NEW YORK: Saudi Arabia will host a pavilion at the Venice Biennale of Architecture for the first time this year — one of several projects announced on Monday by Ahmed Mater, director of the recently-created Misk Art Institute.
Mater, also a prominent Saudi artist, said judges have yet to decide which architectural project from 66 entries will be selected for showcasing at the event, which runs in the Italian city from May to November.
Also this year, Misk will train 10 young Saudi artists in California and launch an Arab art festival at several New York locations in October, while working on plans for the institute’s headquarters building in Riyadh.
“We are proposing and dreaming of a collaborative platform led by artists from the ground up,” Mater, 38, said at the launch, at The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in Manhattan on Monday.
“This approach, instructed by the crown prince, comes from a place of passion and dedication — a unique opportunity to combine the energy and participation of voices from the bottom up with the vision and resources from the top.”
The Misk Art Institute is a new cultural body with bases in Riyadh and Abha, in the Kingdom’s southwest, which was established by the Misk Foundation, led by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, last year.
It is the latest addition to a burgeoning Gulf art scene, with several boutique galleries in Dubai and some brand-name museums in Abu Dhabi, the UAE capital, including local versions of the Louvre and Guggenheim.
Glenn Lowry, director of MoMA, told Arab News that he was working with Misk on a book about Arab art, but had no plans to emulate the Guggenheim by building a MoMA in Saudi Arabia or the Gulf.
“I’m thrilled that Misk is creating a platform that I hope will engage a really serious conversation among artists, curators, collectors, scholars around the world, not just within the Muslim world,” Lowry said.
“I think what Misk offers is an artist-centric approach which grows from a grassroots base but ultimately will produce all sorts of interesting results.”
Cultural life figures in the Saudi crown prince’s Vision 2030 plan. In recent months, the Kingdom has broken from convention by hosting concerts, comic festivals and book fairs while also lifting a 35-year-old ban on cinemas.
Last year, the art world was abuzz over which Gulf buyer had paid $450.3 million for Leonardo da Vinci’s portrait of Christ, “Salvator Mundi.” New-York based Christie’s auction house said it was acquired by Abu Dhabi’s Department of Culture and Tourism.
The Misk Art Institute is tasked with turning Saudi Arabia into a home for grassroots cultural creativity, diplomacy and global exchanges via art festivals, workshops and competitions for fledgling Saudi artists.
Mater is a Saudi doctor-turned-artist from Tabuk who works in film, performance and sculpture. His photo-exhibition, Makkah Journeys, charting the redevelopment and commercialization of the Holy City, runs at the Brooklyn Museum until April 8.
“The institute will comprise both spaces in Saudi Arabia and a series of projects regionally and internationally,” Mater said.
“These are foundations from which channels can be forged collaboratively with a new generation of artists, designers and thinkers — following processes and directions as novel as their creative output.”
Saudi Arabia to take part in Venice Biennale for first time
Saudi Arabia to take part in Venice Biennale for first time
Kef Hayyak? Seeing Saudi neighborhoods through the eyes of emerging filmmakers
JEDDAH: Eighteen aspiring filmmakers have taken to the streets of their neighborhoods armed with nothing but their phones and a vision for the grassroots documentary challenge, “Kef Hayyak?”
The project, initiated by Art Jameel in collaboration with the Red Sea International Film Festival, invited participants to reflect the spirit of their communities in short documentaries.
Months after the February 2025 open call, the winners have been announced, and their films will premiere as part of the Red Sea Documentary Days this May at Hayy Cinema.
The program, which began as a concept in 2021 and has since grown into an annual platform, continues to break down barriers in filmmaking by expanding access to wider creative communities across Saudi Arabia. For the first time, the 2025 event also welcomed participants from Makkah, with one of the city’s filmmakers making it to the jury-selected top three.
