Ithra showcases historic Islamic treasures at second Islamic Arts Biennale in Jeddah
Ancient edict, prayer carpet fragment, religious manuscript among artifacts
Event explores ways faith is experienced, celebrated
Updated 28 January 2025
Arab News
JEDDAH: Historic Islamic artifacts are being displayed by the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture at the second edition of the Islamic Arts Biennale currently underway in Jeddah.
Running until May 25 at the iconic Western Hajj Terminal, this year’s biennale, titled “And All That Is In Between,” explores the profound ways faith is experienced, expressed and celebrated.
Pieces on display include an edict from the Ottoman Sultan Mustafa III, who reigned from 1757 to 1774, regarding the Prophet Muhammad’s tomb; a prayer carpet fragment; a tafsir (interpretation of the Qur’an) manuscript; a folding manuscript stand; a mosque lamp; and a large wooden minbar (pulpit).
Ithra, which is renowned as a global leader in Islamic arts and heritage, will feature its pieces in the biennale’s Al-Madar section. This exhibition brings together contributions from prominent local and international institutions, emphasizing the richness and diversity of Islamic culture.
Farah Abushullaih, the head of the museum at Ithra, said: “It is a privilege for Ithra’s Islamic collection to be featured once again at this prestigious biennale, which celebrates the diversity and depth of Islamic arts.
“Our participation underscores our ongoing commitment to preserving and sharing the rich heritage of Islamic art with a global audience while expanding knowledge of key concepts of Islamic traditions that have shaped and continue to shape Islamic identities today.”
The artifacts on display, which were carefully curated in collaboration with Heather Ecker and Marika Sardar from Al-Madar’s curatorial team, reflect the theme of waqf. This fundamental Islamic concept involves dedicating assets for communal benefit, supporting religious, educational, or charitable initiatives.
Ithra’s participation aligns with its mission to inspire, enrich and foster appreciation for Islamic heritage through various initiatives, including its triennial Islamic Art Conference and major exhibitions. Its current “In Praise of the Artisan" exhibition showcases over 130 historic and contemporary works, many of which are on public display for the first time.
With its robust programming of lectures, workshops, and live demonstrations, Ithra continues to honor the past and present, positioning Islamic craftsmanship as a living tradition. Its efforts underscore the institution’s role as a global champion of cultural exchange and creativity.
The Islamic Arts Biennale, hosted by the Diriyah Biennale Foundation, provides a platform for exploring Islamic arts and traditions.
The event’s first edition in 2023, at which Ithra also participated, attracted more than 600,000 visitors.
Site at Abydos, south of Cairo, largest find in over a decade
Unknown king’s final resting place thought to be more than 3,600 years old
Updated 27 March 2025
Arab News
LONDON: Archaeologists in Egypt have discovered a tomb belonging to an unknown pharaoh around 300 miles south of Cairo.
The site, which is being worked on by Egyptian and American researchers, is the second such discovery to be made this year and is believed to be around 3,600 years old.
The tomb was uncovered 23 feet below Abydos, one of Egypt’s oldest known ancient settlements.
With 16-foot-high vaults and ornate decorations across several chambers, the find dwarfs a previous discovery of a tomb in the area from 2014, previously the largest on record, which belonged to a king called Seneb-Kay.
Josef W. Wegner, a curator at the Penn Museum in Philadelphia who is leading the American side of the dig, told the New York Times: “It’s a new chapter in investigating this dynasty.”
The tomb of the unknown king contains painted scenes from ancient Egyptian mythology, including images of the goddesses Isis and Nephthys.
Describing the find as “exciting,” Wegner said: “This tomb and Seneb-Kay’s tomb are the earliest surviving royal tombs that actually have painted decorations inside of them.”
However, the tomb has suffered significant damage over the millennia, and no identifiable human remains have been recovered.
It is thought that grave robbers also ransacked the site in the past, with little in the way of artefacts found in the tomb.
The damage caused by the break-ins has also left much of the decoration tarnished, including rendering portions of writing on the structure bearing the king’s name illegible.
Wegner said the identity of the tomb’s owner may be found in other inscriptions on monuments and buildings around ancient Abydos, with two kings named Senaiib and Paentjeni identified as potential candidates.
