The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) is a country known to conceal beautiful behind a veil or walls. Even the art scene is normally confined to the galleries scattered across Saudi. Art has never been on display out in the open for a large public. Not until 22 December 2014, when a wave of colors and art swept through the streets of the capital, Riyadh, and other cities, marking the kingdom’s first public art display.
Opening in Riyadh’s prestigious Tahlia Street, Mohammed al-Khereiji, deputy chief executive of Al-Arabia Outdoor, the advertising firm behind the exhibition, expressed his enthusiasm for the exhibition commenting briefly that "It is something new [...] For the first time, art is presented to the public."
Shared with the world via 3,400 billboards, 80 paintings by Saudi artists were on display from 22 to 27 December 2014 with several sculptures on display as well. Khereiji described this grand feat as "the biggest art gallery in the Middle East".
The call for submissions was met with an astounding 3,200 entries which reveals how Saudi artists are yearning to find an outlet. Although the strict Wahhabi version of Islam forbids painting humans, many of the artworks on display clearly portrayed people, some of them even women. Despite that, the exhibition went smoothly without any intervention from the Islamic police who passed by to check on the event. The success of this exhibition comes as the latest in a series of battles to set Saudi art free.
Early in January, 2012, a contemporary art exhibition titled “We Need to Talk” was held in an unfinished, neon-lit wing of Jeddah’s Al Furisiya Marina & Mall. Although it was be a rather odd choice for an art exhibition, Stephen Stapleton, the founder of Edge of Arabia and the co-curator of “We Need to Talk” reveled that “I think it’s just right for the work. It was a risk, but one that we felt was worth taking.”
Prior to “We Need to Talk”, contemporary art was always viewed with suspicion and even indifference. But the public stance slowly started changing, especially now that members of the royal family are showing an appreciation for art, such as Princess Jowhara Al Saud who took part in the exhibition.
“It feels like a movement,” said London dealer James Lindon, who was visiting Saudi Arabia for the first time. “There’s extraordinary solidarity between the artists and a desire to push things forward in an interesting way. I’m incredibly impressed by the quality of the work.” And had it not been for that solidarity, the artists and their work would have probably lost against the authorities’ tight grip on the arts scene. Among the many spectacular aspects about “We Need to Talk” was the fact that every piece on display was inspected by a committee of senior artists at the Ministry of Culture and Information, which ended in the rejection of all admissions except for one. Nevertheless, several private equity companies such as Abraaj Capital, and Abdul Latif Jameel Community Initiatives provided financial support so the exhibition could be a success.
While artists across all fields of arts continue to struggle with bureaucracy, the more enduring problem remains the lack of a fine arts college, or contemporary art museum, not to mention the absence of art publications or innovative art spaces (except for Jeddah’s Athr Gallery).
As bleak as conditions may seem for Saudi artists, it is such persistence and will that ensure that one day, sooner or later, art will bloom throughout the kingdom.