JAW is humbled by the support of the Ministry of Culture and Information, and

The Abdulatif Jameel Community initiatives. JAW has certainly become a time

of year where creative forces from all communities can collide, gather and

share, and we very much look forward to welcoming all cross sections of

society to celebrate Jeddah’s vibrant art scene

For more information and a full list of events, please visit

www.jeddahartweek.com

THIS ISSUE IS PRESENTED , DESIGNED AND PRINTED BY DESIGN MAGAZINE .

www.designksa.com

CONTENT OF THIS ISSUE IS PROVIDED BY IBRAAZ

www.ibraaz.org

It is with great honor that Jeddah Art Week, under the Patronage of Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Culture and Information, and Abdul Latif Jameel Commu-nity Initiatives, announces the launch of its annual showcase of the Arts from the 1st through the 6th of February, at AlFursiya, Jeddah. With the support of the Saudi Arabian Society for Culture and Arts, and in collaboration with international auction house, Sotheby’s, EoA Projects, and Arabian Wings JAW-2014 intends to build on the success of last year’s inaugural event, which saw attendance from over one thousand five hundred visitors.Jeddah’s rich cultural heritage, dating back thou-sands of years, as well as the City’s port location and position as gateway to the holy city of Mecca, has uniquely positioned Jeddah as a city at the cross-roads of the world’s diverse peoples and cultures. JAW-2014 is dedicated to furthering its platform mis-sion; to showcase Jeddah’s creative art and design culture, all the while increasing the City’s involve-ment with the international art community. The weeklong schedule of events will be centered at Al Fursiya, and will showcase an exciting program in-cluding art and design exhibitions, a series of public performances, a oneday international conference on global visual culture, and highlights from an in-ternational contemporary art auction

LINA LAZAAR Advisor, Abdulatif Community initiatives

Jeddah Art Week is a contemporary art initiative established in 2013

to encourage the burgeoning art scene in Jeddah and the Kingdom.

As its name suggests, JAW- pronounced Jaou in Arabic, and trans-

lated as ‘fun’ in my native Tunisian dialect-hopes to ignite sparks of

arts and culture in a playful and inclusive fashion.

This year, the second edition of JAW has expanded to offer a more

ambitious program, where the disparate, organically grown ele-

ments of Jeddah’s art scene can come together in an open, cohesive

and transparent forum.

JAW 2014 aims to nurture grass roots movements, whilst opening

up its horizons to the global contemporary art family. We like to

think of it as ‘C2C’ initiative, by the community, for the community.

No pedestal. No pretence. Just a time of year where the Kingdom’s

creative forces can unfold and inspire!

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

Photo: Susie of Arabia / Susie Johnson Khalil. Design: A+B Studio, London.

SATURDAY 01 FEB 18.00Unveiling of Jeddah’s Open Air Museum, Jeddah’s Corniche.

21.00 Poetic Ballad, eL Seed Mural performance in Jeddah’s old town, accompanied by 5 Saudi street artists.

SUNDAY 02 FEB

19.00PARK HYATT AL FURUSIYA GRAND OPENING FEATURING THE 12 EXHIBITIONS BELOW:

Al Kistas, Solo Show by Ahmed Hussein.

Orientalism, A collection of works by Dr. Mohammed Abu Al Naja.

EoA Projects, Edition #1: A border crossing exhibition of iconic prints and works on paper by international artists.

ESC, Virtual Reality by Nour Kelani & The Loft Creative Hub.

I Dream Kingdom, Khalid Zahid’s First Solo Show in Jeddah.

Kaikabang Jeddah! Jeddah through the lenses of 15 Filipino photographers.

Limited Edition 3, Arabian Wings featuring the works of 22 Saudi Artists.

Maha Malluh, Distributed Objects, London / Jeddah by Selma Feriani Gallery.

Mapping Azimuth: Two Calligraphic Ascensions: Nja Mahdaoui & Khaled Ben Slimane by Galerie El Marsa.

More than Paper, A Collection of Works by Abdulaziz Ashoor.

Sotheby’s International Contemporary Highlights from the upcoming Contemporary / Doha Auction in April.

Single Saudi Women, Solo Show by Wasma Mansour.

MONDAY 03 FEB

10.00 – 17.00Ibraaz Symposium in collaboration with Dar Al Hekma, Global Contemporary Art and it’s Networks in Dar Al Hekma.

19.00Ayyam Gallery, Contemporary Kingdom, Three Generations of Saudi Artists.

TUESDAY 04 FEB

18.00Al Alamia Gallery, A Celebration of Saudi Contemporary Art.

20.00Saudi Art Centre / Markaz Al Saudi, Abdilaziz Bube Asher Solo Exhibition.

WEDNESDAY 05 FEB

18.00House of Artists, Saudi Colours.

20.00Dama Art, Shift, New Perspectives.

THURSDAY 06 FEB

18.00Rochan Gallery, Festival of Small Paintings.

