Saudi Gazette report

RIYADH — Unfolding in three venues in Jeddah, this year’s Jeddah art exhibition, one of the most important events on the Saudi arts calendar, features the work of contemporary Saudi artists, announced the Center for International Communication (CIC), an initiative of the Ministry of Culture and Information.

The show, integral to the Kingdom’s cultural development, has been organized by the Saudi Art Council and will be anchored at the Council’s main exhibition space at the Gold Moor Mall in Jeddah.

The event will take place in two other venues in Jeddah this year, the historical site of Rubat Al Khunji, and the currently disused PepsiCo factory, which is being opened to the public for the first time.

The Saudi Art Council invited Vassilis Oikonomopoulos from the Tate Modern Museum London to curate the exhibition.

He has brought together 30 artists whose lives and careers include multiple contexts and cities.

In a contemporary reality largely defined by movement, Saudi and international artists that participate in the exhibition are examples of ongoing artistic dialogues.

This year’s theme, “Refusing To Be Still”, is characterized by the curator as: “The generation of ideas, concepts and artistic forms is an endless negotiation and a continuous dialogue. Like an evolving reality, artistic practices are constantly transforming, refusing to stand still and become permanent. In a fast-forming landscape of events, which characterizes the contemporary moment in Saudi, the fifth edition of [21,39] investigates the multifaceted practices that emerge in this continuously active landscape.”

The partnership between UBS and the Saudi Art Council over the last 4 years, has showcased the Kingdom’s splendid and rich culture from past to present.

“We share a passion with our clients and all art enthusiasts to participate in the dynamic world of contemporary art, and to actively support collecting activity,” expressed Ali Janoudi, Vice-Chairman of the Board, UBS Saudi Arabia.

“This year’s theme, ‘Refusing To Be Still,’ is one that particularly resonates with us and our clients as we look for continuous dialogue with the evolving world around us.”

Also returning as a sponsor is Van Cleef & Arpels, the world-renowned jewelry company.

Rubat Al Khunji, a historic building in downtown Jeddah that is a celebration of the diversity of Jeddah and its rich history. With an architectural installation, the historic building invites audiences back onto its premises for a reevaluation.

The work of Bricklab, an architecture, research and design studio founded by Abdulrahman and Turki Gazzaz, reinvigorates the spaces of the building, introducing a different nature. This presents the idea of nature as culture. And the idea that plants can present us with a different history of the world permeates this installation.

“Refusing To Be Still” is evidence of an artistic process that is always in a flux. The exhibition opens on Wednesday and will run for three months, offering creative family activities, book launches, and trips that are open to the public.