He added that work would continue to preserve the find, and to uncover other tombs that may shed more light on the broader period, and potentially the identity of the unknown king.
“It’s always our dream to find one that’s intact or partially intact,” he said. “There may yet be tombs like that.”
Prof. Anna-Latifa Mourad-Cizek, a University of Chicago archaeologist, told the NYT that the find is “highly significant” for understanding “a fascinating period when Egypt was controlled by competing powers.”
Wegner said the era was defined by “a phase of warrior pharaohs fighting it out,” adding that the skeleton of Seneb-Kay bore wounds that suggested he could have died in battle.
Though the region was fragmented at the time, Wegner said, the Abydos dynasty was not “a kind of flash in the pan where you’ve got a handful of kings breaking off from whatever original territory they belonged to.”
The dynasty laid the foundations for the later unification of the country in what would later become known as “the great empire of the New Kingdom,” he added.
Inside NEOM’s inaugural Artists in Residence program
Eight artists, including four from Saudi Arabia, took part in the three-month residency
Updated 27 March 2025
Rebecca Anne Proctor
DUBAI: What does art have to do with the creation of a futuristic city in the middle of the desert? According to Michael Lynch, the head of the entertainment and culture sector at NEOM — Saudi Arabia’s $500 billion megaproject — it has a vital role to play.
“Building a region also requires artists to be working with us,” Lynch told Arab News. “We're talking about a future region within a forward-looking country. To make a community work, artists are an integral part of it, and to make a region work, artists in their various forms and with the various things that they want to work on are incredibly important to building the quality of life and the quality of experience for people.”
A detail from Abdulmohsen Albinali's 'Landscaping the Desert,' produced during his NEOM residency. (Supplied)
As proof of NEOM’s focus on art and culture, it kicked off its inaugural three-month long Artist-in-Residence program in September. Four Saudi artists — Bilal Allaf, Ahaad Alamoudi, Abdulmohsen Albinali and Ayman Zedani — took part and were joined by four international artists: Eduardo Cassina from Spain, Tamara Kalo from Lebanon, Giulia Bruno from Italy and Liva Dudareva from Latvia.
“For the residency, we paired each artist with a peer from eight different sectors across NEOM,” Lynch explained. “We had biotech, robots and design so that each artist had someone largely from the sector of engineering or completely different backgrounds. None of them were artists, but they were all young and interested in the idea of how the artists would work within the context of NEOM.”
The NEOM “peers” acted as guides to assist the artists in better understanding the region.
A detail from Eduardo Cassina's 'A Blanket for Dreaming.' (Supplied)
“I think the artworks created at the end of this period were quite different pieces of work but offered really incredible ways to understand the role of the artist within a community, within a future region, within NEOM itself as a starting point,” said Lynch
NEOM’s culture section collaborated with Dubai-based Alserkal Advisory to develop the residency. Its first phase saw the artists travel to NEOM to learn about the region, its landscape and the upcoming futuristic city. For the second phase, the artists traveled to Thyssen-Bornemisza Art Contemporary, an art and advocacy foundation in Madrid, to work on the ideas inspired by their time in NEOM. The works were then exhibited in NEOM in late November for a short time, accompanied by lectures from the artists for NEOM staff.
“We saw the residency as a first step for us, and hopefully what we will then be able to do is repeat it over a period of time in venues across the region and ultimately some of the bigger venues that are due to happen with The Line,” added Lynch, referring to the linear smart city due to be constructed in NEOM.
Ahaad Alaamoudi's 'Work in Progress' on display at NEOM Museum. (Supplied)
Among the works, standout pieces included Cassina’s creation, which mixes the worlds of architecture and sociology. With “A Blanket for Dreaming,” the artist presents the history of the site of NEOM, which spans thousands of years, on a tapestry map, roughly 8.4 meters long and 2.1 meters tall. It tells the story of the area from the Nabataean period to the contemporary era and was created on a “hacked” Japanese automated knitting machine built in the 1990s, which Cassina found in Madrid.
“We had some people visiting NEOM around the time it was exhibited and they immediately wanted to purchase it,” said Lynch.
Performance artist Allaf, meanwhile, presented work featuring a dancing robot programmed by one of Neom’s engineers, demonstrating how the worlds of dance, art and robotics could intersect.