20.00Art and Culture Association, Al Corniche Exploration.

VISIT JEDDAHARTWEEK.COM TO DISCOVER THE FULL PROGRAMME OF EVENTS.

DAY ONE01Saturday 01 Feb 18.00Poetic Ballad, eL Seed Mural performance in Jeddah’s old town, accompanied by 5 Saudi street artists.

21.00 Unveiling of Jeddah’s Open Air Museum, Jeddah’s Corniche.

The largest port on the Red Sea, Jeddah is one of the major gateways to Mecca,

Islam’s holiest city. It is also one of the largest open-air galleries in the world. Born

of cultural investment into civic areas in the city in the 1970s and 80s, Jeddah’s

open-air sculpture collection is comprised of work by major international modernist

artists, including Henry Moore, Joan Miró, Alexander Calder, Victor Vasarely, Jean

Arp, and Jacques Lipschitz, shown alongside artists such as Salah Abdulkarim and

Shafik Mazloum. Formerly in a state of disrepair, due to decades of exposure to the

elements, a new initiative by Abdul Latif Jameel Community Initiatives (ALJCI) is

restoring these sculptures to their former glory.

In terms of conservation, this is no easy task and the work of Henry Moore is a

case in point. Widely recognized as one of the leading Modernist sculptors of his

generation, Moore’s work is usually completed in bronze — a difficult material to

conserve — and can weigh as much as nine tonnes. Temperature fluctuations and

humidity affect bronze adversely even in temperate climates; however, when you

add a scorching sun and sand storms you have a perfect storm, so to speak, in

terms of conservation. Four of Moore’s characteristic curvilinear figures grace the

Corniche Road in Jeddah, overlooking the Red Sea. His sculptures, like others in

the collection, have become part of the landscape of this seaside city, transformed

into landmarks or points of reference for local residents. Other works, such as those

by Vasarely, Calder and Mazloum, use paint on their surface which, over time, and

even in benign conditions, wears away and erodes, leaving works rusting and look-

ing lacklustre.

Although it is unclear as to when the collection was started, two key figures played

a role in the growth and development of this open-air museum: British architect

George Duncan, who was appointed to oversee the sculpture project, and local

mayor Mohamed Said Farsi, who ordered the recycling of metal pieces from the

city’s first desalination plant into abstract sculptures. As the oil boom across the

Kingdom spurred on the growth of Jeddah as a port city and urban centre, Farsi

began to purchase and commission sculptures by local and international artists to

adorn the city’s seafront, installing the majority of these works along the corniche in

the 1980s.

Given the increased importance of the sculptures, alongside

their pivotal place in the civic life of Jeddah, a new location

has been dedicated to them following their crucial conserva-

tion. Working under the guidance of British restoration experts

Plowden & Smith, local contractors have been brought in to

conduct welding and steel works, while ALJCI has set up a

special workshop of 700 sq. m. inside Abdul Latif Jameel Co.

for the restoration work to be carried out under controlled

conditions. Over 20 sculptures were dismantled and trans-

ferred to the workshop to be restored, while six others were

restored on-site. Fadi Jameel, President of ALJCI International,

has indicated that this is but the first stage in a broader project

to restore Jeddah’s hundreds of public sculptures. The initiative

has also inspired a book by the British writer Edward Booth

Clibborn, Sculptures of Jeddah: An Encounter With a Rare Col-

lection of 20th-century Public Art (Booth-Clibborn Editions,

2013).

18.00

Abdul Latif Jameel Community Initiatives Open-Air Sculpture Park

This sense of renewed vigour in maintaining Jeddah’s strong tradition of art and cul-

ture is likewise manifest in the pioneering arts event, Jeddah Art Week, also support-

ed by ALJCI. Now in its second year, Jeddah Art Week (JAW), founded by contempo-

rary art specialist Lina Lazaar, brings together a unique collection of contemporary

arts from Saudi Arabia and beyond. Running from the 1 – 6 February this year, JAW

will showcase 12 different exhibitions, including a showcase of work from the inter-

national auction house Sothebys as part of its travelling exhibition. The programme

also boasts an international symposium at Dar Al Hekma University entitled ‘Global

Contemporary Art and Its Networks’, a series of lectures, panels and round-table

discussions which propose to take contemporary art from the region out of the gal-

lery and put it into its historical and global context. The inauguration of the sculpture

park, in turn, will do something similar and put a spotlight on what remains one of

the world’s most impressive array of public sculpture.

21.00

POETIC BALLADeL Seed Mural performance in Jeddah’s old town,accompanied by 5 Saudi street artists.

To provide us with some context to your work and to graffiti

as an art form, please share your thoughts on those artists you

consider to be the most significant to the genre, and tell us

what it is you admire about their work.