The initiative culminates in a public screening at Hayy Cinema, featuring the three jury-selected winners — Eyad Al-Zahrani’s “Between,” Asia Lajam & Nad’s “A World Between Buildings,” and Alisha Khan’s “Nam Ghar, Jeddah” — alongside two audience favorites, “Hay Alakaber” by Amal Al-Zahrani and Othoub Al-Bedaiwi, and “From the Olives to the Sea” by Haya Al-Bhaisi and Mohammed Khalid.
A jury, comprising head of Hayy Cinema, Zohra Ait El-Jamar, director and actress, Fatima Al-Banawi, and director and actress, Ophelie Legris — evaluated the films based on creativity, relevance and narrative strength.
El-Jamar told Arab News: “‘Kef Hayyak?’ draws its essence from the name of Hayy Jameel and reflects our ongoing mission to connect with new audiences in meaningful ways. The project was first imagined in 2021, and after the success of its first edition, it has grown into an annual platform that empowers emerging filmmakers.
“Through this short documentary film competition, we invite aspiring talents to explore their neighborhoods using just their phones. I created the concept with the vision of breaking down barriers in filmmaking and expanding access to a wider creative community. It’s also a powerful way to document the ever-changing urban fabric of Jeddah — and now Makkah.
“We see this as a powerful launchpad for emerging talent, and we’re actively working to expand the program with deeper mentorship and professional opportunities in the years to come,” she added.
Audience Choice Award winner, Al-Zahrani, who hails from Makkah, said: “The movie covers a neighborhood that lacks identity and how it affects me and the residents in our day-to-day lives. Winning was such a heartwarming experience, seeing my work acknowledged and the story of my people and neighborhood embraced and loved. I plan to keep improving my documentary skills and hope to release a movie about a lawyer later this year.”
Khan’s winning documentary explores the Musrefah neighborhood of Jeddah and its vibrant Desi (Pakistani and Indian) community.
“My film ‘Naam Ghar, Jeddah’ is a documentary film which acts as a time capsule for me to look back on not only my neighborhood but the people living in it, especially the often-overlooked Desi community in Jeddah, where even the people themselves think the outer world is not interested in them,” Khan said.
“It aims to explore their dreams, identities and quiet resilience through simple, human questions, like what is your favorite color or what gives you happiness.”
Khan believes in the power of cinema to humanize and connect communities, emphasizing how platforms such as Hayy Jameel empower storytellers like herself. Her goal is to keep documenting life in Jeddah, capturing its present for future generations.
Al-Bhaisi told Arab News: “‘From the Olives to the Sea’ is a short documentary that explores the contrast and emotional connection between two places — Jeddah, where I feel a deep sense of belonging, and Gaza, the place I’m originally from but never fully connected with.
“Winning the Audience Choice Award honestly means the world to us. It shows that people connected with our story, and that’s all we ever wanted — to be heard, and to make others feel something real.”
Christie’s Islamic and Indian art auction showcases rare pieces
LONDON: Ahead of its “Art of the Islamic and Indian Worlds including Rugs and Carpets” auction here on May 1, Christie’s experts recently shared insights with Arab News about the rare lots going under the hammer.
Sara Plumbly, director and head of the Islamic and Indian art department, highlighted an illuminated Kufic Qur’an folio, likely from Damascus, Umayyad Syria, dated to the 8th or 9th century.
“This Surah Al-Baqarah … is very early on in the Qur’an (chapter two titled ‘The Cow’), and you have this wonderful illuminated border. While you often see a line or two thick — here you have this hugely complicated border with beautiful colors.”
Although several illuminated Kufic manuscripts were produced, there were few survivors and generally fragmentary, since their placement at the front of a manuscript meant that they were more exposed to wear and tear, according to Christie’s website.
A collection of 11th century Fatimid gold jewelry caught the eye, to which Plumbly commented: “Jewellery of this type very rarely comes on the market.
“I think one of the reasons is that they are made of gold which is quite fragile and malleable and also, because it is such a precious material, gold is often melted down and used for other objects through the course of history, so it doesn’t survive in great quantities.”
At the pre-sale press exhibition in London, there was also a striking Iznik pottery dish from Ottoman Turkiye, circa 1585-1590. This was complete with bole red, cobalt blue, green and black accents, as well as saz leaves and pomegranates against a background of dense black scrolls.