Ayman Zedani's 'To The Eagles, Chapter 2.' (Supplied)
“The engineer is now also interested in how art can (be mixed with) engineering to make major public artworks for Neom in the future,” said Lynch, emphasizing that he hopes that in the same way as Neom has been able to showcase its architectural plans in exhibitions around the world, Neom’s culture sector hopes to be able to “replicate the artist in residence scheme in the next couple of years and have some of the work become part of a potential collection for buildings.”
Lynch said the residency had exceeded expectations for everyone involved.
“It was really important, I think, for the artists to understand the complexities of the 26,500 square kilometers of NEOM, and that it isn’t just about The Line as the dominant public manifestation of what has been going on,” said Lynch. “It was about their ability to travel around, look at the site, see what was happening, and to be able to respond to that. And hopefully we will hold onto those connections as we step forward.”
Riyadh’s Ahlam Gallery hosts group show ‘Stories in the Making’
Updated 27 March 2025
Jasmine Bager Nada Alturki
RIYADH: “This is a group exhibition, created by a community of eclectic artists to exchange, talk, collaborate and build a connection in a healthy environment,” Dr. Ahlam Alshedouky, founder of Ahlam Gallery in Riyadh, tells Arab News.
Alshedoukhy is discussing “Stories in the Making,” a collection of 36 works by local and international artists which runs at the gallery until March 31. Approximately half of the participating artists were pre-selected for their unique stories, while the rest joined through an open call.
“Most of these works were created in the last year; one of the criteria is to present something new,” Alshedoukhy explains, adding that the exhibition puts “big lights on the artist’s journey and artist’s story.”
Jeddah-based Salah Jandali, founder of JZB Studio, says he created “functional art” for the exhibition — essentially four stools and a small table — that he hopes people will use to sit and reflect, or engage in conversation with others. The furniture blends traditional craftsmanship with contemporary design.
“Weaving was part of our daily lives. Today, it has become more of a decoration,” Jandali tells Arab News. “This affects demand — if people aren’t interested in this craft and no one works with it, over time, it will disappear.” But he believes that it “will gradually become widely accepted again.”
The designer sought out artisans to create the pieces. He collaborated with a palm weaver in Al-Ahsa, who worked from her home farm dyeing the palm fronds to match Jandali’s requirements. He also partnered with a carpenter known for intricate craftsmanship reminiscent of Japanese joinery. Bringing together techniques from both the east and west coasts, the work now comes full circle in the center of the Kingdom, Riyadh.
Abdullah Alkhorayef’s work for the exhibition, “The Origins,” explores where the designs for Saudi traditional clothing came from. Finding no concrete answers, he instead created his own version of the evolution of traditional wear in the region. “I decided to start at my own zero point, which is today,” he told Arab News.
“The Origins” comprises an installation made of black cotton linen featuring geometrical shapes that explore the origins of clothing, and a number of silkscreen prints on paper depicting the geometrical forms used.
The shapes within the black cotton linen installation were created by folding and sewing a simple rectangle in ways that cover the body. Each piece adds onto the previous one: so a simple draped cloth acquires an arm hole, then is divided in various ways — horizontally, vertically, and diagonally — combining mathematical and engineering concepts, to create garments that could be worn by humans.
Those shapes were then translated into visual compositions using the silkscreen technique and form an alphabet-like system that is personal to the artist, as if creating his own language for clothing.
“It all starts with simple shapes,” he says. “With all the chaos in the past 40 or 50 years, we lost the reasoning behind anything. With this exhibition, because of the cultural boom happening in Saudi, I just wanted to throw in a question for people to ask, challenge, and research.”
Saudi artist Zainab Abo Hussain’s tapestry “A Tide Once Near, Now Drifted to Memory” is an ode to her ancestry inspired by Islamic miniature painting, textiles and innovative construction techniques, as well as her own life.
Zainab Abo Hussain with her work 'A Tide Once Near, Now Drifted to Memory.' (Supplied)
“Childhood memories of my grandmother, who led our family while my grandfather (was) at work in remote areas, are a significant source of inspiration,” she says. “Evenings spent gathered around her, listening to her captivating stories, are cherished moments.”
The work aims to honor her grandmother by reimagining these narratives through contemporary miniature painting and manuscript art.