There is a Chilean artist called Inti, who I really admire. He

does really large-scale murals free-hand and his paintings ref-

erence his South American heritage. He appropriates a Chil-

ean cultural character and transforms it, borrowing the sym-

bol and incorporating it into his own themes. By expressing

himself through a universally recognized symbol that is rooted

in Chile’s consciousness, he achieves something significant: he

takes graffiti and makes it something that speaks to the people.

And that is the power of street art. Actually, it’s that which is

missing from the Arab world because we don’t have enough

people working with culturally relevant symbols and motifs.

There is another artist I really like called Dal, from South Africa.

He creates crazy pieces in black and white. Figurative work

made out of spray paint, but that looks like wire. He developed

his own technique- something unique that he is now recog-

nized for. I like it when an artist takes spray paint and creates

their own unique style. That’s when you know they are a real

graffiti artist.

Given the role that calligraphy plays in your work we can

assume that you remained close to your roots as an Arab

growing up in France. We can also assume that you were

at first inspired by Latin tagging and bombing and Western

stenciled motifs. Can you walk us through the development

of your unique style?

As a quest for identity I started learning Arabic and classi-

cal calligraphy without even thinking about graffiti. When I

didn’t find any teachers I just started reproducing the callig-

raphy by hand. Step by step I started creating something as I

felt it, expressing calligraphy without any limits. Not having

any formal training helped me develop a new art form out of

calligraphy.

I was in to graffiti from the late 1990s but was not that serious

about it. It was only when I was pushed by an artist called

HEST that I started working. HEST was a French artist who

used to write his name but with an Arabic shape to his letters-

he wrote in French with dots- he made the letter ‘E’ looked

like an the Arabic ‘Ain’. I didn’t’ want to do western graffiti

I just wanted to something that spoke to me. My techniques

evolved naturally, and grew out of his encouragement.

When you are designing these works of art do you begin with

an aesthetic concept and match the calligraphy, or do you start

with a phrase and build the design around that? In other words,

what is the design process of creating a work of Calligraffit?

I know what I’m going to write and then depending on that I

choose the wall and I adapt the painting to the shape of the wall.

I try to make the calligraphy and the dynamics of the work fit

the space, so it’s cohesive. I don’t choose colours in advance; I

just work spontaneously. I write phrases that have meaning, but

there is no explicit relevance to the rest of it, like the colours or

the secondary design motifs. I just work these out for the aes-

thetic value.

The phrases are inspired by poetry and literature. The phrase

depends on the place; it has to be relevant to the people and in

context. For instance, for my work in the 13th district in Paris-

which has changed totally in 15 years from being a ghetto to a

chic gentrified area- I chose a poem from Baudelaire written to

Victor Hugo. It said ‘ the shape of the city is changing faster than

the heart of the people’. It spoke of Paris 200 years before, and

yet it was applicable today. I didn’t write it in French though, I

translated it from French to Arabic.

I am doing some research now for the piece I’m going to do in

Jeddah, but I’ll make the final decision when I’m there. When I

get to see the wall itself and meet the people.

How was Calligraffiti received initially by your peers in France?

Was it a struggle or were they open to the forms, concepts and

techniques?

Some were, some weren’t. Some found it a great innovation – a

new form of expression, whilst some said it wasn’t graffiti at all.

That’s why you can’t give a definition of what graffiti is, because

it’s personal opinion. Like all art.

Given that concept and message is key and your message is pre-

sented in Arabic, do you find that your work loses something in

translation to your audience in the west?

No not at all, it’s even better because there is something really

special in Arabic script: it speaks to the soul not the eyes; you can

just see the script and feel something.

If anyone comes across me actually painting a mural and asks,

of course I will tell them the meaning of the text, and if someone

wants to find out later they can find it through social media which

everyone has immediate access to. But it’s a sum of its parts, and

that is only part of it.

Do you find that your work is received and perceived differently

in the Middle East than it is by Western audiences?

No I think it’s the same, because the primary reaction is to the

aesthetic, to the beauty and the shape. Although the message is

important and meaningful to me ultimately it is more the form

that is the vehicle of expression, because it is totally personal and

limitless in what it can convey.

Modern graffiti developed hand in hand with the underground

music scene. The advent of punk in the 1970s saw the scrawling

of names and symbols advertising events and bands and more re-

cently stenciling emerged alongside the hip hop and break danc-

ing scene of the 1980s. Has music been an influence on you at

all?

I used to be a B-Boy and into the hip hop culture, that’s how I got

into graffiti. But no, I wouldn’t say my artwork is particularly influ-

enced by music or hip hop.

It was the subversive American artist Keith Haring who

brought graffiti to the attention of the formal art world in

the 1980s when he opened Pop Shop, selling reproductions

of his street artwork on clothing. He said “It’s about partici-

pation on a big level… this is still art as statement.” What

are your thoughts on the transition of graffiti from an un-

derground movement to the mainstream?

