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Arab News
08-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Arab News
Art Week Riyadh: Al-Mousa Center brings together pioneering and emerging artists
RIYADH: In the heart of Saudi Arabia's capital city, the Al-Mousa Center has transformed into a vibrant hub for creativity, with over 15 galleries presenting a mix of solo and group exhibitions as part of Art Week Riyadh. The event brings together trailblazing artists and rising stars from the region and beyond, offering a dynamic platform for contemporary artistic expression. For the latest updates, follow us on Instagram @ Once a bustling commercial complex in the 1980s, the Al-Mousa Center originally served as a premier destination for wedding attire — where some of the city's best tailors still practice their craft today. The building's dated architectural style adds a nostalgic vibe to the space, evoking memories of the past while providing a fitting backdrop for contemporary art. When a framing shop opened and quickly flourished, art began to gradually replace garments in the complex. While a few stores continue to sell suits and dresses, the mall has since transformed into a lively cultural center, now housing approximately 20 art galleries. 'When I heard about Art Week Riyadh, I was excited to be part of it. I'm a third-generation Saudi artist with 28 years of experience as an aircraft maintenance engineer, pilot and instructor pilot. Now, I'm an artist. I'm from Riyadh, and this is a chance for us to celebrate art and showcase our local talent,' said Nasser Al-Kharji, who founded Art Connection, one of the participating galleries. Al-Kharji's father launched a pioneering cartoon column in a local Saudi newspaper in 1965 — a legacy that Al-Kharji honors by framing the columns prominently in his gallery, alongside his own work and that of other regional artists. Perched upstairs, galleries such as Ahlam Gallery relocated to their current expansive 360-square-meter space in 2022, offering a dynamic platform for both emerging and established artists. Founded by Dr. Ahlam Al-Shedoukhy, a retired medical doctor who turned to art as a source of healing, the gallery now stands as one of the largest spaces in the complex. Other participating galleries include Abdullah Hammas Studio, Errm Art Gallery, Marsami Gallery, and Alestudio, each contributing to the rich diversity of Riyadh's growing art scene. While most of the curated talks during Art Week Riyadh are taking place at JAX District in Diriyah, a special panel titled 'The Value of the Past is a Measure of the Future' was held at the Al-Mousa Center on Monday. The discussion focused on how Saudi Arabia's visual arts heritage is not only a part of the nation's history but also continues to serve as a wellspring of inspiration, shaping the future of art in the Kingdom. The inaugural Art Week Riyadh, organized by the Visual Arts Commission, runs from Apr. 6 to 13, activating galleries and creative spaces across the city. Anchored in JAX District in Diriyah, the weeklong program features a range of exhibitions, talks, and curated events that underscore the diversity and dynamism of the Kingdom's evolving visual arts scene.
FACT
27-03-2025
- Entertainment
- FACT
Everything we know about Art Week Riyadh
Art Week Riyadh takes place in JAX District. It's time to paint the town. Art Week Riyadh runs from 6 to 13 April, and takes place in JAX District and across the capital. For 2025, the theme is At The Edge, and it brings together more than 45 different sources, from collections to galleries. So, if you're craving culture, here's what you need to know. Art Week Riyadh is open to the public, and brings together exhibitions and public talks. Visitors can explore contemporary arts and culture, and hear from the creative community. The flagship exhibition, At The Edge, covers three themes: Everyday Life, Landscapes, and Motifs. A range of talks and workshops will also be available, and they will look at the themes in more detail. At the Al Mousa Center, more than 15 galleries have come together with exhibitions. The participating galleries include Abstract Art Gallery, Ahlam Gallery, China Saudi Cultural Art Association, ERRM Art Gallery, Frame Art Gallery, Tequin Art Gallery and more. JAX District will host three exhibitions, which explore the Kingdom's changing identity and the importance of preserving visual culture. The artists featured include Do Ho Suh, Maha Malluh, Mohammad Alfaraj, Hazem Harb, Gregory Mahoney, Sultan bin Fahad and more. Art Jameel showcases experimental film and video art. This presentation brings together pieces from local as well as regional artists. The artists include Ahaad Alamoudi, Hiwa K, Bouchra Khalili, Basim Magdy, Ahmed Mater and more. Plus, Abstract Horizons: Three Generations of Saudi Art will go on show. Check in with FACT for the best things to do in Riyadh. GO: Follow @visualarts_moc on Instagram for more information.
