AlUla Arts Festival returns for its second edition with a Saudi first exhibition on Andy Warhol
Riyadh – Asdaf News:
The second AlUla Arts Festival will begin on February 16 and feature a comprehensive schedule of performances, exhibits, and artistic endeavors spread over 12 days in the breathtaking setting of the old city of AlUla.
As a part of the larger AlUla Moments schedule of events and festivals, AlUla Arts Festival is destined to become a yearly must-attend event on the international arts scene. The festival schedule features a variety of immersive experiences, unique concerts, and art, culture, and photography.
The AlUla Arts Festival 2023, with the theme “Living in Color,” examines works of art that celebrate polychromaticity and infuses the distinctive setting with vibrant hues through curated public art installations and special exhibitions, such as FAME: Andy Warhol in AlUla, which introduces works by the American contemporary artist to the kingdom for the first time.
In order to directly respond to the mirrored building Maraya, a specialized arts and cultural venue in AlUla, FAME was created in conjunction with The Andy Warhol Institution in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and was curated by Patrick Moore, the director of the museum. In addition to his revolutionary installation Silver Clouds and historical photographs, the exhibition will include Warhol’s well-known paintings and prints of Hollywood stars and other celebrities.
The 13 Most Beautiful, a large-scale screening of Warhol’s silent films backed by a newly commissioned live soundtrack by the cult rock duo Dean and Britta, will take place at Maraya on February 16 as part of a full program of performances, discussions, and workshops for FAME.
Guided art tours provide guests the chance to explore AlUla’s distinctive terrain via the perspective of art with a focus on the fascinating desert vistas of AlUla. The Landscape as Art A guided hike will expose viewers to the Wadi AlFann landscapes, where works by world-famous artists like James Turrell, Agnes Denes, and Michael Heizer as well as local heroes Manal Al Dowayan and Ahmed Mater will be commissioned. The first pieces will be made available starting in 2024.
The six-hour guided hike, which is ticketed and geared toward adventurous art enthusiasts, will have participants navigating gorges and a gorgeous desert trail while learning about the Wadi AlFann concept and artist narrative. A stop at the public art pieces known as “Art in the Landscape,” which were formerly a part of Desert X AlUla 2022, will also be made during the hike.
Continuing AlUla’s program of artist residency ‘Palimpsest of Time’, from 17 February to 18 March is an exhibition and open studio bringing together 13 artists from the current and previous AlUla Artists Residency programme The multidisciplinary artists have all lived and worked in the unique setting of AlUla, fostering dialogue and collaboration with AlUla’s scientific and local population. The exhibition is hosted in Mabiti- a guest house and palm grove home to the artist residency – an additional installation at Madrasat Addeera celebrates all 25 creatives who have experienced the residency program so far.
AlUla’s new and exciting arts, culture and dining village, AlJadidah will be the setting for a range of public art and interactive events.
100 Best Arabic Posters in AlJadidah, presents eye-catching graphic designs from the Arab world. Launched in 2015 at the German University of Cairo, the unique platform showcases the latest innovations within the region’s contemporary visual culture, serving as a reference for graphic designers, visual artists, and scholars within the Arab world and beyond.
