Abdullah AlOthman, Geography of Hope, installation
view, Desert X AlUla 2022, courtesy the artist
and Desert X AlUla, photo by Lance Gerber
and Desert X AlUla, photo by Lance Gerber
- Desert X AlUla 2022Desert X AlUla is a recurring, site-responsive, international art exhibition taking place in AlUla, a globally significant ancient dessert region in the Arabian peninsula. This year's exhibition - until March 30 - under the curatorial vision of Reem Fadda, Raneem Farsi and Neville Wakefield, places contemporary artworks by 15 Saudi and international artists amidst the extraordinary landscape of AlUla, a majestic region in north-west Saudi Arabia of natural and creative heritage steeped in a legacy of cross-cultural exchange.Abdullah AlOthmanGeography of Hope - installationhttps://desertx.org/
Abdullah AlOthman’s piece references theories of light refraction rooting back to the early days of desert civilisation 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.
Dana Awartani, Where The Dwellers Lay, installation view, Desert X AlUla 2022, courtesy the artist and Desert X AlUla, photo by Lance GerberUnder the theme of Sarab, this year’s exhibition explores ideas of mirage and oasis, both intrinsic to desert history and culture, that have taken on complex worldwide significance over time. Invited to consider these ancient concepts, participating artists have responded with new works that address dreams, camouflage, fiction, dis/appearance, extraction, illusion and myth, while also examining the dichotomy between the natural and man-made worlds.Dana Awartani
Where The Dwellers Lay - installationDana Awartani’s sculpture draws inspiration from the vernacular architecture of AlUla, taking the form of a concave geometric sculpture that references the Nabataean tombs and mimics the shapes of surrounding mountains, gorges, caverns and rock formations.Screenshot from video“AlUla has always been at the crossroads of trade and culture. Its landscape and history have and continue to draw people from across the globe. In captivating the imagination of artists and travelers alike, AlUla presents itself as the perfect site for an exhibition that explores the idea of the desert as a place of cultural interaction, dialogue and exchange. The first edition of Desert X AlUla in 2020 proved how much there is for artists and audiences from different parts of the world to learn from one another. Artists are often leaders in these conversations and so it is particularly exciting for Desert X AlUla to have such a significant role in the region’s many programs of cultural transformation.”
Neville Wakefield,
co-artistic director of Desert X AlUla + artistic director of Desert XNeville Wakefield and Nora Aldabal - executive director Desert X AlulaShaikha Al Mazrou - Measuring The Physicality of Void, installation view, Desert X AlUla 2022, courtesy the artist and Desert X AlUla, photo by Lance GerberShaikha Al MazrouMeasuring The Physicality of Void - installationShaikha Al Mazrou’s lengthy steel-made inflated structures are wedged in the voids of rocks, tensely balanced in the landscape, occupying the liminal state between stasis and movement, creating a silent yet imposing composition suspended in inertia.Jim Denevan, Angle of Repose, installation view, Desert X AlUla 2022, courtesy the artist and Desert XAlUla, photo by Lance GerberJim Denevan,Angle of Repose - installationLand artist Jim Denevan creates ephemeral drawings whose interlocking patterns speak to the shifts in magnitude and scale that so often shape our experience of the desert and our attempts to position ourselves within the vastness of unbounded space.photograph courtesy DesertX AIUla 2022“As a powerful form of self-expression, art has the power to transform societies, cities, and perspectives. Everyone is hungry for the best in contemporary art – and Desert X AlUla is feeding that appetite in an unprecedented way. Having worked for many years on the development and representation of the Saudi art scene, I can see that today Saudi artists are getting more attention and opportunities than ever before, both locally and internationally. Desert X AlUla plays a very important part in a vast wave of art and culture initiatives that is shaping the ecosystem for creativity in Saudi Arabia.”Raneem Farsi
co-artistic director of Desert X AlUlaZeinab Alhashemi, Camoul age 2.0, installation view, Desert X AlUla 2022, courtesy the artist and Desert X AlUla, photo by Lance GerberZeinab AlhashamiCamouflage 2.0 - installationZeinab Alhashami's interactive sculpture uses discarded camel skins on an abstract, geometric base, resembling a rock formation in the desert; like a camouflage, these camel hide sculptures merge into the mountains.Serge Attukwei Clottey - Gold Folds, installation view, installation view, Desert X AlUla 2022, courtesy the artist and Desert X AlUla, photo by Lance GerberSerge Attukwei ClotteyGold Folds - installationSerge Attukwei Clottey's installation addresses the experience of globalisation, migration and water equity by shrouding slabs of rock in meticulously crafted tapestries made from yellow Kufor gallons, which are plastic containers used in Ghana for storing and transporting water.Alicja Kwade, In Blur, installation view, installation view, Desert X AlUla 2022, courtesy the artist and Desert X AlUla, photo by Lance GerberAlicja KwadeIn Blur - installationAlicja Kwade's architectural structures reflect and frame the natural artefacts she encountered on the desert floor, which she rearranged and supplemented to create constantly changing perspectives that strike the fine line between reality and illusion.