Street art is there, it’s open to everyone, that’s the power of

it. Historically speaking graffiti and street art is the longest

active art movement, a lot of people don’t get that. When

people with no academic background are creating art in the

street they are communicating, then the rest of society be-

comes aware and invested. You can’t walk around the streets

and keep ignoring what’s in front of you. At some point eve-

ryone is going to start wondering what this is, what’s going

on, asking questions, then it graduates to an official platform.

It has to transition from ‘underground’ to ‘mainstream’ oth-

erwise it wouldn’t be democratic; it wouldn’t be developing.

Many major corporations, such as IBM, Nike, Sony and Co-

ca-Cola, have used graffiti to advertise their products. What

is it about graffiti that makes it such a potent form of adver-

tising and what do you feel?

Street art is in the street. It’s something designed by a street

artist. Advertising isn’t street art, it’s marketing.

These guys know that graffiti speaks to the youth. There is an

exciting dimension to it because of the street factor. If play-

ing piano was subversive they would use piano players to

advertise their products.

I collaborated with Louis Vuitton and I’ve been criticized for

that, but Louis Vuitton is a French brand, from the country

where I was born and raised. It was really flattering to be

invited to work with them, I did my research and it didn’t go

against my values and principles to collaborate with them. I

thought it was an opportunity to speak to a wider audience.

It really depends what you do with it whether it’s cheapened

or not.

You will be participating in a public art performance in the

Balad here and working with a local graffiti crew. In your

extensive experience of working with young people- as you

did with the Museum of Arab Art in Qatar amongst other

foundations and institutions- what part, if an, can graffiti

play in the development of young people?

Graffiti inspires people. People love creating. Giving the

chance to kids, or older people, to get into the creation of a

piece of art when they don’t have the skills, showing them

the processes, involving them, is inspiring. Maybe it will

help them to work through personal issues. Maybe they will

explore avenues that they wouldn’t go down if no one had

pushed them.

Here in Jeddah I’m going to paint with some local kids, I will

take them through the creative process and the execution.

Explaining what has to be done and why, giving them some

insight into the way I work. Some of them will assist me with

the mural creation. It’s a form of mentoring, helping them

discover new techniques and teaching them. I’m looking for-

ward to it.

DAY TWO0202

Sunday 02 Feb

19.00PARk HYATT AL FURUSIYA GRAND OPENING FEATURING THE 12 ExHIBITIONS BELOW:

Al kistas, Solo Show by Ahmed Hussein.

Orientalism, A collection of works by Dr. Mohammed Abu Al Naja.

EoA Projects, Edition #1: A border crossing exhibition of iconic prints and works on paper by international artists.

ESC, Virtual Reality by Nour kelani & The Loft Creative Hub.

I Dream kingdom, khalid Zahid’s First Solo Show in Jeddah.

kaikabang Jeddah! Jeddah through the lenses of 15 Filipino photographers.

Limited Edition 3, Arabian Wings featuring the works of 22 Saudi Artists.

Maha Malluh, Distributed Objects, London / Jeddah by Selma Feriani Gallery.

Mapping Azimuth: Two Calligraphic Ascensions: Nja Mahdaoui & khaled Ben Slimane by Galerie El Marsa.

More than Paper, A Collection of Works by Abdulaziz Ashoor.

Sotheby’s International Contemporary Highlights from the upcoming Contemporary / Doha Auction in April.

Single Saudi Women, Solo Show by Wasma Mansour.

19.00

PARk HYATT GRAND OPENING featuring the 12 exhibitions below:

01Al Qustas, Solo Show , currated by Arabian wings by ahmed Hussein.

02Orientalism, A collection of works by

dr. Mohammed abu al naja.

The Qustas, according to Arabic Dictionary Al-Waseet, is the most pre-

cise and accurate type of balances, and as such is the uniqueness of the

experience; second, intellectually, the collection tackles a common hu-

man concept, “Justice”. The artist managed, when choosing the concept of

“balance” as a symbol of justice, to represent it in three different ways, it

is as if the artist provides through his artworks his personal answer on that

old-new philosophical question that seeks the answer to the relationship of

right and justice and to determine which of them founds the other. Is “Jus-

tice” as a reality based on institutions and laws is the foundation of “right”

as a supreme example, or that “right” as a whole and standard is the one

that represents the foundation of “justice” in its part and relativity? As the

recipient reads or rather as I read it, is that justice, while symbolized by the

balance by its three different representations, is the foundation of right.

Here he was clearly and representatively re-launching Orientalism to show

the overlapping and confusing aesthetic in the concept of Orientalistic am-

biguous aesthetic through the use of fabrics and tourist outfits and also

configurations inspired by the paintings of the early Orientalists in order

to throw a new concept mixing Orientalism and its first task and the New

Orientalism , which became part of the reality transcending its geography

only to become part of a contemporary aesthetic producing a political and

economic situation due to different sites and centers of economic power in

the world.

