The exhibition is part of a broader initiative by Arts AlUla to promote the ancient oasis city as a rising art and creativity hub. Known historically for trade and cultural significance, AlUla is home to Hegra, Saudi Arabia’s first UNESCO World Heritage site, and boasts a storied connection to the Incense Road.

“Orbis Tertius” brings this heritage into focus, presenting diverse mediums that reflect the region’s pre-Islamic heritage and its current creative renaissance.

Artists created their works within the residency’s inspiring settings, including Mabiti AlUla’s palm groves and AlJadidah’s new residence facilities. Morand highlighted the theme “Orbis Tertius, A Journey Between Fictions and Myths” as a response to the area’s evocative mix of legend and reality, aiming to provoke a “dynamic dialogue” among artists, local experts, and residents.

Notable exhibits include Monira Al-Qadiri’s striking aluminum sculpture “The Guardian,” based on the resilient Calotropis Procera plant native to the region. Meanwhile, multidisciplinary artist Anhar Salem’s “A Day in AlUla” showcases local lives, balancing personal narratives with broader cultural reflections. The Gazzaz brothers, co-founders of Bricklab, introduced sustainable construction methods in rammed earth, blending regional materials with AlUla’s layered history. Works by artists like Ayman Zedani and Reem Al-Nasser continue this thoughtful engagement with the area’s natural and anthropological heritage.

The exhibit reinforces AlUla’s role as a bridge for cultural exchange, supporting the vision to create a sustainable, globally recognized creative center. “We are showcasing the extraordinary artistic vision flourishing in AlUla,” said Nora Aldabal, RCU’s executive director, “a place where ancient history meets contemporary art.”

The post AlUla Debuts Art Residency Showcase in Paris with ‘Orbis Tertius’ appeared first on Magzoid Magazine.

Nine Songs, a work by Chinese musician, vocalist, and artistic director Rui Fu that was commissioned by the Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU), brings together an elite group of performers from around the world. The Chu Ci (Songs of Chu), an ancient collection of romantic Chinese poetry from the first century BC, served as inspiration for Fu’s new work, which he created in collaboration with artistic co-director Farooq Chaudhry and musical director Jocelyn Pook. Fu also reacted to the dramatic topography, undulating vistas, and remarkable geological structures of AlUla.

Nine Songs takes its inspiration from the Jiu Ge collection, one of the Songs of Chu’s seventeen sections, whose poems serve as prayers to the sky, mountains, and rivers. The ritualistic performance, which connects music and movement with the surrounding landscape, is set against the stunning sandstone cliffs and canyons of AlUla. It reimagines the sublime, delicate, and ancestral bond between art, landscape, and humanity.

Rui Fu is an expert in interpreting Chinese ethnic musical traditions in an improvised and impressionistic manner. She collaborates with musicians from minority tribes in China to explore indigenous practices and rare instruments and is known for singing in her own invented, non-lexical language that transcends cultural boundaries. She has been greatly influenced by the temporal, timbral, and rhythmic flexibilities of such traditions.

The performance of Nine Songs kicks off the Wadi AlFann pre-opening program, which also includes temporary exhibitions, artist residencies, and public symposia. It was co-produced by the Royal Commission for AlUla and Skye Blue Productions. A public program including educational opportunities, skill-based engagement, discussions with art specialists, workshops for local creatives, and more will be presented in conjunction with the opening of the first five artworks in 2024.

AlUla is a magnificent location rich in natural and artistic heritage and a history of intercultural engagement. The area, historically located along the incense trade route and formerly serving as the capital of the ancient Kingdom of Dadan, is home to the ancient Nabataean city of Hegra, Saudi Arabia’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is again reviving its reputation as an essential cultural attraction since it is a living museum of history, the arts, and the environment.

The magnificent setting of Wadi AlFann inspired the Royal Commission for AlUla to commission this piece as a tribute to the profound connection between art and nature that can be discovered in this singular valley. People from all over the world, regardless of country, language, or background, find Rui Fu’s art to be profoundly moving since it touches on issues of genealogy, civilization, and humanity. Wadi AlFann’s program of public events, through which residents and tourists can experience the arts and culture as a source of education and enrichment, is launched spectacularly with Nine Songs.

The post The pre-launch of the Arts and Culture Program in AlUla kicks off with Wadi AlFann “The Valley of the Arts” appeared first on Magzoid Magazine.