Arab News
27-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Arab News
Riyadh's Ahlam Gallery hosts group show ‘Stories in the Making'
RIYADH: 'This is a group exhibition, created by a community of eclectic artists to exchange, talk, collaborate and build a connection in a healthy environment,' Dr. Ahlam Alshedouky, founder of Ahlam Gallery in Riyadh, tells Arab News. For the latest updates, follow us on Instagram @ Alshedoukhy is discussing 'Stories in the Making,' a collection of 36 works by local and international artists which runs at the gallery until March 31. Approximately half of the participating artists were pre-selected for their unique stories, while the rest joined through an open call. A post shared by Ahlam Gallery - أحلام جاليري (@ 'Most of these works were created in the last year; one of the criteria is to present something new,' Alshedoukhy explains, adding that the exhibition puts 'big lights on the artist's journey and artist's story.' Jeddah-based Salah Jandali, founder of JZB Studio, says he created 'functional art' for the exhibition — essentially four stools and a small table — that he hopes people will use to sit and reflect, or engage in conversation with others. The furniture blends traditional craftsmanship with contemporary design. 'Weaving was part of our daily lives. Today, it has become more of a decoration,' Jandali tells Arab News. 'This affects demand — if people aren't interested in this craft and no one works with it, over time, it will disappear.' But he believes that it 'will gradually become widely accepted again.' A post shared by Ahlam Gallery - أحلام جاليري (@ The designer sought out artisans to create the pieces. He collaborated with a palm weaver in Al-Ahsa, who worked from her home farm dyeing the palm fronds to match Jandali's requirements. He also partnered with a carpenter known for intricate craftsmanship reminiscent of Japanese joinery. Bringing together techniques from both the east and west coasts, the work now comes full circle in the center of the Kingdom, Riyadh. Abdullah Alkhorayef's work for the exhibition, 'The Origins,' explores where the designs for Saudi traditional clothing came from. Finding no concrete answers, he instead created his own version of the evolution of traditional wear in the region. 'I decided to start at my own zero point, which is today,' he told Arab News. A post shared by Ahlam Gallery - أحلام جاليري (@ 'The Origins' comprises an installation made of black cotton linen featuring geometrical shapes that explore the origins of clothing, and a number of silkscreen prints on paper depicting the geometrical forms used. The shapes within the black cotton linen installation were created by folding and sewing a simple rectangle in ways that cover the body. Each piece adds onto the previous one: so a simple draped cloth acquires an arm hole, then is divided in various ways — horizontally, vertically, and diagonally — combining mathematical and engineering concepts, to create garments that could be worn by humans. Those shapes were then translated into visual compositions using the silkscreen technique and form an alphabet-like system that is personal to the artist, as if creating his own language for clothing. 'It all starts with simple shapes,' he says. 'With all the chaos in the past 40 or 50 years, we lost the reasoning behind anything. With this exhibition, because of the cultural boom happening in Saudi, I just wanted to throw in a question for people to ask, challenge, and research.' Saudi artist Zainab Abo Hussain's tapestry 'A Tide Once Near, Now Drifted to Memory' is an ode to her ancestry inspired by Islamic miniature painting, textiles and innovative construction techniques, as well as her own life. 'Childhood memories of my grandmother, who led our family while my grandfather (was) at work in remote areas, are a significant source of inspiration,' she says. 'Evenings spent gathered around her, listening to her captivating stories, are cherished moments.' The work aims to honor her grandmother by reimagining these narratives through contemporary miniature painting and manuscript art. 'Henna nights, in particular, provided precious opportunities for connection and storytelling,' Hussain continues. 'These experiences deeply influenced my desire to capture and preserve such memories through my art.'