The New Orientalism did not stop at the borders of Western conspiratorial

perceptions as Master of Orient or as cultural control, but it has become

more complex in the light of globalization and the evolution of media and

means of communication. Orient has no pure aesthetic it but became

mixed difficult to be contained or partitioned... Hence Orientalism has be-

come from Oriental and Western view a start of new contemporary begin-

nings artistic experiences.

03EoA Projects, Edition #1: A border crossing exhibitionof iconic prints and works on paper by international artists.

04ESC, Virtual Reality

by nour Kelani& the Loft Creative Hub.

The new fashion and photography medium entering the

art scene by young enthusiatic talents Nour kelani and

The loft team show us how new young blood can shock

the art scene. There is an evident duality in our lifestyle.

We lead one real life in which we give in to the dictated

costumes and societal expectations, and once we’ve had

too much, we escape into a virtual world. We step onto

social media platforms where suddenly conventions are

no longer a barrier. We register ourselves under creative

usernames, and start role playing until we get addicted

to the endless possibilities of this virtual persona that

contrasts everything mundane about our real life. It is

with this concept that they present their show.

EOA Projects is proud to participate in Jeddah Art Week with EDITION #1, a border-crossing

exhibition dedicated to international fine art printmaking and collage. The exhibition brings

together over 100 iconic works on paper by artists from Europe, America and the Middle East.

05I Dream kingdom, by Khalid Zahid’s First Solo Show

Khalid Zahid has decided to make his first Solo show in jeddah during JAW. After exhibiting in Dubai and khobar

several times he will now share his dream for a better kingdom , Through his art pieces that challenges sever local

social issues with a creative and a bit of dark humor. Zahid’s idea of simplifiying and humrously presenting these

deeply rooted social issues in our kingdom makes the viewer feel that the best solution to these issues is just to

simplify enjoy the art.

06kaikabang Jeddah! Jeddah through the lenses of 15 Filipino photographers.

JAW It all started when the Lina Lazaar, founder of Jeddah Art Week (JAW),

was introduced to an unknown community of amateur photographers of

Filipino origin, who were passionate about the medium despite having no

formal training. Whilst thriving in Jeddah’s underground cultural scene, La-

zaar felt that JAW provided the ideal platform for these photographers to

hold their first public exhibition.

‘Kakaibang Jeddah!’ can be roughly translated as ‘Unique Jeddah’ and the

photographs that are being exhibited as part of JAW, all present the city as it

has never been seen before. The photographers find beauty in the destruc-

tion and ruin of ancient buildings, empty streets seem alive with charm,

and colours are vibrant and rich. The lenses manage to capture the diversity

that exists within Jeddah, whilst celebrating the history of the port city.

Saudi Arabia is home is very large migrant population, that has contributed

massively to the Kingdom’s development. Whilst migrants have embraced

the country as their own, they have created their own sub-cultures within

their own communities, away from the mainstream. It is initiatives such as

JAW that are giving these communities the opportunity to express them-

selves in the wider public arena.

When asked about why ‘Kakaibang Jeddah!’ was so important, exhibiting

photographer Richard Nicolasora said: ‘This exhibition is a great opportu-

nity for us to showcase our talent to a wider audience; not to mention doing

it alongside internationally known artists. I hope that this will be a good

start of the new horizon for budding artists like myself to have a proper

venue to freely practice my passion for art and also have the freedom to

show it to the public. I really wish that this exhibition will open the minds

of the local Saudis and that they can understand the importance of freedom

of expression through art.’

The show will bring together more than 45 works by 23 photographers in

what Lazaar has called ‘a testament to the diversity and cultural awareness

slowly emerging from Jeddah.’

Historically, relations between host and migrant communities have been

fraught with tensions, and only recently, changes in Saudi laws have lead to

the cancellation of residency permits of some migrant workers. Nevertheless,

many are optimistic that general attitudes are changing. Dialogues about

these subjects are beginning to open up within Saudi Arabia and the wider

Gulf region, and art is the ideal vehicle to carry these discussions forward.

Indeed, the pictures in ‘Kakaibang Jeddah!’ are demonstrative of the sense of

belonging and love that the photographers have for their adopted city.

The photographers participating in ‘Kakaibang Jeddah!’ are:

Alain Quisumbing, Alfer Jimenez, Arnel Angeles, Arnel Villavicencio, Da-

nyl Lada, Direk Camua, Elmer Limpiado, Francis Alan Aquino, Francis

Tinga, Jeffrey Perez, Jimmy Villa, Jolly Nisperos, Jon Soriano, June Adonis,

Lynne Fiolita Jimenez, Merlyn Cahalim, Melvin Alejo, Mia Mangaliag, Mi-

chael Malijao, Richard Nicolasora, Rodolfo DelaCruz, Romy Israel and

Thesz Fontanilla Clariza.

