Desert X AlUla is an international art exhibition taking place in AlUla, a significant ancient desert region in Saudi Arabia. This year’s exhibition is curated by Reem Fadda, director of Abu Dhabi’s Cultural Foundation, and Neville Wakefield and Raneem Farsi of Desert X and features newly commissioned works by 15 artists.
The biennial’s 2022 edition focuses on bringing a plurality of voices from around the world during its schedule, which runs from 11 February until 30 March 2022.
AlUla biennial’s constrasting works
Set amongst the canyons of AlUla valley, the featured works respond to the geography and history of their surroundings. AlUla is one of the key areas of development for Saudi’s Vision 2030.
The biennial is a collaboration between the Royal Commission for AlUla and Desert X, a foundation housed in California, USA. The collaborators are both young organisations that are uniquely tied to their environment.
Under the theme of ‘Sarab’ – roughly translated from Arabic as a mirage – the exhibition explores ideas of mirage and oasis, both intrinsic to desert history and culture, aptly capturing the theme as it explores the contrast between the natural and man-made worlds with its calming deserts and artistic sculptures.
One of the 15 featured artists is Dana Awartani, who is based in Jeddah, KSA. Awartani’s work reflected the Nabatean tombs of the AlUla valley with her own, almost pixillated version of a tomb. Made out of bricks cut from the canyon’s stones, it resembles a sunken throne. For the full list of artists and their unique installations/sculptures, click here.
The 2020 inaugural event showcased a mix of Saudi and global artists from the original Desert X in California.