Arab News
26-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Arab News
Your guide to Art Week Riyadh: From flagship shows to studio tours in JAX District
RIYADH: Art Week Riyadh's inaugural edition is set to take place from April 6-13 under the theme 'At The Edge.' The event will feature works from more than 45 galleries, private and institutional collections, and a public program of talks — here is your guide to getting the best out of Art Week Riyadh. A post shared by (@visualarts_moc) Flagship exhibition: 'At The Edge' First up, visitors will be able to immerse themselves in the event's flagship exhibition which is curated around three thematic threads — 'Everyday Life,' 'Landscapes,' and 'Motifs.' Bashaer Hawsawi's 'Warm Space 1,' 2018, Red Broom with African Cloth. (Courtesy of Hafez Gallery and the artist) The exhibition features contributions from prominent galleries across the Middle East, Africa, Asia, and Europe, including A. Gorgi Gallery (Tunisia), Ahlam Gallery (Saudi Arabia), Albareh Art Gallery (Bahrain), Al Markhiya Gallery (Qatar), L'Art Pur Gallery (Saudi Arabia), AV Gallery (Saudi Arabia), Ayyam Gallery (UAE, UK), Carbon 12 (UAE), Efie Gallery (UAE), Experimenter (India), Galerie Krinzinger (Austria), Gallery Misr (Egypt), Galerie La La Lande (France), Galleria Continua (Brazil, China, Cuba, France, Italy, UAE), Green Art Gallery (UAE), Hewar Art Gallery (Saudi Arabia), Hunna Art (Kuwait), Lawrie Shabibi (UAE), Layan Culture (Saudi Arabia), Le LAB (Egypt), Leila Heller Gallery (UAE, USA), Lisson Gallery (China, UK, USA), Mennour (France, UK), Nature Morte (India), Perrotin (China, France, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, USA), Sabrina Amrani (Spain), Selma Feriani (Tunisia), The Pill® (France, Turkey), The Third Line (UAE), Tabari Artspace (UAE) and Wadi Finan Art Gallery (Jordan). Al Mousa Center in central Riyadh Up next, visitors should head over to the Al Mousa Center in central Riyadh where more than 15 galleries will present both solo and group exhibitions specially conceived for Art Week Riyadh. Once a bustling commercial complex, the center is now a cultural destination that houses around 20 art galleries. Galleries participating in Art Week Riyadh include Abdullah Hammas Studio, Abstract Art Gallery, Ahlam Gallery, Alajilan Gallery, Alestudio, AMA Art Venue, Art Arif Gallery, Art Connection, AV Gallery, China Saudi Cultural Art Association, ERRM Art Gallery, Frame Art Gallery, Kadi Art Gallery, Kenz Gallery, Mahd Alfnon Gallery, Marsami Art Gallery, Ola Art Gallery, Takeib For Arts, Tequin Art Gallery, WHJ ALLON and Wrd Art Gallery. Invited exhibitions JAX District will also host three exhibitions by invited collections, offering a rare insight into Saudi Arabia's evolving cultural identity. Presented under the title 'Collections in Dialogue,' these exhibitions emphasize the role of patronage and collecting in shaping and preserving visual culture. The section includes a curated presentation of artworks from the collection of the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture (Ithra). Featuring works by artists such as Do Ho Suh, Maha Malluh, Michelangelo Pistoletto, Mohammad Alfaraj, Hazem Harb, Gregory Mahoney, Moath Alofi, and Sultan bin Fahad, the exhibition highlights the interplay between material memory, transformation, and the landscapes that shape identity. Neïl Beloufa's 'Double Standard,' canyon, 2024, MDF and rubbio varnish. Neil Beloufa, Adagp, Paris, 2025, Photo. Archives Mennour. (Courtesy the artist and Mennour, Paris) Meanwhile, Art Jameel will present a selection of eight single-channel artworks from its collection that highlight the diverse and evolving landscape of experimental film and video art practices in the region. This presentation brings together video works by artists from Saudi Arabia and the Arab world, largely made in the 2010s, that reflect on a decade marked by profound transformations. Many of the featured works are early and foundational works by major artists such as Ahaad Alamoudi, Hiwa K, Bouchra Khalili, Basim Magdy, Ahmed Mater, and others. Also, 'Abstract Horizons: Three Generations of Saudi Art' by the Saudi Research and Media Group (SRMG) will go on show. Borrowing its title from a work by Saudi artist Mohammed Al-Saleem, the exhibition draws from SRMG's collection to explore the progression of Saudi abstraction through the practices of key figures such as Al-Saleem, Abdulhalim Radwi and Taha Al-Sabban, who merged global influences with local traditions. Their legacy is reinterpreted by a new generation of creatives, including Raeda Ashour, Rashed AlShashai and Zaman Jassim. Talks, workshops and studio tours A series of talks and workshops will reflect on themes and questions facing the visual arts in Riyadh, more widely in Saudi Arabia, and around the world. Curated by Shumon Basar and titled 'How to Art World? Lessons in Value,' the program will run at JAX District. A 'Moving Image' program will highlight the medium's capacity to explore complex personal, cultural and social narratives, and feature the work of Theaster Gates, Zineb Sedira, Hicham Berrada, Bani Abidi, Laurent Grasso, Afra Al Dhaheri, Mohamed Bourouissa, Sarah Brahim, Farideh Lashai, and Hashel Al-Lamki. At JAX District, some of Saudi Arabia's leading artists — including Ahmed Mater, Ayman Zedani, Marwah AlMugait, and Muhannad Shono — will open the doors to their studios, while resident galleries Athr, Hafez and Lift will present a lineup of exhibitions, panel discussions, and interactive workshops. The Saudi Arabia Museum of Contemporary Art (SAMoCA) will present the exhibitions titled 'Art of the Kingdom' and 'Adaptability Ceramics,' alongside a series of workshops and pop-ups.