07Limited Edition 3, featuring the works of 22 Saudi Artists. by arabian Wings

As part of Jeddah Art Week the Limited Edition series, now in its third edition, is the brainchild of Mohammad Bah-

rawi and wife Najlaa Felemban. Initially incepted to dig up the hidden talent in Saudi Arabia, this series has gained

prominence over the past three years with successes unforeseen by Arabian Wings. Aimed at giving exposure to the

art in the Kingdom, Arabian Wings has strived to support the artists throughout the process to reach better results and

has worked with renowned consultants to ensure the production of high quality artworks.

The Limited Edition exhibition is comprised of a set of artworks by local artists who have studied and specialized in

the Kingdom. It is accompanied by this book which catalogues the artwork and gives information of the artists and

their backgrounds. To complete the educational aspect of this exhibition, Arabian Wings has organized an educa-

tional seminar to further enrich the purpose of the exhibition by creating a dialogue between the artists and guests.

The versatile exhibition brings together works of various Saudi artists who practice different disciplines of art. With

that the exhibition aims to be a point of exchange of knowledge between artists, enthusiasts and viewers and provide

a sensual search of meaning.

Work by, kholoud albogami Work by, Nada Asa

Work by, Saad bin Mohammed

08Maha Malluh, Distributed Objects, London / Jeddah by Selma Feriani Gallery.

Maha Malluh will be exhibiting her newest mixed media installations works. Greatly influenced by her spiritual

connection to the historic region of Najd, Maha has witnessed the growing changes in her beloved country over

the recent decades with an observant eye, and a heavy heart. She has focused on the use of objects in her work

as a means of portraying these changes and the resulting confrontation between modernity and cultural heritage.

Shown for the first time, Maha’s work ‘Food for Thought 4’ an installation of twenty two towers composed of color-

ful chinco plates welded together. The towers symbolize modernity and urbanisation. Maha’s use of these dishes,

traditionally used to feed the entire extended Saudi family, is an appeal to the younger generations to hold onto

these traditions and to resist succumbing to a fast-paced life with all its modern temptations of fast food and pre-

prepared meals. Traditions as simple as sharing a family meal are what bring us closer and reinforce our relation-

ships, and thus should always be preserved.

‘Food for Thought 13000’ is an installation of old cassette tapes of religious lectures from the 80’s that are installed

in old wooden baking trays from the same period. This decade saw an adverse fundamental reaction to the fast-

paced modernisation and westernisation that was gripping the country.

When asked what she felt the point of art was, she replied:

“To make people understand things in a different way. We need art more than ever in Saudi Arabia because life

has become more hectic now. People forget about things like watching the sunset. They don’t look at nature in the

way they once did. Good art works against that in the sense that it forces you to pause, to contemplate and think

harder about your surroundings”. (Malluh, from Hemmings interview, 2008)

With this, Malluh clearly defines the content and strategy of her practice. Her work is an insightful amalgamation,

which discusses the importance of heritage, balance and growth.

Work by, Khalid Ben Silmane

09

Mapping Azimuth: Two Calligraphic Ascensions:nja Mahdaoui & Khaled ben Slimane by Galerie el Marsa.

Nja Mahdaoui

A visual artist, an explorer of signs. He has been portrayed as a “chore-

ographer of letters”. His work, inspired by Arab calligraphy, is remarkably

innovative as the aesthetic dimension of letters brings forth a sense of

the poetic - highly rhythmic– arresting us with its rich abstract composi-

tions. Thus, his creative approach is conveyed through the choice of ma-

terial and medium. He has illustrated legendary or sacred myths, tales or

manuscripts. For instance, he has illustrated stories from the collection of

tales “One Thousand and One Nights” which have been the subject of an

outstanding French edition, thus reminding us how the influence of Arab

literature and culture on our world is immense

khalid Ben Slimane,

A “ceramist painter”. These two words suffice to intro-

duce himself. Even though they may well summarize

what he does and exhibits to the world, these two words

are unable to tell us about what kind of a person he is.

Khaled Ben Slimane is not the type of artist who claims

anti-conformism, yet he is also dissatisfied with the role

of a mere follower; he is an explorer. He explores his

own self. Largely drawing from the treasure trove of tra-

dition - his own as well others’- while adding his per-

sonal touch, Khalid Ben Slimane does not mind to be

guided, but never to be told about what he has to do.

He fully assumes, therefore, his dedication to freedom.

He has not only been able to achieve the feat of grow-

ing to maturity, but he has also managed to become a

modern man, through a slow and sedate process...

Work by, Nja Mahdaoui Work by, Nja Mahdaoui

10

More than Paper, A Collection of Works by abdulaziz ashoor.

The exhibition attempts to explore the use of paper in the Arts as a vital

element and organic form. Showing how it varies visually , Whether past-

ing, collage, abstract art or if it has manifested on the walls of Curettage ,

sculptures and poster remnants of daily newspapers. Even if its Paper and

Papier- tinged color or any of the material it Could come in terms with.

I believe that paper is not a common or consuming material. It is a

living sensory organism, That we can creat a deal or relationship of some

kind with it. Paper being a promoter of the capacity for each of our souls

out of being a tool of the initial message of science ,humanity, knowledge

and art. In a result paper remains an exciting form of substance

for the senses. It intices the creativity And gives more joy that we usually

loose in the material world.