Sultan bin Fahad, Desert Kite, installation view, Desert X AlUla 2022, courtesy the artist and Desert X AlUla, both photos by Lance GerberSultan bin FahadDesert Kite - installationSultan bin Fahad's mud structure shaped like a desert kite, with mirrors on the facade that create a look of mirage, and houses an urn-like sculpture embossed with four protective symbols traditionally used in Nabatean tombs.
Claudia Comte, Dark Suns, Bright Waves, installation view, Desert X AlUla 2022, courtesy the artist and Desert X AlUla, photo by Lance GerberClaudia ComteDark Suns, Bright Waves - installationClaudia Comte's work features a progression of walls imposing their architectural presence within the natural order of AlUla canyons, with each carrying a section of a larger algorithmic pattern relating to the waveforms that shape the sound and surface of the desert.Shezad Dawood, Coral Alchemy II (Porites Columnaris), installation view, Desert X AlUla 2022, courtesy the artist and Desert X AlUla, photo by Lance GerberShezad DawoodCoral Alchemy II (Porites Columnaris) - installationShezad Dawood's work explores ideas of deep tie and the geo-biological relationship between the desert floor and nearby Red Sea through a pair of coral-like forms whose temperature-sensitive surface reflects the effects of climate change and mankind's continuing struggle to find a sustainable relationship with a rapidly changing ecosystem.Khalil Rabah, Grounding, installation view, Desert X AlUla 2022, courtesy the artist and Desert X AlUla, photo by Lance GerberKhalil RabahGrounding - installationKhalil Rabah creates a mirage of an orchard of olive trees, which stand here in the desert as living things displaced from their indigenous land and longing to be repatriated, as an exploration of territory, survival and citizenship.Shadid Alem,I Have Seen Thousands of Stars and One Fell in AIUla, installation view, Desert X AlUla 2022, courtesy the artist and Desert X AlUla, photo by Lance GerberShadid AlemI Have Seen Thousands of Stars and One Fell in AIUlainstallationShadia Alem's sculptural installation adapts the art of origami, applying the basic principles of geometry and beauty to create shapes that make reference to the Arabian desert's literature, mathematics and mythology.
Stephanie Deumer, Under the Same Sun, installation view, Desert X AlUla 2022, courtesy the artist and Desert X AlUla, both photos by Lance GerberStephanie DeumerUnder the Same Sun - InstallationWorking at the intersection of nature and technology Stephanie Deumer has created an underground greenhouse; hinting at the lush sanctuary of native plants below, a large puddle-shaped array of solar panels mounted flush with the desert floor creates an energy feedback loop where the energy of the sun is captured, stored and transformed through photosynthesis into growth and transformation.Ayman Zedani, The Valley of The Desert Keepers, installation view, Desert X AlUla 2022, courtesy the artist and Desert X AlUla, both photos by Lance GerberAyman ZedaniThe Valley of The Desert Keepers - installationAyman Zedani's soundscape installation in a rocky cavern comprises horizontal sculptural wires and an audio projection of music, voices and footsteps, creating a cacophony of sounds that add to the chimes of nature.photograph courtesy DesertX AIUla 2022“The desert concepts of mirage and oasis have long been tied to ideas of survival, perseverance, desire and wealth. The oasis pertains to ideas of finding prosperity or heaven, while the mirage is a universal symbol of the mysteries of imagination and reality. 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. Under the theme of ‘Sarab’, the artists presented in the exhibition – all of whom have spent time in the AlUla region – have developed ambitious and strikingly innovative, site-specific responses, all of which address profound issues, that emerge from the local context but also resonate with audiences the world-over.”
Reem Fadda,
curatorial advisor to Desert X AlUla 2022
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