Louise Broadhurst, director and international head of the department of rugs and carpets, pointed to The Hans Konig Collection of Classical Chinese Carpets.
There was a magnificent Imperial Ming “Qi” Dragon Palace carpet dating from the Wanli period, circa 1575-1600.
“It is one of just seven complete Dragon carpets that remain outside of China,” she explained.
“It would have originally been red in color, woven with a Brazilwood dye which at the time emulated the red that was the Imperial color of the emperor but sadly with time it faded quite rapidly to this sandy yellow color that we see today.
“It displays the ‘Qi’ dragon —a juvenile dragon in a naturalistic life form with cloud-like body, symbolic of an energetic life force. It’s married with the peony which is another symbol for beauty. It would imbue all of the powers that the emperor wanted.”
The live auction is at Christie’s London headquarters with 129 lots set to go under the hammer.
Image Nation Abu Dhabi, Timur Bekmambetov pick eight UAE stories to lead screenlife rollout
ABU DHABI: Ben Ross, CEO of Image Nation Abu Dhabi, joined Kazakh-Russian film director and producer Timur Bekmambetov on Tuesday at the Culture Summit Abu Dhabi to discuss screenlife, a pioneering format developed by Bekmambetov that is coming to the region for the first time.
Screenlife is a style of filmmaking where the entire story takes place on a digital screen — through text messages, video calls, social media and other everyday apps — reflecting how people communicate in today’s tech-driven world. Notable examples include the horror film “Unfriended” (2014) and the mystery thriller “Searching” (2018).
In the session, Ross and Bekmambetov announced that they have selected eight stories from UAE filmmakers to bring to life after the launch of the Screenlife Program in June 2024, which aims to help UAE citizens and residents master this new format and create authentic narratives with global resonance.
“We were drawn to it because it is so innovative and so forward-thinking,” Ross told Arab News. “We enjoyed the screenlife movies, and it just felt like a natural step to evolve it into this region.”
Bekmambetov emphasized the universality of digital communication. “The digital world is the same universally. There is a different cultural element … but every family has a WhatsApp chat with hundreds of people on it. My family in Kazakhstan have one, and the internet in Abu Dhabi is the same,” he told Arab News.
He said that the format is “socially very impactful” and can give voice to those often left out of traditional cinema. “Because it costs nothing, you can tell stories about your individual life with no money. It will help us to engage very different storytellers.”
Ross noted that the selected projects reflect a wide range of stories. “Every story that we have chosen ... stood out in its own way. There’s a huge variety being told — it’s not formulaic.”
Bekmambetov also noted that Muslim women lead very different lifestyles, saying, “maybe screenlife will bring their stories to life,” to which Ross added that some of the stories currently in development already do.
Focus on AI rise in creative industries at Culture Summit Abu Dhabi
ABU DHABI: Industry leaders gathered at the 7th Culture Summit Abu Dhabi on Monday to discuss the rise of artificial intelligence in creative industries — and what it means for the future.
Panelists at the event, held at Abu Dhabi’s Manarat Al-Saadiyat, included Riyad Joucka, founder and principal architect at the Middle East Architecture Network, a practice based in Dubai.
Others included Stephen King, senior lecturer at Middlesex University Dubai; Imad Mesdoua, director of government affairs for the Middle East and Africa at Spotify; and Dr. Patrick Noack, executive director at the Dubai Future Foundation.
The panel examined AI’s impact across multiple creative fields, exploring the opportunities AI presents as well as the challenges that arise when employing machine intelligence.
Joucka was keen to emphasize the importance of using AI as a tool to “extend human creativity,” rather than replace it.
“I see technology as an important tool to extend human creativity and knowledge, and not necessarily as a substitute for the human touch in design,” he said, adding that human-AI collaboration was the ideal creative journey from ideation to finished product.
Mesdoua echoed the importance of the human touch at Spotify, saying “there are two ingredients to the Spotify secret sauce, one is personalization … and the other one is discovery.