11

Sotheby’s International Contemporary Highlights from the upcoming Contemporary / Doha Auction in April.

International auction house Sotheby’s will unveil an

exhibition of Contemporary art by both Middle Eastern and

International artists. Highlights include works by leading

regional artists such as Ali Banisadr’s, The Chase, as well

as acclaimed international artists such as Damien Hirst.

Work by, Damien Hirst.

12

Single Saudi Women, Solo Showby Wasma Mansour.

A dominant feature in recent discussions of the Middle East,

nowhere more so than in the so-called West, concerns the

totemic value placed in the veil and women’s clothing in

Muslim societies. The hijab, which is defined by Islamic le-

gal systems as that which covers everything except the face

and hands in public, is the subject of controversy, not so

much in the Middle East as it is in Europe and elsewhere.

Operating on a number of symbolic levels at once, it is easy

to forget that the garments that come under the hijab dress

code range from the khimar (or shaylah) which covers the

head, to the chador, a loose fitting cloak worn by many

Iranian women in public spaces, to the burka (or Afghan

chadri) which covers the entirety of the body including, but

not always, the eyes, and the abaya, a full-length, sleeveless

outer garment worn by many women across the region.

An increasingly contested sign of Muslim consciousness,

these items of clothing come to define different things to

different people. In the West, they have secured a place in

the popular imagination as a sign of the lack of women’s

rights in Islamic societies and, in the guise of the veil, a

signifier of unavailability and repression. Amidst these often

conflicting meanings, artists such as Wasma Mansour have

explored the symbolic codes and values associated with,

in particular, the abaya, and questioned the often narrow

interpretations of it.

In a package, of a package, of a package, Mansour portrays

the abaya as an objective fact of life, an item of clothing that

has many different associations and meanings across North

Africa and the Middle East; ranging, as the artist notes, from

a symbol of personal choice (in Egypt, for example) or a

religious duty (as in Iran, where women are not required

to wear full chador or a veil but many do). The abaya and

the veil can also represent a socio-religious obligation (in

Saudi Arabia) or be a compelling sign of resistance (as it

is in Algeria). The point, eloquently made by Mansour, is

that clothing is adaptive and indeed adaptable. Rather than

show women wearing abaya, however, Mansour shows it in

various packages, neatly folded away for use at a later date.

The abaya here is not a defining factor in the lives of women

but an element, amongst many others, in their definition of

their own identity.

The accoutrements of life and living are likewise key to

Mansour’s Still Life series where we see the personal space

and belongings of Saudi women living in England. The

genre of ‘still life’ is often seen as traditional in a formal

context and it still maintains a resonance in photographic

work that suggests a degree of artifice or arrangement;

however, Mansour’s images seem to take these rooms as

she finds them and ‘still life’ here becomes an image of

lives lived and the places they are lived in. In one image,

clothes are piled in no order; in others, beds are neatly

made and rooms seem tidy and orderly. In others, per-

sonal items, such as shoes and make-up become the focus

and the everyday seems touched by a human presence

that is nevertheless absent. Emptied of human presence,

these items become invested with a sense of identity, al-

beit the displaced identity of their owners. As a viewer,

there is a also degree of discomfort in viewing someone

else’s bedroom, a highly personal and private space, and

yet this is not about voyeurism as much as it concerns, ac-

cording to Mansour, the stories and anecdotes that are at-

tached to these objects and places. The ‘still life’ element

here is very much connected to another timeless genre:

that of the portrait.

Working closely with her subjects, Mansour’s photographs

manage to creatively sidestep narrow modes of represen-

tation, whether it is of the so-called veil or the abaya, or

the lives of women. By opening up a dialogue with her

subjects, in the process of creating what she calls the

‘photographic event’, she provides them with the opportu-

nity to discuss and explore their own sense of identity at a

remove from the expectations placed upon them, by both

the artist and the viewer. ‘The challenge’ Mansour says

of the project, ‘was to aesthetically narrate the multifari-

ous ways in which Saudi women assert their subjectivity

[and] to represent that rich world in a plethora of settings

and spaces, and hope to transmit some of its texture and

flavour.’

Wasma Mansour’s work will be on show this year at Jed-

dah Art Week (1 – 6 February 2014).

BY : Anthony Downey

DAY THREE0303

Monday 03 Feb

10.00 – 17.00Ibraaz Symposium in collaboration with Dar Al Hekma, Global Contemporary Art and it’s Networks in Dar Al Hekma.

19.00Ayyam Gallery, Contemporary kingdom, Three Generations of Saudi Artists.