“Henna nights, in particular, provided precious opportunities for connection and storytelling,” Hussain continues. “These experiences deeply influenced my desire to capture and preserve such memories through my art.”
Saudi Arabia returns to London Design Biennale with ‘Good Water’ pavilion
Updated 27 March 2025
Arab News
DHAHRAN: Saudi Arabia will participate at the London Design Biennale 2025 with “Good Water,” an exhibition exploring the hidden costs and economies of water, running from June 5-29 at Somerset House.
Commissioned by the Architecture and Design Commission, the pavilion is curated by a multidisciplinary design collective comprising Alaa Tarabzouni, Aziz Jamal, Dur Kattan and Fahad bin Naif. Drawing on their backgrounds in architecture, design and the arts, they will challenge conventional notions of access, distribution and the perceived value of water.
Sumaya Al-Sulaiman, CEO of the Architecture and Design Commission, said: “Saudi Arabia’s return to the London Design Biennale marks another chapter in our commitment to design as a tool for dialogue and cultural exchange. We look forward to engaging in conversations on creativity, innovation, and systems thinking during our fourth participation in the event.”
The exhibition responds to this year’s biennale theme “Surface Reflections,” by inviting visitors to reconsider their relationship with water.
At the heart of the Saudi pavilion is a sabeel, a traditional water fountain deeply rooted in Saudi culture that provides complimentary water to anyone who passes by. It is seen as a symbol of hospitality and generosity.
The sabeel, within this context, represents a paradox. While it offers water freely, the reality is that no water is truly free, the exhibition argues. Every drop is made possible through a network of labor, energy and infrastructure — whether extracted through costly desalination, bottled and imported or transported through vast water systems requiring maintenance and oversight. The cost is absorbed by governments, corporations, and workers, yet the long-term impact is shared by all.
In this showcase, “Good Water” repositions the sabeel not just as a gesture of goodwill, but as a question: Who pays for “free” water? What does it truly cost?
“The pavilion uses familiar elements to draw attention to water’s hidden economies,” said the participants Tarabzouni, Jamal, Kattan and bin Naif in a joint statement. “It encourages visitors to drink with awareness, to acknowledge the price, and to recognize that while the cost of good water may be borne by someone else, it ultimately affects everyone. By relocating the sabeel to the London Design Biennale—where water scarcity is not an immediate concern—we reframe it as an object of scrutiny, making the invisible visible and the passive active.”
In 2023, Saudi Arabia participated at the 4th London Design Biennale with a pavilion titled “Woven” by Ruba Alkhaldi and Lojain Rafaa.
Your guide to Art Week Riyadh: From flagship shows to studio tours in JAX District
Updated 26 March 2025
Arab News
RIYADH: Art Week Riyadh’s inaugural edition is set to take place from April 6-13 under the theme “At The Edge.” The event will feature works from more than 45 galleries, private and institutional collections, and a public program of talks — here is your guide to getting the best out of Art Week Riyadh.
First up, visitors will be able to immerse themselves in the event’s flagship exhibition which is curated around three thematic threads — “Everyday Life,” “Landscapes,” and “Motifs.”
Bashaer Hawsawi’s ‘Warm Space 1,’ 2018, Red Broom with African Cloth. (Courtesy of Hafez Gallery and the artist)
The exhibition features contributions from prominent galleries across the Middle East, Africa, Asia, and Europe, including A. Gorgi Gallery (Tunisia), Ahlam Gallery (Saudi Arabia), Albareh Art Gallery (Bahrain), Al Markhiya Gallery (Qatar), L’Art Pur Gallery (Saudi Arabia), AV Gallery (Saudi Arabia), Ayyam Gallery (UAE, UK), Carbon 12 (UAE), Efie Gallery (UAE), Experimenter (India), Galerie Krinzinger (Austria), Gallery Misr (Egypt), Galerie La La Lande (France), Galleria Continua (Brazil, China, Cuba, France, Italy, UAE), Green Art Gallery (UAE), Hewar Art Gallery (Saudi Arabia), Hunna Art (Kuwait), Lawrie Shabibi (UAE), Layan Culture (Saudi Arabia), Le LAB (Egypt), Leila Heller Gallery (UAE, USA), Lisson Gallery (China, UK, USA), Mennour (France, UK), Nature Morte (India), Perrotin (China, France, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, USA), Sabrina Amrani (Spain), Selma Feriani (Tunisia), The Pill® (France, Turkey), The Third Line (UAE), Tabari Artspace (UAE) and Wadi Finan Art Gallery (Jordan).
