Arts AlUla, under the patronage of the Direction of Cultural Affairs of the Principality of Monaco, announces an exhibition of contemporary photography entitled “AlUla: A Tapestry of Creativity”. The exhibition will take place from 3 August to 3 September 2024, with free access, along the Promenade du Larvotto, Principality of Monaco.
AlUla: A Tapestry of Creativity is a contemporary photography exhibition highlighting the geological, archaeological and artistic treasures of AlUla. The exhibition celebrates the vibrant culture, rich history and fascinating landscapes of AlUla, a desert region in north-western Saudi Arabia.
Located on the Promenade du Larvotto in the Principality of Monaco, the exhibition brings together Saudi and international artists who have captured the fascinating landscapes and heritage of AlUla. Through their immersive experiences in residency programmes, independent visits and commissioned projects, these artists offer unique perspectives on the geological wonders, archaeological significance and cultural richness of AlUla. The artists aim to evoke the layered beauty of a region where cultural heritage, tradition and modernity coexist harmoniously. The exhibition highlights different artistic expressions and technical approaches, reflecting AlUla’s past, present and future.
The artists in the exhibition are:
Moath Alofi – Multi-talented artist, researcher, explorer, as well as founder of the art studio Al-Mthba and the co-founder of Erth Team, a production group specialising in safari, aerial photography and travel documentation. His work focuses on artefacts, cultural heritage and hidden treasures within the city of Medina. Over time, his exploration has expanded to encompass the entire Medina region, capturing its barren landscapes and urbanised beauty. Alofi expresses a strong interest in further expanding his artistic explorations to encompass the entire Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Huda Beydoun – visual artist whose career began in 2010, focusing on painting, mixed media and photography. Now based in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Beydoun has established herself as an artist, creative director and fashion photographer, cultivating a distinctive and influential presence in the local art scene.
Lance Gerber -Born in 1975, he is a contemporary photographer renowned for his expertise in fine art documentation, interior design, architecture, fine art, and still-life photography. Lance’s photographic aesthetic is shaped by intricate compositions, meticulous styling, and a nuanced interplay of light and shadow that infuse his images with feeling and depth. Based in Southern California, Lance finds inspiration in the desert landscapes, where he explores the powerful transformative effects of the natural world and its ongoing role in his personal and artistic discovery.
Catherine Gfeller – French-Swiss artist known for her photographic work. In 1995, she had the opportunity to work and conduct research in New York, where she became fascinated by the urban environment and transformed city scenes into what she calls ‘urban friezes’. The artist’s fascination with AlUla stemmed from a visit to the region in March 2023. Catherine Gfeller’s work highlights the movement of the new convergence towards AlUla and invites dialogue with the spirit of the place.
M’hammed Kilito – Born in 1981 in Lviv, is a renowned documentary photographer and National Geographic Explorer who currently resides in Casablanca. Kilito’s exceptional talent and dedication have earned him numerous awards and grants. His compelling photographs have also been exhibited at renowned international festivals and museums, including the Leica Ernst Leitz Museum in Germany, the Tate Modern in the UK and Cortona on the Move AlUla in 2022.
Prince Michel de Yougoslavie – In 2009 discovered his passion for photography and began his artistic journey. His extensive travels have played a crucial role in honing his keen sense of observation, which he applies to his photography. His photographs have been exhibited internationally, with notable showcases including in 2020, Palm Beach, Florida, USA, in 2022 Seoul, Korea, Dongdaemun Design Plaza make him special guest of The Photo Artists Society of Korea, the Kiaf-Frieze Art Fair Seoul, the 2nd Global Art Fair in Singapore, and the Palace of the Dukes of Cadaval in Portugal. Through his fine observation of life, Prince Michel’s photographs offer a sophisticated and private vision of the world.
Matthieu Paley – Born in, 1973, in Rouen, France, he is a French photographer and regular contributor for National Geographic. He is best known for his work documenting communities in the western region of the greater Himalaya: the Karakoram, the Hindukush, and the Pamir Mountains. He is most interested in documenting communities that are misrepresented and misunderstood with a particular focus on those that are isolated within geopolitically sensitive areas. More recently, he has been working on stories relating to the environment and pollution.
Robert Polidori – Born in 1951 in Montreal, he is considered one of the world’s leading architectural photographers. Creating meticulously detailed, large-scale color photographs that transcend the limits of pure architectural photography, Polidori’s images record a visual citation of both past and present, an extraordinary invocation of history and modernity within the confines of a single frame. His major solo exhibitions include a mid-career retrospective at MAC Montréal, and his work is held in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art; MoMA; LACMA; V&A; and the Bibliothèque Nationale.
The exhibition, curated by Arts AlUla, consists of twenty-four photographs taken in AlUla by eight Saudi and international artists, displayed on 3×2 metre panels. Tripods placed at the access points to the exhibition will give visitors an introduction to the exhibition and allow them to access the digital catalogue and videos about AlUla via QR codes.
“AlUla is an infinite source of inspiration for artists from different eras and cultures that today once again establishes itself as an international benchmark in the world of art and culture,” commented Nora Aldabal, Executive Director of Arts and Creative Industries, Royal Commission for AlUla. “AlUla: A Tapestry of Creativity is a perfect testament to AlUla’s ability to inspire new generations of local and international artists, as well as being a vehicle to bring Saudi art and artists to the international stage. The Principality of Monaco has always been a place where artistry thrives and supports new talent, making it the ideal starting point for Arts AlUla’s first public photographic exhibition outside the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.”
Arts AlUla is committed to supporting local artists and fostering creative communities in order to bring Saudi art to the international stage, while at the same time contributing to making AlUla known to the world and developing new long-term work opportunities for the next generation of artists, where women will play a major role.