10.00 – 17.00Ibraaz Symposium in collaboration with Dar Al Hekma, Global Contemporary art and it’s networks in dar al Hekma.JAW-2014 will also offer participants and visitors a chance to engage more interactively with art culture, as well

as the city of Jeddah through a variety of additional events. As part of its commitment to education, JAW will host

an international conference at one of Jeddah’s leading female universities, Dar Al Hekma. The conference, Global

Contemporary Art and Its Networks, is to be organized by Ibraaz (www.ibraaz.org), the leading critical forum on

visual culture from North Africa and The Middle East], and will include a series of lectures and panel discussions

that will look at the development of contemporary art in its historical and global context. Saudi artists Abdulnasser

Gharem, Ahmed Mater, Maha Malluh and Faisal Samra will be joined in discussion by international academics

and celebrated art world specialists.

AHMED MATER

FAISAL SAMRA

MAHA MALLUH

ABDULNASSER GHAREM

19.00Ayyam Gallery, Contemporary kingdom, three Generations of Saudi artists.

In Contemporary Kingdom, Faisal Samra, Maha Malluh, Abdulnasser Gharem, Rashed Al Shashai,

Shaweesh and Huda Beydoun will exhibit artworks addressing, as well asembodying the spirit of,

the rapid modernity that has impacted the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Ranging in age from twenty to sixty, the varied perspectives and diversity of media will present a

truly inclusive exhibition, engaging audiences with the wide spectrum of ideas present in Saudi

Arabia and starting a creative dialogue.

Representing the younger generation, Huda Beydoun and Shaweesh both utilize Western Pop

cultural symbology. While documenting the prevalence of undocumented immigrants in theK-

ingdom, Beydoun hides their identities and fears of deportation behind the form of Mickey

Mouse, a character globally symbolic for innocence and joy. Street artist Shaweesh juxtaposes

important political figures and events with iconic sci-fi and superheroes, paralleling the strengths

and achievements of the mortal with those of the superhuman in an often humorous critique.

In the second generation, Rashed Al Shashai and Abdulnasser Gharem both comment on the

ecological impact modernity has had in the region and larger world. Though playful, Al Shashai’s

oversized stopper installations cleverly reference not only our innate necessity for water but

also highlight its storage, supply and conservation in a world plagued by draught and shortages.

Gharem’s performance piece Flora & Fauna, captured in video and photography, focuses on the

conocarpus erectus, a draught-resistant tree imported into the country, which caused those trees

indigenous to the area to perish. His simple performance poignantly explores the ongoing, often-

strained relationship with technology and the natural environment.

Representing the third generation is Faisal Samra and Maha Malluh. Samra’s series The Other

Body explores the possibilities of industrial media, placing his work at the intersection of sculp-

ture and painting. Alluding with his mesh and wire works to body parts or forms occurring in

nature, Samra demonstrates how the ravages of time can bring about new richness and even give

rise to a

second creation. Maha Malluh will present three photograms from her Tradition and Modernity

series. With a process inspired by pioneering photographers Man Ray and William Fox Talbot,

Malluh chooses objects relevant to the cultural heritage and present material makeup of Saudi

to place on photographic paper and expose directly to light. With inverse, X-ray-like results,

Malluh also comments on the lack of privacy associated with modern-day travel and employs

photograms to reclaim her objects and their power, their arrangements speaking in ways that are

not possible when unceremoniously screened by security officials. Ayyam Gallery Jeddah hopes

the Contemporary Kingdom exhibition will add value to the cultural events of 21,39 and Jeddah

Art Week, which are taking place in the beginning of February.

Work by, Shaweesh

Work by, Maha Malluh

Work by, Rashid Alshashai

DAY FOUR. FIVE. SIx04.05.06

04 . 05 . 06

tueSday 04 Feb

18.00Al Alamia Gallery, A Celebration of Saudi Contemporary Art.

20.00Saudi Art Centre / Markaz Al Saudi, Abdilaziz Bube Asher Solo Exhibition.

WedneSday 05 Feb

18.00House of Artists, Saudi Colours.

20.00Dama Art, Shift, New Perspectives.

tHurSday 06 Feb

18.00Rochan Gallery, Festival of Miniatures & Contemporary Art

20.00Art and Culture Association, Al Corniche Exploration.

18.00al alamia Gallery, A Celebration of Saudi Art.

20.00Saudi art Centre / Markaz al Saudi, Abdilaziz Bube Asher Solo Exhibition.

Work by, Ibrahim Al Khabrani

Work by, abdilaziz Bube Asher

18.00House of artists, Saudi Colours.

20.00dama art, Shift, New Perspectives.

Work by, Ahmed alkaznari

18.00rochan Gallery, Festival of Miniatures & Contemporary Art

Work by, Nja Mahdaoui

20.00CreatorS draWInG Center,

20.00art and Culture association, Al Corniche Exploration.

Work by, Sheikh Idriss

Work by, Nezir yavuz

FURUSIYA ExHBITION MAP

AN INTERNATIONAL GATHERING FOR JEDDAH’S CREATIVE COMMUNITY.

JeddaHartWeeK.CoM