Desert X AlUla is back after a two-year break due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Riyadh loves art so it is a happy return for the free event. The international art exhibition puts incredible works against the gorgeous backgrounds of AlUla.
Curated by Reem Fadda, Raneem Farsi and Neville Wakefield, this year’s theme is Sarab which explores ideas of mirages and the oasis, which is part of desert culture. Participating artists will explore the concepts via mediums like camouflage, fiction, dis/appearance, extraction, illusion and myth, and more.
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Desert X AlUla is free and open for all to feast their eyes on. The exhibition draws inspiration from the original Desert X which is held in California’s Coachella Valley. Desert X AlUla is inspired by the principles of land art, and aims to gives visitors the chance to experience art on monumental scale in dialogue with nature.
The artist line-up boasts 15 local as well as international talents including:
Shadia Alem
Dana Awartani
Serge Attukwei Clottey
Claudia Comte
Shezad Dawood
Jim Denevan
Stephanie Deumer
Sultan Bin Fahad
Zeinab AlHashemi
Alicja Kwade
Shaikha AlMazrou
Abdullah AlOthman
Khalil Rabah
Monika Sosnowska
Ayman Zedani
Raneem Farsi, co-artistic director of Desert X AlUla, says: “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.”
AlUla is more than 200,000 years old, making it one the oldest cities in the Arabian Peninsula. Once a thriving trade route with oases, it was the stop-off point for tired travellers. What will strike you when you are in AlUla is the silence – it’s just you, history and the art. It’s also home to UNESCO World Heritage site Hegra.
Ready to get your art on?
Free. Fri Feb 11 to Wed Mar 30. desertx.org.
Looking for more fun things to do in Riyadh?
COVID-19 booster shot now mandatory for Saudi travellers
The new rules started Wednesday February 9.
Read more here.
Riyadh Season: February events to look forward to
From new concerts to exciting plays.
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Alicia Keys to perform in AlUla
The international singer is taking to the stage this month.
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