiful voice.

Daye’s family, recognizing his talent and his goal to become like his idol, Egyptian icon Mohamed Mounir, decide to travel to Cairo to audition for talent program “The Voice.”

The Berlin International Film Festival, also known as Berlinale, runs until Feb. 23.