"They also connote the incomprehensible beauty and abundance of nature in its most bereft state – the desert – and humans’ obsessive desire to capture and control it." The oasis pertains to ideas of finding prosperity or heaven, while the mirage is a universal symbol of the mysteries of imagination and reality," said Reem Fadda, curatorial advisor to Desert X AlUla 2022. "The desert concepts of mirage and oasis have long been tied to ideas of survival, perseverance, desire and wealth. In the installation above, Abdullah AlOthman’s piece references theories of light refraction rooting back to the early days of desert civilization and culture, with stainless steel plinths that interact with the light and create a radiant space that seeks to manifest the experience of capturing the mirage for the first time. The first site-responsive exhibition of its kind in Saudi Arabia, it fosters dialogue and exchange between artists, curators and international and local communities, shaped by a curatorial vision that takes the desert as its inspiration.īuilding on the legacy of Desert X, which takes place in California’s Coachella Valley, Desert X AlUla draws on principles of land art, offering a profound opportunity to experience art on a monumental scale in dialogue with nature. Participating artists include Saudi Arabian visual artist Shadia Alem, Ghanaian artist Serge Attukwei Clottey, London-based artists Shezad Dawood, Canadian visual artist Stephanie Deumer, Palestinian-Saudi artist Dana Awartani, Polish installation artist Monika Sosnowska, American artist Jim Denevan.ĭesert X AlUla is a collaboration between Desert X and the Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) established to advance new cultural dialogue through art. "The exhibition connotes the incomprehensible beauty and abundance of nature in its most bereft state – the desert – and humans’ obsessive desire to capture and control it" Participating artists have responded with new works, addressing dreams, camouflage, fiction, dis/appearance, extraction, illusion and myth, while also examining the dichotomy between the natural and man-made worlds. The curators invited the Saudi and the world artists to consider these ancient concepts. This year's theme explores ideas of mirage and oasis, both intrinsic to desert history and culture, that have taken on complex worldwide significance over time. The 2022 theme of the Desert X AlUla is "Sarab" and is presented under the curatorial vision of independent curator and art historian Reem Fadda, Jeddah-based curator Raneem Farsi and art curator Neville Wakefield. It was conceived to produce recurring international contemporary art exhibitions that activate desert locations through site-specific installations by acclaimed international artists. The 2022 edition of Desert X AlUla has featured 15 site-specific work from Saudi and the world artists, which is taking place from February 11 to Maamidst the majestic Alula desert in Saudi Arabia.ĭesert X AlUla is the Saudi Arabian iteration of the Desert X, produced by The Desert Biennial, a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) charitable organization founded in California.
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