Journeys in Land Art, Towards Wadi AlFann, AlUla – Showcase during La Biennale di Venezia
April 17 2024 - 3:00AM
Wadi AlFann presents Journeys in Land Art, Towards Wadi AlFann,
AlUla, a showcase during the 60th International Art Exhibition of
La Biennale di Venezia which spotlights the first five artists
commissioned for Wadi AlFann, a new destination for contemporary
art. On display are a series of renders, drawings, maquettes and
interviews including drawings gathered by Manal AlDowayan – the
artist representing Saudi Arabia at La Biennale di Venezia 2024 –
through her participatory workshops with communities across AlUla,
as well a series of studies by Ahmed Mater and James Turrell.
Guided tours are available on April 18th, 19th, 20th, 25th, 26th
and 27th.
Wadi AlFann, meaning ‘Valley of the Arts’, will
be an awe-inspiring new global cultural destination for
contemporary art, where era-defining works by some of the most
compelling artists from around the world will be permanently placed
in the monumental landscape of AlUla, the extraordinary desert
region of north-west Saudi Arabia steeped in thousands of years of
natural, historical and cultural heritage. Located on a site
spanning 65 square kilometres, this unique cultural
destination will mark a new chapter in art history. The first five
artists creating new, large-scale, site-specific commissions for
Wadi AlFann are
Manal AlDowayan, Agnes
Denes, Michael Heizer, Ahmed
Mater and James Turrell.
These mark the start of an ongoing programme of
commissions, with more artists to be announced soon. Learning from
the desert, Wadi AlFann’s commissioned artists are responding to
the landscape and heritage of AlUla, taking inspiration from its
dramatic topography, undulating vistas, remarkable geological
structures and complex natural ecosystem. The works will be created
with respect for the landscape, set against the stunning sandstone
cliffs and canyons of the vast terrain.
Displayed for audiences in Venice in the Wadi
AlFann showcase, a maquette, a render and a series of studies by
Ahmed Mater reveal the artist's plans for his Wadi AlFann
commission, titled Ashab Al-Lal, an installation inspired by
scientific and philosophical thinkers of the Islamic Golden Age
that will explore the mythic space between subjective imagination
and objective reality by generating a mirage within the sand
dunes.
James Turrell, a leading figure of the Light and
Space movement of the 1960s, reveals the first render for his Wadi
AlFann commission. For over half a century, Turrell has dedicated
his practice to perceptual art, investigating the materiality of
light and the limits of human perception. At Wadi AlFann, the
artist’s new work will build upon the sensorial experience of
space, colour and perception, creating a series of spaces within
the canyon floor to be explored via a series of tunnels and
stairs.
Also exhibited as part of the Wadi AlFann
showcase are drawings gathered by Manal AlDowayan – the artist
representing Saudi Arabia at La Biennale di Venezia 2024 – through
her participatory workshops with communities across AlUla, where
over 700 participants were asked to draw their personal stories
onto paper. The depictions in the exhibited works range from
participant’s homes, neighbourhoods, memories and family histories
to flora, fauna, culinary customs and abstract creative
expressions, with each piece reflecting the lives, cultures and
identities of the people of AlUla. These drawings and stories will
eventually be inscribed into the walls of her Wadi AlFann
commission, titled Oasis of Stories, a labyrinthine installation
inspired by the walls of AlUla’s Old Town that will invite viewers
to walk through its passages.
These pieces feature alongside interviews with
all first five Wadi AlFann artists, providing a fascinating glimpse
of their creative practice and vision. Together, the displayed
works take visitors on the journey towards the opening of Wadi
AlFann.
Nora Aldabal, Executive Director of Arts and
Creative Industries, Royal Commission for AlUla, says: “We are
delighted to introduce Wadi AlFann to Venice, during the 60th
International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia, through the
Wadi AlFann showcase. It provides a glimpse at the journey towards
AlUla's new global destination for land art. Visionary arts
initiatives like Wadi AlFann play a crucial role in AlUla’s
development strategy, and we cannot wait for you to see it in
person.”
Journeys in Land Art, Towards Wadi
AlFann, AlUla; Abbazia di San Gregorio, Venice; 16 – 30 April
2024
Showcase Dates:16 - 30 April 2024
Opening hours: 16 April - 8:30 - 10am (Private
preview)16 April - 10 - 6pm17 - 30 April - 9am – 6pm
Programme:Friday 19 April - The Book as Public
Art – 12:30 - 1:30pmWadi AlFann Publications Launches Artists’
Books: Oasis of Stories and The Desert Field Guide. Saudi artist
Manal AlDowayan joins US artist Mark Dion to discuss the book as
work of art, how participation is core to their practice and what
their artists’ books tell us about the desert.
Thursday 18 to Saturday 20, and Thursday 25 to
Saturday 27 April – Daily Guided Tours – 4 – 5:30pm
Find out more: www.livingmuseum.com
PRESS CONTACT:
Assia Sabi assia@pelhamcommunications.com
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/c6ea811d-25ed-4a7d-b03d-48cbf000a6ee