Al Mousa Center in central Riyadh
Up next, visitors should head over to the Al Mousa Center in central Riyadh where more than 15 galleries will present both solo and group exhibitions specially conceived for Art Week Riyadh.
Once a bustling commercial complex, the center is now a cultural destination that houses around 20 art galleries. Galleries participating in Art Week Riyadh include Abdullah Hammas Studio, Abstract Art Gallery, Ahlam Gallery, Alajilan Gallery, Alestudio, AMA Art Venue, Art Arif Gallery, Art Connection, AV Gallery, China Saudi Cultural Art Association, ERRM Art Gallery, Frame Art Gallery, Kadi Art Gallery, Kenz Gallery, Mahd Alfnon Gallery, Marsami Art Gallery, Ola Art Gallery, Takeib For Arts, Tequin Art Gallery, WHJ ALLON and Wrd Art Gallery.
Invited exhibitions
JAX District will also host three exhibitions by invited collections, offering a rare insight into Saudi Arabia’s evolving cultural identity. Presented under the title “Collections in Dialogue,” these exhibitions emphasize the role of patronage and collecting in shaping and preserving visual culture.
The section includes a curated presentation of artworks from the collection of the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture (Ithra). Featuring works by artists such as Do Ho Suh, Maha Malluh, Michelangelo Pistoletto, Mohammad Alfaraj, Hazem Harb, Gregory Mahoney, Moath Alofi, and Sultan bin Fahad, the exhibition highlights the interplay between material memory, transformation, and the landscapes that shape identity.
Neïl Beloufa’s ‘Double Standard,’ canyon, 2024, MDF and rubbio varnish. Neil Beloufa, Adagp, Paris, 2025, Photo. Archives Mennour. (Courtesy the artist and Mennour, Paris)
Meanwhile, Art Jameel will present a selection of eight single-channel artworks from its collection that highlight the diverse and evolving landscape of experimental film and video art practices in the region. This presentation brings together video works by artists from Saudi Arabia and the Arab world, largely made in the 2010s, that reflect on a decade marked by profound transformations. Many of the featured works are early and foundational works by major artists such as Ahaad Alamoudi, Hiwa K, Bouchra Khalili, Basim Magdy, Ahmed Mater, and others.
Also, “Abstract Horizons: Three Generations of Saudi Art” by the Saudi Research and Media Group (SRMG) will go on show. Borrowing its title from a work by Saudi artist Mohammed Al-Saleem, the exhibition draws from SRMG’s collection to explore the progression of Saudi abstraction through the practices of key figures such as Al-Saleem, Abdulhalim Radwi and Taha Al-Sabban, who merged global influences with local traditions. Their legacy is reinterpreted by a new generation of creatives, including Raeda Ashour, Rashed AlShashai and Zaman Jassim.
Talks, workshops and studio tours
A series of talks and workshops will reflect on themes and questions facing the visual arts in Riyadh, more widely in Saudi Arabia, and around the world. Curated by Shumon Basar and titled “How to Art World? Lessons in Value,” the program will run at JAX District.
A “Moving Image” program will highlight the medium’s capacity to explore complex personal, cultural and social narratives, and feature the work of Theaster Gates, Zineb Sedira, Hicham Berrada, Bani Abidi, Laurent Grasso, Afra Al Dhaheri, Mohamed Bourouissa, Sarah Brahim, Farideh Lashai, and Hashel Al-Lamki.
At JAX District, some of Saudi Arabia’s leading artists — including Ahmed Mater, Ayman Zedani, Marwah AlMugait, and Muhannad Shono — will open the doors to their studios, while resident galleries Athr, Hafez and Lift will present a lineup of exhibitions, panel discussions, and interactive workshops.
The Saudi Arabia Museum of Contemporary Art (SAMoCA) will present the exhibitions titled “Art of the Kingdom” and “Adaptability Ceramics,” alongside a series of workshops and pop-ups.