“Personalization is to a large extent driven by AI and technologies and algorithmic advances … it makes sure that your app fits you like a glove. The other ingredient to the secret sauce is what we call discoverability.
“And what that means is every now and then on your Spotify app, you will get a suggestion for a song or an artist or genre that you might not have typically listened to, and that’s largely the work, not solely, but largely the work of human editors.”
(AN Photo by Mohamed Fawzy)
That is “very important, particularly for diversity,” Mesdoua noted, adding “a big part of the work that the editors are doing to make sure that up-and-coming genres are being spotlighted and playlisted to global audiences in a unique way.
“So AI can reflect the user, but editors can help recommend new things to users.”
While human curators are key to promoting international music to global audiences, Mesdoua did note the importance of AI in the music industry, saying one of the most important positives is lowering the barriers to entry.
“If you think back to 70 years ago or 80 years ago, becoming a really established musician required you overcoming a ton of barriers and hurdles, particularly on the infrastructure side of things.
“You had to have an expensive studio at your disposal … now you can be all by yourself in your room with amazing AI software and amplify whatever creative spark you have in your mind and really go from ideation to production super-fast.”
It is something Noack was more cautious about, though, with the executive director at the Dubai Future Foundation saying “a barrier to entry is not necessarily a bad thing.”
“I think a lot of people come into space that is not necessarily their calling or (they do not have a) high level of skill and suddenly they know how to do something and they’re the expert in this space.”
A litmus test for good AI, he added, is “whether it can be switched off or rolled back.”
Taking into account differences between various creative fields, the panelists took a nuanced approach and discussed whether AI’s influence was similar across sectors.
There was one warning repeated across various creative fields — including architecture, marketing, education and music — panelists warned that practitioners need to “know when to stop and when to bring the human element back into creativity,” as per Joucka.
Running until April 29 and organized by the Abu Dhabi Department of Culture and Tourism, the three-day summit includes policymakers, artists, scholars, and innovators.
The theme is “Culture for Humanity and Beyond,” focusing on the intersection of culture, technology and global governance.
Role of culture in governance highlighted at Culture Summit Abu Dhabi
ABU DHABI: World leaders discussed how culture can transform global challenges at the seventh edition of the Culture Summit Abu Dhabi.
The summit — which opened on Sunday in the heart of Abu Dhabi’s culture district at the Manarat Al-Saadiyat — is hosting a range of panels and discussions exploring the theme “Culture for Humanity and Beyond.”
One of the panels featured former world leaders discussing the role of culture within global governance.
Former Slovak Prime Minister Iveta Radicova set the tone at the “Bridging the Cultural Gap: The Role of Culture in Shaping Global Governance” panel, saying that “400 years ago, there were 800 million people on the planet. Today, it’s 8 billion, divided into 195 states and 6,000 different community groups with their own languages and cultures.”
New Zealand’s former Prime Minister Jenny Shipley emphasized the importance of inclusive leadership, sharing her country’s successful model of integrating Maori cultural heritage into national governance.
She noted that leadership must be “intentional” about diversity. “I always start with the ‘I’,” she explained, “because if you’re not a committed, inclusive leader, you will not get to the destination of equity.”
Former President of Mauritius Cassam Uteem illustrated how cultural diplomacy works in practice, sharing how his small island nation has played a major role in international cultural politics. He highlighted Mauritius’ participation in UNESCO, bringing perspectives of small, developing island states into global discussions.
The panelists unanimously agreed that traditional international institutions are ill-equipped to handle today’s complex cultural landscape. They called for more innovative approaches that place culture at the center of global governance, rather than treating it as a peripheral concern.
“Culture is the mirror of human existence and the producer of new dreams, and without dreams, we lose our human dignity,” said Radicova.
A recurring theme was the need to combat misinformation and protect cultural authenticity in an era of tech moguls ruling the roost and advancements in artificial intelligence.
“If you would like to build social cohesion and solidarity around the world, you have to fight for the truth, and openly, without dancing around, with courage and really verified arguments,” said Radicova.
