Venice Biennale: The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Pavilion – The Black Arch. For it’s first participation to the Venice Biennale The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia present two artist sisters, Raja and Shadia Alem, who have conceived their work as a stage on which to project their reminiscence of Black, a vast absence of color, and the physical representation of Black, which alludes to their past. Curated by Mona Khazindar and Robin Start.
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Pavilion – The Black Arch. The installation The Black Arch, the work of sisters Shadia and Raja Alem can be read as a double narrative. Rajas the writer, and Shadia the visual artist, have a non-traditional artist’s background. While having had a classical and literary education, the sisters acquired knowledge through their encounters with pilgrims visiting Makkah. The experience with the physical presence of Black, the first part of the installation is striking for the artists; Raja explains, “I grew up aware of the physical presence of Black all around, the black silhouettes of Saudi women, the black cloth of Al ka’ba3 and the black stone which is said to have enhanced our knowledge.” As a counter-point, the second part of the installation is a mirror image, reflecting the present. These are the aesthetic parameters of the work.
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