RIYADH: A five-day cultural forum organized by Fenaa Alawwal in Riyadh’s Diplomatic Quarter, and co-curated by Afikra, is exploring the theme “Introspection: the role of contemporary art practices in a time of change.”

The inaugural Muntada Forum of Contemporary Art Practices opened on Sunday night and will have five panel discussions during its run until Sept. 19.

There are 24 creatives exploring a diverse range of topics, which includes the role of Saudi Arabia’s artists in shaping the Kingdom’s global image.

There will be discussions on Saudi Arabia’s youth culture involving music, street art and fashion; the role of art professionals: navigating creativity in a structural setup; cultural hubs: the emergence of urban art districts; and the intersection of food and art.

The bumper-to-bumper traffic in Riyadh was not a deterrent for art enthusiasts, curators and interested locals from attending the opening at the building built in 1988.

The venue was designed by Omrania architecture company, as a part of Alawwal Bank’s Riyadh branch in the landmark Diplomatic Quarter.

Every seat was occupied during the first panel which was titled “Soft power: Saudi artists’ role in shaping the Kingdom’s global image.”

It was moderated by curator Sara Al-Mutlaq with speakers, Ahmed Mater, a doctor-turned-artist, and Alia Al-Senussi, a cultural strategist, art patron and academic.

Al-Senussi told Arab News after the talk: “What we have really been able to embrace is the idea, (as) Ahmed Mater said, that it’s up to the artist to remove the power from the conversation.

“And soft power, in its kind of whole and holistic way, is really about translating who people are to the rest of the world.”

Mater, who is working on a new book slated for publication later this year, discussed how events over the past 45 years, starting with 1979 — his birth year — changed the course of the world, a topic which he will explore in his latest work.

He explained that each decade since 1979 has had events with major ramifications on the local and international fronts, which included the revolution in Iran and the seizure of Makkah.

He also referred to events from the 1980s up to the present day, which include the Gulf War, 9/11, the Arab Spring and the rise of social media, as well as the COVID-19 pandemic.

“There was a big change happening in Saudi Arabia during these decades. I spoke about art as a mirror for sociopolitical events and the culture of changing and that’s what shapes our narrative, our story, our strength — by telling our story that shapes our life and our memory,” Mater told Arab News.

On opening night, curator Maya El-Khalil and Saudi Arabia artist Moath Alofi offered their insights in their keynote speeches.

Other speakers to come include Hala Al-Hedeithy from the Music Commission, Gigi Arabia, the founding director of Heavy Arabia; Nada Al-Helabi from MDLBEAST; and Mikey Muhanna, the founder and executive director of Afikra.

Other participants include Lulwah Al-Homoud, curator and artist; Oliver Farrell from Misk Art; Mayada Badr, CEO of the Culinary Arts Commission; and Sybel Vazquez from the Diriyah Biennale Foundation.

There will also be a kitchen lab dedicated to speaking about and celebrating all things food, hosted by celebrity chef Joe Barza.

Muntada will conclude with a performance by culinary storyteller and social media sensation Nadir Nahdi.

RIYADH: The ambassador of Mexico to Saudi Arabia, Anibal Gomez Toledo, hosted a vibrant national day celebration in Riyadh to commemorate Mexico’s independence day on Sunday.

The festive occasion brought together the Mexican community in Riyadh and friends of the embassy to highlight the strong ties between Mexico and Saudi Arabia.

The ambassador emphasized the significance of September as a month of celebration for both nations.

The ambassador said that the national day celebration hosted in Saudi Arabia held meaning for both Mexico and Saudi Arabia.

“Mexico and Saudi Arabia started bilateral relations back on September 12, 1952, so within the same month Saudi Arabia celebrates its national day on September 23,” he told Arab News.

“So September is a month of celebration for both Mexicans and Saudi Arabia.” 

The Mexico national day festivities took place in the Diplomatic Quarters Cultural Palace and welcomed ambassadors, Mexicans living in Saudi Arabia, Saudi authorities and friends of the embassy in an evening of celebration and music.

“It’s a very significant day. It is the most important day in our history,” Toledo said.

“We are celebrating the 214th anniversary of the beginning of our independence from Spain.

“At that time, a group of leaders headed this movement and they started the call on the night of September 15, so exactly at midnight on the 16th is when the movement started, and that is why we enact this special event that we are having today,” he said.

Guests followed the ambassador’s lead in waving flags and chanting “Viva la Mexico,” a chant that embodies the nation’s continued prosperity and freedom.

Toledo also highlighted a significant moment during the celebrations called “El Grito,” a tribute to the Mexican people’s battle cry when they rose up against Spanish rule on Sept. 16, 1810.

“Grito is the call of our founders when they started the revolution of independence. They called and started to gather, and we do something similar tonight,” he said.

“Saudis are very generous and very welcoming and very warm. We feel this warmth from Saudi people toward us Mexicans and Mexico.

“I have been here for almost five years, and I have this feeling of emotion when I am with a Saudi. We are not only friends but brothers ... I don’t know if we share the same DNA or something like that,” he said jokingly.

“We get along very easily; you can see how Saudis celebrate our day and how Mexicans celebrate Saudi national day.” 

The ambassador said that the two countries have been “working closely in the past five, six years.”

He added: “We activated our political dialogue, and now our bilateral dialogue is strong and solid. We have exchanged a number of high-level visits from both sides.”

When asked where he would like to see cooperation grow, the ambassador said that trade and tourism were areas of focus.

“Mexico and Saudi Arabia are G20 countries, two of the 20 largest economies in the world. I think we have great potential to continue together.

“Our bilateral trade surpassed $1 billion; five to six years ago, it was less than $300 million. We are seeing bilateral trade growing, and what I would like to have is to double or triple this figure.”

On tourism and cultural exchange, the envoy said that he “would also like to see more Mexicans in Saudi Arabia and more Saudis in Mexico.”

Toledo said that in May, the embassy signed an MoU between two higher education institutions in Mexico and Saudi Arabia, King Fahad Petroleum and Minerals and the Instituto Politecnico Nacional in Mexico offering scholarships for Mexicans to study their graduate degrees in Saudi Arabia.